Otmoor Land Open Again & Starling Roost
We are delighted to announce that Otmoor lane is now open. The Council have done a great job re-surfacing and the drive down is so much more enjoyable.
The starlings are still staying at about 10,000, but it really varies as to whether they display or not. The wildfowl numbers are slowly building with the best views over the reedbed where shoveler, teal and
wigeon can be seen. You can get good views of kingfisher feeding in front of the first screen. But no more sightings of the bearded tits.
Comments on Starling Roost
The Otmoor starling roost usually starts in full swing about mid to late November, but this can be so variable, last year it didn't really get going until November and then only lasted a month. In 2006/7 the roost didn't get going until December but lasted into the middle of February. The past three years we have usually reached about 40-50,000 birds.
When the roost starts could be related to cold weather, as we have only really had a couple of frosts so far this Autumn. What I would love to know is why some nights they display and some the don't, obviously rain and wind can impact on this, but even when the conditions appear perfect they sometimes don't display. And why do they move on so quickly within 2 nights a roost can go from 50,000 birds to 500! Is this because they have exhausted the food supplies in the area?
So many unanswered questions, but this is what makes the starling spectacle so amazing we just don't know why!
David Wilding
Site Manager,
c/o Folly Farm
Common Road
Beckley
Oxford OX3 9UR
Tel. 01865 352034
Fax. 01767 685601
www.rspb.org.uk
Otmoor starling roost © David Brown
The starlings are still staying at about 10,000, but it really varies as to whether they display or not. The wildfowl numbers are slowly building with the best views over the reedbed where shoveler, teal and
wigeon can be seen. You can get good views of kingfisher feeding in front of the first screen. But no more sightings of the bearded tits.
Comments on Starling Roost
The Otmoor starling roost usually starts in full swing about mid to late November, but this can be so variable, last year it didn't really get going until November and then only lasted a month. In 2006/7 the roost didn't get going until December but lasted into the middle of February. The past three years we have usually reached about 40-50,000 birds.
When the roost starts could be related to cold weather, as we have only really had a couple of frosts so far this Autumn. What I would love to know is why some nights they display and some the don't, obviously rain and wind can impact on this, but even when the conditions appear perfect they sometimes don't display. And why do they move on so quickly within 2 nights a roost can go from 50,000 birds to 500! Is this because they have exhausted the food supplies in the area?
So many unanswered questions, but this is what makes the starling spectacle so amazing we just don't know why!
David Wilding
Site Manager,
c/o Folly Farm
Common Road
Beckley
Oxford OX3 9UR
Tel. 01865 352034
Fax. 01767 685601
www.rspb.org.uk
Otmoor starling roost © David Brown