Young NRNer on 11 months surveying birds in Eynsham
My name is Harry and I am a keen young birder and trainee bird ringer. Since April 2025 I have been surveying birds in two fields near Eynsham lock. It has been a fun and enjoyable activity to do every two weeks and it is satisfying knowing that all the data being gathered is going towards important research.
How did I get into surveying?
I met the local Council’s Nature Recovery Officer at a Careers Fair. Hearing about my interests in birds, she suggested I contact Nature Recovery Network (NRN). My Dad and I met up with one of the lead NRN surveyors for a walk around some local fields. He asked if I would be interested in surveying the two fields known as Duke’s Meadow North & South. I said yes as I thought it would be good experience and I have been surveying those field ever since
The two fields I survey are in red
What surveying is like
Surveying is a very methodical but relaxing way of finding species. It generally involves meticulously walking the perimeter of your area slowly and quietly, looking and listening for animals. Birds are generally the easiest to locate as they sing and call (especially in the spring) but mammals appear occasionally too. I generally survey the field for between 30 – 45 minutes which is normally enough time to discover most of the species there.
Surveying is a great way to learn about species if you are new to birding or learn more about specific animal habits and behaviours if you already have some experience. You don’t always see or hear exciting species on survey days; such as a Grasshopper Warbler that I’d been seeing for a few weeks but not on the day of the survey, and a Tawny Owl that appeared when it was too late to survey other birds. Luckily you can submit occurrences like these via the ‘Casual Sightings’ section of the survey submission form.
Surveying is exciting in the springtime as the animals are busier and you can see where birds are building nests. Over the 2025 summer I watched a Common Buzzard build a nest and raise at least one chick, which fledged. Another highlight was checking on a Swan nest every day and seeing the cygnet nestled on its parent’s back after returning from holiday.
The adult Buzzard with the chick near the middle branch
My Favourite sightings in the field
Having completed lots of surveys, I have seen a wide array of exciting and interesting animals spread across my two fields. The first survey I ever did was quite memorable as the resident Farmoor flock of roughly 70 feral Snow Geese flew over Duke’s Meadow North, honking. One hot evening in June, I heard a strange raspy squeaking sound by the Wharf Stream at Duke’s Meadow South, then saw a bird fly into a bush which was a juvenile Cuckoo being fed by its Reed Warbler parent. A healthy population of Cuckoos live around Eynsham Lock and the River Thames
The juvenile Cuckoo on the left and one of the regular cuckoos by the lock on the right
The next sighting excitingly occurred whilst doing a survey for Duke’s Meadow South, when I saw a female Mandarin Duck and could add it to the survey list. The Mandarin Duck has a partner, which can occasionally be seen swimming upstream and settling near the Lock or Wharf Stream bridge.
The female Mandarin Duck and her partner
The final elusive find was a showy Tawny Owl that was spending lots of time flying around Duke’s Meadow North at dusk.
The Tawny Owl - all photos by Harry Huie
Why is it important for young people to get into the environment and surveying
To put it simply, young people are the next generation and therefore responsible for controlling what can happen next with conservation recording species data. If you implant a love of nature into them at a young age, they are likely to help care for it throughout their life.