Clouded Yellow & Wasp Spider

Cloudy, 26°, light WSW.

Bunk: Not a great deal today, Kingfisher and Lesser Whitethroat of note and just c20 Swallow, 1 Swift and 5 Chiffchaff.

Others had more luck with a Wasp Spider found by Phil Dyson at the Church and 2 Clouded Yellow Butterfly found by Richard B near the Lees.

Courtesy Richard Broughton

Courtesy Phil Dyson

Swifts

Overcast, 21°, breezy NNE.

The Lees:

A large flock of Swift feeding in an area between the Lees, Lollingdon and the Astons, estimate around 200 birds, plus c80 House Martin and up to 50 Swallow in the same area.

5 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1-2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer, 2+ Jay, a Mistle Thrush and 6 Skylark.

2 Grey Wagtail on Cholsey Brook and Sparrowhawk nearby.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle and Emperor.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Bunk

Overcast with light cloud, 23°, breezy NNW.

Bunk area:

Marsh Harrier seen over Cholsey Hill, Gull numbers on the increase with c50 Black-headed Gull, c30 Lesser Blackback Gull and a couple of Herring Gull.

5 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, a Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 1 pos 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Yellow Wagtail, 4 Mistle Thrush, 15 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 3 Sand Martin, 20+ Swift and a Sparrowhawk.

Dragonflies: Common Blue Damsel and a Brown Hawker.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Lollingdon

Sunny spells, 25°, light to breezy SSW.

Common Redstart still present on Lollingdon hill although quite elusive and c50 Swift moving overhead away from a rain shower to the north, very little else present.

Nearby the usual Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer etc and the occasional Swallow and House Martin about.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

The Lees

Sunny spells, 27°, light SSW.

The Lees: another quiet one. A few Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting along the Long Ditch. Nearby Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer etc.

Dragonflies: Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle, Southern Hawker, Emperor and an unidentified Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

Bunk

Overcast with a few light rain showers, 26°, light WSW.

Bunk area: fairly quiet, a Little Ringed Plover heard calling, 1-2 Bullfinch, 6 Yellowhammer, 5 Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, several Blackcap, a Sparrowhawk and good numbers of Swallow, House Martin and Swift that appeared to be passing through.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle and Common Blue Damsel.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Sheltering from the rain

Redstart

Sunny spells then clouding up, 25°, light WNW.

Lollingdon: The first Common Redstart of the autumn on the hill today, plus a Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, 2-3 Common Whitethroat and Blackcap. Nearby a Lesser Whitethroat, several more Chiffchaff, 5+ Yellowhammer and 3 Grey Heron.

A few Swift moving overhead.

The Marsh Harrier seen on Cholsey Hill again yesterday. Per GW. And a young Chiffchaff frequenting the garden over the last few days.

Mammals: Brown Hare, 2-3 Hedgehog and several Common Pipistrelle after dark in garden over the last week.

Dragonflies: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle and a Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Moths: A Hummingbird Hawkmoth in garden yesterday.

Cooler

Sunny spells, 23°, breezy SW.

Still fairly quiet out there, although a fair number of Swallow, c50 that appeared to be passing through and c20 House Martin, 6 Swift and a single Sand Martin.

Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Yellowhammer, 100+ Starling, c50 Linnet, 2 Herring Gull, 2 Black-headed Gull, 5 Lesser Blackback Gull, a Grey Heron etc.

A few Swift moving through yesterday and a Sparrowhawk in garden today.

Marsh Harrier seen on Cholsey Hill yesterday. Per MP.  

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damsel and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Garden Muntjac

Sunshine, 32°, light S.

Not a lot going on birdwise and the weather quite oppressive. However the garden has been busy with several Tit flocks dropping in to feed and bathe along with a couple of Great-spotted Woodpecker.

A Muntjac Deer appeared this afternoon for a drink and a wander.

Cholsey Hill

Mainly sunny, 22°, breezy NW.

A female Marsh Harrier seen quartering Cholsey hill this afternoon. Per RB.

Bunk area pretty quiet again, no change from last week.

The Lees

Sunny, 26°, light SW.

The Lees area: Another warm one. Several Sedge and Reed Warbler in brief song, a couple of Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer and a Corn Bunting. 2 Pied Wagtail taking food to a nest site and a single Yellow Wagtail and Grey Heron.

Dragonflies: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle and Common Blue Damsel.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

A quiet start to July

Sunny periods, 23°, light SW.

Bunk area still pretty quiet birdwise: a Hobby heading north, a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a flock of Hirundines, several Yellowhammer and Common Whitethroat, 20+ Swallow, 10+ House Martin, 3-4 Sand Martin, 20+ Swift, good numbers of Linnet in what looked like family groups, 2 Herring Gull at the usual site and couple of young Green Woodpecker.

Mammals: A Grey Squirrel in the garden feasting on Gooseberries.

Dragonflies: Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damsel, Azure Damsel and Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

Bunk

Sunny, 26°, breezy SSW.

Bunk area: still pretty quiet birdwise but lots of butterflies on the wing.

The usual Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Yellowhammer present. several Jay, a Grey Wagtail, several Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin.

Mammals: Red Fox and a Noctule over the garden after dark.

Dragonflies: Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damsel and Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

Ladybird larvae feeding on Blackfly courtesy Bill Nicholls

Lollingdon

Sunny, 22°, breezy SW.

A walk out to Lollingdon today and pretty quiet bird wise. A Lesser Whitethroat in song near Little Lollingdon plus several Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer on the walk.

The Hill was quiet apart from a flock of c200 Rook and Jackdaw, a single Kestrel and 2 Swift over.

30+ Swallow feeding over fields with a good amount of youngsters present.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle and a Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Heath.

Ruby

Mainly sunny, 23°, breezy SW.

Out in the garden today with some interesting insects about.

I have a few ‘Bug Hotels’ out and are being used by some solitary Bees and I noticed a Ruby-tailed Wasp species ( a cuckoo wasp) prowling around the hotel. I’m assuming it’s Chrysis ignita rather than one of the rarer species. It just happens to be a parasite of solitary bees.

Also a bug I am unable to identify and a Large Skipper butterfly.

Ruby-tailed Wasp sp

One of the Bees sealing the hole

Large Skipper

Ladybird larvae

1 of 3 Bug Hotels being used