Bunk, Gravel pit and plenty of birds

Sunny periods, 14°, light to breezy SW.

When out birding you never know what you might come across and today was one of those where something rare turns up. A juv Hen Harrier flew over the gravel pit being mobbed by 3 Rook then disappeared behind some trees heading south east. No photo taken as I was engrossed in getting an ID before it disappeared.

Also at the gravel pit. A Green Sandpiper, 6 Tufted Duck, 12 Little Grebe, 2 Coot, a Kestrel and 2 Chiffchaff.

200+ Redwing between the gravel pit and Green Lane plus c50 Fieldfare, 5 Song Thrush and 10+ Blackbird.

A Jay flew over the garden early on.

Dragonflies: A Southern Hawker, a Migrant Hawker and 3 Common Darter.

Butterflies: Just a single Brimstone.

Lollingdon & The Lees

Sunny periods, 14°, light NE.

8 Stonechat today, 4 near the Lees and 4 out at Lollingdon, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Grey Heron, 12 Meadow Pipit, c50 Linnet, 32 Skylark and singles of Chiffchaff and Kestrel.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

All quiet

Sunny spells, 15°, breezy NNW.

Again, another quiet one along the Bunk line and gravel pit areas.

A Peregrine, 12 Little Grebe, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Coot, 2 Grey Wagtail and 5 Chiffchaff was about it.

Shortly after I got back home, 2 Redwing flew over heading to Cholsey Hill area (first of the autumn for me).

Dragonflies: a few Common Darter.

Butterflies: a Peacock and 2 Red Admiral.

Lollingdon & The Lees

Sunny spells, 18°, light SSW.

Lollingdon and the Lees: still pretty quiet locally. 4 Stonechat, 2 Lollingdon and 2 the Lees area, 40+ Stock Dove flushed by a Buzzard, a Kingfisher, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Yellowhammer and a Grey Heron.

Dragonflies: A Migrant Hawker and several Common Darter.

Butterflies: 3 Clouded Yellow, a Red Admiral and a Small White.

Bunk & Gravel pit

Overcast with light drizzle, 19°, light S.

Bunk line generally very quiet, just 8 Meadow Pipit and 3 Jay.

Gravel pit a bit livelier. A Wheatear, a Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, 12 Little Grebe, 2 Coot, 2 Egyptian Geese, a Grey Heron, 10+ Meadow Pipit and 6 Chiffchaff.

Stonechats

Cloudy, 14°, light WNW.

Lollingdon and the Lees:

13 Stonechat today. 2 near Amwell Spring brewery, 5 Lollingdon Hill, 2 at the Long Ditch and 4 near the Lees.

A Firecrest on the wooded side of Lollingdon Hill appeared to be associated with a Tit flock.

Elsewhere: 6 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting, 8 Chiffchaff, 4 Meadow Pipit, 14 Skylark, 2 Raven and 2 Kestrel.

Mammals: 2 Stoat, 5 Brown Hare and 3 Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: 5-6 Common Darter.

Ivy Bees

A recent arrival in the UK first noted in 2001 and is spreading north. They emerge later in the year than most Bees to co-inside with the flowering of Ivy which is their pollinator plant.

A nice series of pics by Bill Nicholls.

All quiet

Sunny, 22°, light SW.

Well, it doesn’t feel like October yet and a pretty poor show along the Bunk and gravel pit.

4 Coot, 2 Tufted Duck, a Grey Wagtail and 10 Little Grebe at the gravel pit and elsewhere, a Grey Heron, 2 Yellowhammer, 2 Jay and 8+ Chiffchaff.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: several Small White and 2 Red Admiral.

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth in garden.

Not a lot

Sunny periods, 20°, breezy SSW.

Lollingdon and The Lees: pretty quiet all round except for one busy patch out by the Lees.

6 Stonechat out near the Lees, 2 Reed Bunting and a Grey Heron and 10+ Chiffchaff and 8 Skylark on walk.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: A Migrant Hawker and several Common Darter.

Butterflies: 4 Clouded Yellow, Lollingdon and 10+ in the usual field near the Lees plus 6 Common Blue and 1 Red Admiral and a couple of Small White.

1st Oct: Chiffchaff, Common Darter, Common Blue & Red Admiral in garden and a Skylark, Jay, 2 Greylag & Buzzard over.

September bows out

Sunny periods, 22°, breezy SSW.

A pretty disappointing slog up to the gravel pit.

4 Lapwing, 10 Little Grebe, 12 Tufted Duck, 4 Coot and a Grey Wagtail.

Elsewhere very quiet, 2 Yellowhammer and 6 Chiffchaff.

c30 House Martin over Station Road allotments: per LC.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: several Small White and a Red Admiral.

The Lees, Long ditch and Cholsey Hill

Sunny spells at first the clouding up, 22°, ESE.

The Lees, Long ditch and Cholsey Hill:

A Wheatear by the barns near the Lees and 2 Stonechat along the long ditch. Plus, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer, 5 Chiffchaff, a Kestrel and c200 Gulls loafing in the fields.

A Merlin on Cholsey Hill spooking lots of small birds, c30 Skylark, 40+ Linnet, 6+ Corn Bunting and 50+ Meadow Pipit.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: A Migrant Hawker and several Common Darter.

Butterflies: Up to 20 Clouded Yellow in the usual field. On the way back the cloud cover had increased and the temperature had dropped by 4° and not a single one seen. Also several Small White, 10+ Common Blue and 4 Speckled Wood.

Saturday: Grey Wagtail visiting and Common Darter egg laying in a pond, Per Richard James and Clouded Yellow & Small Tortoiseshell on Station Road allotments.

2 Chiffchaff bathing in garden.

Bunk & Gravel pit

Sunny periods, 22°, light SSW.

Gravel pit was busy with machinery working but some activity on the water with, 6 Little Grebe, 4 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Coot and 5 Lapwing.

c500 Gulls appeared to be flushed from a pit further away and 3 Grey Heron.

Nearby, a single Firecrest, a Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 10+ Chiffchaff, 5 Yellowhammer, 2 Meadow Pipit, a Hobby and 3 Kestrel.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: singles of Clouded Yellow, Small White, Red Admiral and Peacock.

Autumn Equinox

Sunny spells, 22°, breezy NW.

Pretty quiet generally. Lollingdon Hill particularly so with just 9 Yellowhammer and a couple of Chiffchaff present.

2 Stonechat near Little Lollingdon and in total 20+ Chiffchaff on walk.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: 4 Clouded Yellow, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth near football pavilion.

Notes from the 21st Sep: Painted Lady in garden and a single House Martin over.

8 Pied Wagtail on roof with solar panels, Church rd.

c1100 large Gulls north east at dusk and a Noctule feeding overhead.

A Green Sandpiper over Wallingford rd. per MP.

Southern Green Shieldbug found by James Beaumont near the Station rd allotments.

Sat/Sun.

Saturday: Mainly cloudy, 22°, Breezy SW.

Cetti's Warbler singing on Wallingford Rd opposite the end of Green Lane (just inside gate into the sheep field). Per RB.

16:30 – 18:00 600+ House Martin and 5 Swallow south over Church road.

Sunday: Sunny, 19°, light SW.

Common Darter, Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady and Red Admiral on allotments.

Chiffchaff in garden.

Bunk etc.

Cloudy with light rain, 18°, breezy SW.

Thanks to the gravel pit staff who have cleared the vegetation and opened up the view onto the pit.

Not a lot going on though. 2 Cormorant, 2 Coot, 8 Tufted Duck, 5 Little Grebe and several hundred Geese.

Elsewhere: 4 Yellowhammer, 5 Chiffchaff, a single Blackcap, 2 Kestrel and c70 House Martin.

2 Firecrest found near the Millennium wood. Per Richard Broughton.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth in garden.