Cholsey 30th Dec

A brief walk on my local patch today. Cloudy, 5º.

Grey Wagtail, Great-spotted Woodpecker and 2 Coal Tit and 1 Grey Heron in the Brook Meadow and 20 Redwing and a Mistle Thrush in the playing field.

A Brambling with c8 Chaffinch in the Jubilee field, also c10 Goldfinch there. Out in the farmland there were 10 Skylark back now the snow cover had gone also 2 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting, 3 Bullfinch another Great-spotted Woodpecker. Good numbers of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits in the hedgerows.

1 Buzzard and 2 Red Kites and a Kestrel.

On returning a large flock of Redwing and Fieldfare (c100 of each) flew over and 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Song Thrush in the playing field.

2 Roe Deer and 3 Grey Squirrel.

2 Winter Moths last night in garden.

2 Raven, recently at Lollingdon Hill (per TW).

Wishing you all happy holidays and safe journeys and a great 2011

Cholsey 24th Dec

At least 1 Little Egret still present in Brook meadow, Great-spotted Woodpecker, 2 Song Thrush and Buzzard also in meadow.

4 Fieldfares, 6 Redwings, 8 Blackbirds & 3 Mistle Thrushes feeding in garden. Also a small flock of 6-8 Long-tailed Tits.

A walk with an old friend

Decided to have a walk around the village today and bumped into Tony Williams.

We walked up by the railway station to the 4 Arches and along the river to Bow Bridge and then back thru Caps Lane to the village.

A lot quieter than yesterday on river with only a few Mallard and Gadwall still around.

3 Great-crested Grebe and a few Canada Geese near the 4 Arches.

However 2 Goosander on the Thames near Cholsey Marsh.

Also a Raven seen mobbing a Peregrine near silly bridge.

Fewer winter thrushes around.

18 Cormorant (several on the river but most in a tree by Bow bridge).
A small flock of Siskin heard by Bow bridge.

A Common Snipe flushed in the Brook Meadow (apparently known as Whitehead Meadow now!). Also a Red-legged Partridge in the meadow and 1 seen in a garden close to the railway station.
Also a Fox sat on the ice on the opposite bank of the Thames at Cholsey Marsh.

Grey Squirrel in garden and 2 Carrion Crows mobbing a Buzzard over the meadow.

Cholsey 23rd Dec

At least 1 Little Egret still present in Brook Meadow along with a Grey Heron. A few Fieldfare and Redwing present in garden along with a Mistle Thrush, also Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Cholsey 22nd Dec

2 Little Egret still present in Brook Meadow. Also Kingfisher seen on bridge to the Jubilee field.

           4 Arches – Cholsey Marsh – Bow Bridge – Winterbrook

                                        River Thames

Cloudy, 0º, c6cm snow. Ice on river bank.

34 Wigeon

2 Smew (redheads)

16 Gadwall

14 Tufted Duck

3 Teal

1 Goldeneye

1 Pochard

4 Mute Swan

40+ Mallard

3 Great Crested Grebe

4 Little Grebe

1 Water Rail

18 Cormorant

3 Grey Heron

30+ Moorhen

5 Coot

1 Common Snipe

5 Red Kite

1 Sparrowhawk

Approx 150 each of Redwing & Fieldfare

50+ Blackbird

1 Song Thrush

1 Mistle Thrush

5 Bullfinch

C10 Siskin feeding on Alder with c20 Goldfinch

2 Green Woodpecker

6 Great-spotted Woodpecker

        
                        Little Egret (taken thru living room window)

                                             Pochard

                                                 Siskin

                                               Goldeneye

                                                Teal

Most of the ducks very flighty!

Cholsey 21st Dec

Cloudy, -2º, approx 6cm snow.
Most brooks and ditches frozen with little flowing water. Also most haws and berries gone.

2 Little Egret & a Grey Heron flushed from an open area also
2 Common Snipe &
5 Teal.

4 Buzzard (1 very pale).

Fieldfare & Redwing in low nos, less than 50 of each.

A few Song Thrush & 20+ Blackbirds.

1 Green & 3 Great-spotted Woodpecker

2 Reed Bunting & few Finches. All Goldfinch & Chaffinch.

7 Roe Deer & 1 Hare.

A lot quieter than of late!

6 Long-tailed Tits on my window feeders when I got back!

One of the Little Egrets has just flown over the garden @ 13:20.
Seen again just after 14:00, keeps getting flushed from brook by walkers.
Now 2 Little Egret + Common Snipe.

                                            Reed Bunting

                                             Roe Deer

Brown Hare

                                           

2 garden ticks today, Common Snipe & Red-legged Partridge!

                     Red-legged Partridge in the garden, still dark

                           Great-spotted Woodpecker in garden

Partridge in a pear tree

Not quite but seemed good for an Xmas theme.

Red-legged Partridge calling and moving around garden this morning at 07:20. Eventually found some seed that had been put down.

Cholsey 17th Dec

Marymead – The Lees

-2º, cloudy

5 Common Snipe

1 Grey Heron

18 Yellowhammer

3 Meadow Pipit

2 Buzzard

1 Pied Wagtail

1 Kestrel

1 Great-spotted Woodpecker

Winter Thrush numbers down. Appear to be scattered around the area but no more than 50-60 of Fieldfare & Redwing seen. Also 1 Mistle Thrush, 20+ Blackbird and c 10 Song Thrush.

Quite a few finches with Goldfinch being most numerous followed by Chaffinch and a handful of Greenfinch & a small flock of (5-6) Siskin flew over.

A scattering of Lesser Blackback & Black-headed Gulls roaming the fields.

5 Roe Deer.


                                              Grey Heron

                            Mistle Thrush, Redwing & Blackbird

                                   Mistle Thrush & Redwing

Waxwings in Wallingford & Cholsey

2 Waxwings in Cholsey (per TRa).
and
Not quite Cholsey but close enough!

10 Waxwings in Waitrose car park and feeding in Church Lane.

They flew off just before 16:00 and headed towards the Castle gardens area so they may roost there.

Photos © Paul Chandler

Cholsey 13th Dec

Little Egret flushed from brook by dog walker @ 07:45 this morning.

Cholsey 12th Dec

Little Egret settled in Brook Meadow briefly, circled a few times then flew NE. Good garden tick.
Also a few Redwing & Song Thrush in meadow.
Grey Heron in meadow at dusk.

3 Woodcock near Cholsey and Wallingford railway line yesterday. (per Brian Wyatt)

Cholsey 9th Dec

4 Arches - Cholsey Marsh - Bow Bridge - Winterbrook

1º, cloudy

2 Mute Swan
1 Greylag Goose
76 Canada Goose
30+ Mallard
2 Shovelor
2 Wigeon
4 Teal
2 Tufted Duck
5 Goosander
1 Great Crested Grebe
20+ Cormorant
4 Grey Heron
10 Red Kite
4 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrel
30+ Moorhen
6 Coot
1 Curlew
1 Common Snipe
1 Kingfisher
5 Great-spotted Woodpecker
many Redwing & Fieldfare (c 250 of each)
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Treecreeper
4 Magpie
4 Jay
30+ Goldfinch
6 Siskin feeding on Alder
6 Bullfinch
2 Reed Bunting.
Large flock of (c300 corvids) Rook & Jackdaw
A few Black-headed & Lesser Blackback Gulls.

                                    Great-crested Grebe

                                            Goosander

                                               Curlew

Siskin

Cholsey 7th Dec

-2º, ground frozen, foggy.

1 Grey Heron

14 Lapwing

3 Golden Plover

8 Meadow Pipit

6 Reed Bunting

7 Teal

2 Yellowhammer

2 Bullfinch

1 Mistle Thrush

8 Song Thrush

30+ Blackbird

200+ Fieldfare & Redwing

2 Buzzard

3 Red Kite

2 Kestrel

Few Finches

4 Roe Deer
2 unidentified Voles.

Cholsey 3rd Dec

Cholsey Marsh to Bow Bridge

20+ Cormorant
2 Canada Goose
100+ Fieldfare
50+ Redwing
5 Great-spotted Woodpecker
3 Moorhen
20+ Goldfinch & Chaffinch
3 Buzzard
4 Red Kite
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kingfisher
No Siskin seen but 20+ seen earlier in week feeding on Alder (per TW)
Several small Tit flocks.

                                           Cormorants

                                                Buzzard

-3 and ice along river bank.

Cholsey 2nd Dec

10 Teal
1 Common Snipe
Many Redwing & Fieldfare
2 Yellowhammer
2 Bullfinch
2 Jay
A few Siskin o/h
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Kestrel
10 Roe Deer

First post: Cholsey 30th Nov

116 Lapwing
23 Golden Plover
4 Teal
2 Peregrine (took a Grey Partridge)
Kestrel
14 Grey Partridge
200+ each Fieldfare, Redwing.
1 Cormorant (oh)
4 Bullfinch
6 Yellowhammer
2 Jay
2-300 LBB Gulls
100+ BH Gulls
1 Reed Bunting
2 Skylark
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
4 Roe Deer
2 Treecreeper in garden.