Thursday 30 December 2010

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).

Friday 24 December 2010

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.

Thursday 23 December 2010

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.

Wednesday 22 December 2010

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!

Tuesday 21 December 2010

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.

Friday 17 December 2010

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

Tuesday 14 December 2010

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

Monday 13 December 2010

Sunday 12 December 2010

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)

Thursday 9 December 2010

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

Tuesday 7 December 2010

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.

Friday 3 December 2010

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.

Thursday 2 December 2010

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.