A 6½ hr walk around Cholsey today turned up three new bird species
for the year plus a bit more!
Lollingdon Hill quiet, although a Meadow Pipit seen there yesterday. A field nearby that was being
cut for hay had 15 Red Kites
foraging over it searching for what they could find, a couple of Kestrels and several Buzzards seen.
A Grey Heron flew
over and a singing Lesser Whitethroat
north of the hill.
A Willow Warbler
heard singing between the Lees and Aston Tirrold was a little surprising as not
seen there before.
Good numbers of Swifts,
Swallows and House Martins hawking over the farmland and 4 different Yellow Wagtails seen today at 4
locations.
The walk along the Bunk Line was fairly quiet but livened up
once arriving at the river.
A Cormorant seen
on the river and a Grey Wagtail sat
on a moored boat, further along a Nuthatch
was heard and 2 Marsh Tits seen near
Bow Bridge along with several Goldcrests.
3 more Grey Herons
along the river (1 adult and 2
youngsters).
Cholsey Marsh had all the regulars including 2 Lesser Whitethroats singing just to the
north and at least 1 Willow Warbler
on the marsh and again Swifts, Swallows and House Martins in evidence feeding over the river and the marsh.
There were 3 Common
Terns feeding along the Thames by the marsh ranging downstream to the 4 Arches
and back again. 60 bird species today.
Butterflies.Meadow Brown (by far the commonest), Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Marbled White and a single Painted Lady.
Dragons.
A flooded field margin still retains 2 pairs of Blue Emperor, several Large Red Damsels and Azure Damsels, although it is drying
out. Many Banded Demoiselles along
the river but nothing else probably as it started raining!
Spoke to a neighbour today who saw 4 young Moorhens with 2 adults along the brook
and there appears to be some fully-grown young seen a little upstream from the
meadow!
Stock Doves and Great-spotted Woodpecker still visiting
garden.
Excellent shots and wonderful pictures.
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