Halfway

Cloudy, light rain, 16º, light SE.

A bright start to the day but clouding up later with some rain showers and a visit to Lollingdon hill.

Not much change since last week with a few Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff and Common Whitethroat singing.

At least 4 Yellow Wagtail around including young birds and a single Swift briefly overhead.

A flock of 30+ Swift feeding over the north side of Cholsey hill early afternoon.

Few butterflies around today, several Meadow Brown and singles of Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

A single Roe Deer noted.

A couple of young Chaffinch being fed in garden today by an adult female and a Chiffchaff feeding on the suet ball feeder in a Tit like fashion.

 

A busy garden

Sunny, 26º, breezy NW.

Another warm and sunny day...............the only observations today were from the garden.

Quite a few young birds around................2^nd brood of Blackbird present in the garden with another 2 youngsters, at least 2 young Wren noted and 3 generations of Moorhen in the garden: adults...........young from a couple of months ago........ and young only a few weeks old. A Song Thrush still collecting food, 2 adult and 2 young Robin still present, 2 Stock Dove visiting regularly and Finches and Tits very active.

Cholsey marsh 3 Reed Warbler 2 singing and 1 seen, 2 Sedge Warbler 1 singing and 1 seen, 1 Buzzard being hassled by 2 Magpie down ferry lane in trees, 1 Red Kite over cricket pitch/Cholsey meadows houses, 2 Goldfinch ferry lane (per Ralph Watts).

Mellow Yellow

Sunny, 24º, light NW.

Another sunny warm day and a visit to Lollingdon hill.

Yellow seemed to be the colour today with the yellow sun beaming down, a couple of Yellow Wagtail noted on the Hawthorn, secondly a Yellowhammer singing from the fence line and a Brimstone butterfly flew by!

A fair few Pyramid Orchids growing on the slope as it’s an area the cattle don’t like to graze; they would rather stay on the flat!

A Southern Hawker and an Emperor dragonfly around, butterflies were Small Tortoiseshell in good numbers, a dozen or more Speckled Wood, 3 Brimstone, 2 Red Admiral and a Large Skipper.

Also a probable Orange-tailed Clearwing moth!

Confirmation of Tufted Duck breeding in the parish, a pair with 8 young.

A Treecreeper in the garden this evening.

 Yellow Wagtail

 Large Skipper

 Common Whitethroat

 ? (Loren)

 Meadow Grasshopper (Loren)

 Southern Hawker (Loren)

 View towards Cholsey (Loren)

 Treecreeper (Loren)

 Rhogonycha fulva - a Soldier Beetle (Loren)

Garden day

Sunny, 24º, light wind.

A warm sunny day, some gardening and a walk around the village today.

Several Red Kite and a Buzzard over the garden regularly and a Sparrowhawk mobbed by Swallows flew over.

House Martins and Swifts regular, and at least one Coal Tit and Goldcrest present.

A flock of around 20 Lesser Blackback Gull flew south east over the garden.

A Grey Heron flew off the brook and settled briefly in the meadow this evening before flying off.

Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Small White in the garden.

On the walk, several Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Song Thrush of note and reasonable numbers of House Sparrow and Starling around the village.

Quiet......................

Sunny, 24º, little wind.

A warm sunny day with little of note bird wise, 2 Common Whitethroat collecting food and the usual present. 

Butterflies around in numbers Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, several Red Admiral and both Large and Small Whites, a single Brimstone and Large Skipper.

A couple of Marbled Whites, Caps Lane (per Gerry Quinn).

A Southern Hawker dragonfly still present on the hill and a Blue Emperor, several Azure and 1 Large Red Damselfly nearby.

 Southern Hawker

 Common Whitethroat