Ladybird, Ladybird fly away!

Hazy sunshine, 16°, light SE.

Another walk out to Lollingdon and a warmer day than of late.

The most noticeable thing today was the amount of Ladybirds around. There were literally hundreds seen flying and almost every fence post, tree, wall etc. had Ladybirds settled on them, they even kept landing on me. All but one I identified were Harlequin Ladybirds.

Most of the Buntings appear to have dispersed but still good numbers of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting around.

At least 3 Corn Bunting on the hill and 19 Lapwing and 2 Raven over.

Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing moving through with 200+ and 50+ respectively and several Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush in the hedgerows.

A somewhat tantalising view of a rather grey looking Phylloscopus Warbler today that was on show for about 3 seconds about 40 metres away in a garden then disappeared. I searched the periphery for about an hour but the bird did not show again. It could have been a trick of the light but then again it could have been ?

Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher also noted.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Insects: Other insects noted were a Migrant Hawker, several Common Darter, 2 Brimstone, a few Large/Small White and 3 Red Admiral.

at least 30 Harlequin Ladybird in a stairwell.

Fungi and Fings

Cloudy, 14°, light ESE.

Loren and I decided on a trip to Wittenham Woods today with a very autumnal feel in the air and reflected in the wood with leaves constantly falling.

Relatively quiet bird wise however 20+ Redwing, several Siskin and Redpoll overhead, a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Goldcrest of note.

Quite a bit of Fungi on show including a rather large Puffball that we found.

Have not id’d all the fungi yet as I am a bit rusty on that front.

Thanks to Loren for all but one of the pics.

Stonechat

Mainly cloudy, 15°, light W.

A Stonechat on the hill today and a lot of winter thrushes. Mainly Fieldfare (c300), c50 Redwing, 20’ish Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush, also good numbers of Starling around, 250+.

The thrushes were mainly feeding today on Haws (Hawthorn) but also on some Sloe berries (Blackthorn) and Yew berries in a garden near the hill.

A Sparrowhawk, Siskin, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and the regular 3 species of Bunting, 3 more Finch species, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail etc. also seen.

Golden Plover heard calling after dark from Cholsey Hill area.

2 Nuthatch in the garden again today and a Grey Heron in the meadow.

Mammals: Roe Deer and Brown Hare.

Insects: a single Common Darter and 4 Red Admiral.

Much as yesterday

Cloudy at first then sunny spells, 14°, light WSW.

Relatively quiet out at Lollingdon today.

2 Raven flew east and several flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing flew over heading south and continued on without stopping.

Still good numbers of Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Finches (Linnet, Goldfinch and Chaffinch) around.

A couple of Goldcrest on the north side of the hill and at least 2 Bullfinch near the paddock.

Also watched a distant Peregrine chasing Skylarks, did not look as though it was hunting them. It eventually gained height until lost from view.

Insects: a single Common Darter and a couple of Hornet.

More Fieldfares and a Raven

Mainly overcast with a couple of light rain showers, 12°, light SE.

Very much the same out at Lollingdon today although more Fieldfare moving through with upwards of 200 and far lower numbers of Redwing.

A Raven flew north and a Sparrowhawk flew towards the downs.

A Chiffchaff in the garden this afternoon and having said at the week end I had not seen a Nuthatch in the garden for a time. Well there were 2 visiting this afternoon along with several Long-tailed Tit and a couple of Goldcrest.

A Yellow Wagtail still present in the Silly bridge area. (per MA).

Mammals: Stoat and Roe Deer.

Fieldfares and Redwings

Overcast, 12°, light ENE.

Well they are here but not stopping. A few hundred winter thrushes today over the hill with most flying south towards the downs, just a few lingered in nearby trees for a time. Both Fieldfare and Redwing, a 60:40 ratio in numbers.

3 Goldcrest on the hill and a slight increase in Pied Wagtail numbers. Apart from that much as last week.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

In the Garden

Cloudy with some sunny spells, 14°, fresh NNE.

A day in the garden today with not a lot visiting probably because I was out there just 2 Stock Dove, 2 Moorhen, a Great-spotted Woodpecker and a couple of Long-tailed Tit.

Overhead however was a different matter with Redwing and Fieldfare passing over no idea of numbers though.

Also several Red Kite and Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk seen over the garden.

Several Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail heard and a Grey Wagtail seen and some distant Canada Geese heard.

Both Black-headed Gull and Lesser Blackback Gull over as well.

A Kingfisher along the brook and a Green Woodpecker in the meadow.

Have not seen or heard a Nuthatch in the garden lately!

Up to 3 Tawny Owl regular in the meadow and garden recently.

At least one Hedgehog still active in the garden.

An interesting day

Mainly cloudy with the odd bright spell, 12°, light N.

An interesting day today with some movement going on.

Halfway out to Lollingdon I could hear some Canada Geese and saw 2 flocks totalling around 80 birds flying east presumably heading towards the Thames.

As I got to Lollingdon to my surprise I heard a Tree Pipit fly over, certainly a late date for one of those.

Lots of Buntings around with an increase in numbers between the village and Lollingdon Hill. 80+ Yellowhammer, between 30-40 Reed Bunting and 14 Corn Bunting.

A Linnet flock in excess of 100 birds feeding in one of the fields also had a few Buntings, Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch in the flock.

A Greenfinch was on the hill also. I only mention that because I do not recall seeing one on the south side of the hill before.

Quite a few birds over the hill included, 50+ Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, c200 Starling (in 9 flocks), 18 Lapwing, 3 Cormorant, 4+ Brambling (all the previous were moving west), 30+ Black-headed Gull and 50+ Lesser Blackback Gull.

Also noted were 50+ Skylark, 5 Jay, a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail, c20 Pied Wagtail, 20+ Chaffinch, 6 Siskin, 3 Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff.

A Yellow Wagtail seen and heard in the Silly bridge area and a Stonechat out near the Lees. (per Mike Amphlett and Tony Williams).

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Insects: 2 Common Darter and 3 Red Admiral.

Goldcrest

Reed Bunting

Little and Large

Mainly cloudy, 14°, light to fresh NNW.

Still not a lot around at the moment, so far this week has been very quiet with no noticeable vizmig (visible migration) and most that arrived last week has moved on.

Buntings, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail only species around in reasonable numbers. Also 3 Goldcrest noted.

Mammals: Brown Hare. A Hedgehog still active in the garden.

Insects: A single Red Admiral and a Large Yellow Underwing (moth) flying on the hill.