Harrier & Owl

Mainly cloudy with a few bright spells, 13°, light E.

A walk out to Lollingdon today started with a (Ring-tail) Hen Harrier half way out between Cholsey village and Lollingdon. Seen being mobbed by a Carrion Crow and flying off towards Cholsey hill. Seen later by a local farmer over fields between Lollingdon and Aston Tirrold. Did not get time to get the camera on to it and not seen subsequently despite searching.

On my way back around 6 hours later a Short-eared Owl flew over, first seen soaring with a Red Kite over near a pylon and then drifted high overhead and south over Lollingdon Hill.

Mid-afternoon a parakeet type bird flew towards me, as it flew over I initially thought Ring-necked Parakeet but then noted the bird was mainly white with a few grey patches on it and a little too short tailed for RNP. It called and sounded very much like a Cockatiel, so I’m assuming it was a ‘white variant’ of that species that has escaped from somewhere.

Anyway back to the more regular stuff out and about.

A Mistle Thrush on the hill and c25 Redwing and 3 Fieldfare over, also 4 Lapwing flew south and at least 1 Swallow flew west.

Other species noted were: 2 Jay, 2 Sparrowhawk, several Buzzard and Red Kite, a Peregrine (also one seen by Brian Wyatt near Aston Tirrald), 7 Starling, a flock of 35 Stock Dove, 30+ Skylark, a scattering of Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Linnet, 12 Reed Bunting, 40+ Yellowhammer with 2 flocks, one on the hill and another halfway out to Lollingdon and 3 Chiffchaff.

c40 Corn Bunting (incl a couple singing) and around 2000 Gulls around various fields that were being worked. The ones that were relatively close were Lesser Blackback and Black-headed Gull but may have been one or two other species amongst the distant ones.

Also 2 Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff in the Millennium Wood.

A Yellow Wagtail heard and 2 Egyptian Geese seen on the eastern border of Cholsey. (per MA).

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Insects: 2 Migrant Hawker, 1 Common Darter, 3 Red Admiral and several Hornet.

Above, Short-eared Owl and 2 pics with Red Kite also

 Red Kite and Buzzard

Sparrowhawk

Hornet