Redstarts still present

Mainly cloudy, 21°. Breezy SW.

A quiet time on the hill today, at least 2 Common Redstart present and a Raven flew south west.

A few Swallow overhead and 6 Lesser Blackback Gull flew west.

Apart from that there was little else of note.

Mammals: Roe Deer and Short-tailed Vole.

Dragonflies: a single Southern Hawker (in the garden).

Butterflies: very few, Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Redstarts & Mistle Thrushes

Bright at first then clouding over, 18°, breezy SSW.

A breezy time on the hill today with 3 Common Redstart present and the flock of 18 Mistle Thrush feeding on the hill.

A few Swift, House Martin and Swallow overhead.

Another 7 Mistle Thrush in a field to the north of the hill.

A few Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcap also present.

Up to 50 Stock Dove in fields around the hill with 28 in one flock.

2 Grey Heron, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, several Yellowhammer and a single Reed Bunting nearby.

Dragonflies: a single Common Darter.

Butterflies: few present, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Yaffle

Overcast, 16°, light to breezy N.

A walk out to the hill today, a flock of 18 Mistle Thrush feeding in a ploughed field and flew off to the west of the hill.

8 Yellow Wagtail on the hill along with several Chiffchaff and Whitethroat, a flock of c30 Linnet, several Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer, a Blackcap and a young Green Woodpecker (Yaffle).

60+ Swift and c20 of both House Martin and Swallow over.

A single Kestrel hunting over the hill briefly.

Butterflies: very few with 1 Large White and 2 Meadow Brown.

Swifts

Cloudy with a couple of light rain showers, 20°, breezy S.

3 hours spent on the hill today and an impressive passage of Swift with 1000+ passing over moving south. 20+ Swallow, 30+ House Martin and 5 Sand Martin also counted.

On the walk back there were Swift flying overhead moving south and from a distance I saw maybe 100 Swift moving over Cholsey Hill.

2 Hobby appeared to be hunting amongst the flocks with one flying back over the hill with prey that looked like a small passerine.

Also a male Peregrine mixing it with the Swift but not successful.

The 2 Redstart still present on the hill but difficult to see in the windy conditions, also a single Yellow Wagtail, a few Whitethroat and a Blackcap in the hedgerow.

A Grey Heron nearby.

Mammals: Bank Vole, Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: few showing today, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Some poor photos of Swifts over the Hill

2 distant Hobby photos

 Common Blue

Meadow Brown on Teazel

Clouded Yellow

Overcast, murky with almost constant fine rain, 21°, light SSW.

Both Redstart still present on the hill today but rather elusive.

Approx. 200 Swift flew south in an hour during light rain between 12:00 and 13:00 and when the rain stopped so did the Swifts!

Several Lesser Blackback Gull and Black-headed Gull flew over and 5 Mistle Thrush nearby and a Kingfisher flew towards Amwell Spring.

C50 Black-headed Gull briefly in the Rec and a Mistle Thrush in the playing field and a Hobby over the Rec.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: First Clouded Yellow of the year, fewer than of late, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

 Clouded Yellow

Mistle Thrush

Another Redstart

Sunny with some high cloud, 24°, light NW.

An afternoon walk out to Lollingdon started with 2 Raven thermalling high overhead before moving south over Lollingdon Hill.

Both Hobby and Sparrowhawk soaring high over the Lollingdon area.

2 Swallow families feeding their young out at Lollingdon and just a single Mistle Thrush seen today.

The male Redstart still present on the hill and a second heard calling from the Hawthorns on the hill but not located as I left the hill I noted a bird on a fence post up the hill and it turned out to be the second Redstart at the west end of the hill, a juvenile.

6+ Yellow Wagtail still present as well and a few Corn Bunting fledglings’ seen.

2 Grey Heron along one of the ditches.

Mammals: Roe Deer, Wood Mouse and Short-tailed Vole.

Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly, Southern Hawker and Emperor.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Common Redstart

 Southern Hawker

 Buzzard

 Corn Bunting (above and below)

 Comma

 Swallows

 Peacock

Red Admiral

Coal & Stag

Cloudy, 22°, light NW.

Most of the day spent in the garden.

2 Bullfinch feeding on seed heads at around 10:00 and 3 Great-spotted Woodpecker this afternoon, an adult male and female and a juvenile.

2 Coal Tit visiting regularly and several Long-tailed Tit passed through and 1 or 2 Nuthatch nearby. Also a couple of Song Thrush frequenting the garden and a male Blackcap.

A good dozen Swift regular overhead along with 20+ Swallow and several House Martin feeding.

A female Stag Beetle found by a neighbour nearby in the meadow and another found yesterday in the Rec (per Sian Andrews).

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Holly Blue, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Redstart still present

Cloudy with some brief sunny spells, 20°, light to breezy NW.

The male Redstart still present on the hill today although keeping its distance and 6+ Yellow Wagtail present. The nearby hedgerows busy with several small Tit/Warbler flocks comprising Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Chiffchaff and the odd Blackcap.

Common Whitethroat still in good numbers and a single Reed Bunting present on the hill.

There appeared to be a movement of Swallow with 60+ noted today passing through, (Tony Williams saw c100 feeding over the flower meadow near Bow Bridge yesterday), also a few Swift moving south.

2 Lesser Blackback Gull and a single adult Black-headed Gull flew west.

Little Owl heard and both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker seen and a flock of 18 Mistle Thrush.

A Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk seen close to the village and at least 2 Bullfinch in the meadow, a Kingfisher at the Bullshole and a Chiffchaff in the garden.

Mammals: Roe Deer, Wood Mouse, Short-tailed Vole.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper.

Redstart

 Whitethroat

 Chiffchaff

Young Swallow

Spider

An example (probably) of Araniella cucurbitina “Cucumber Green Orb Spider” found in the garden. Not seen one of these before.

Only approx. 6mm in length and probably a female, A common spider in the UK.

Redstart

Mainly cloudy with sunshine breaking through after midday, 20°, breezy NE.

A couple of returning migrants on the hill today with a male Redstart and a juv Whinchat.

The Whinchat first seen on the top fence line then moved down the hill and along a hedgerow towards the A417.

The Redstart, first heard calling then seen after about 15 minutes and was still present when I left.

A busy hill today with 30+ Linnet, several Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer, 8+ Yellow Wagtail, 2 family groups of Common Whitethroat comprising around 9 birds, several Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcap.

A Little Owl heard calling by the cattle field.

A flock of around 30 Swift feeding over the garden at around 15:00 and drifted off south.

The female Mallard that frequents the brook by Church road that has 11 young has been killed by a Dog.......apparently the dog owner thought it was a good game for his dog! The 11 ducklings have been taken in to care.

Butterflies: few in the cool cloudy conditions this morning, 2 Large White and several Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper.

Redstart

Corn Bunting

The orphaned ducklings

Yellow Wagtails

Mainly cloudy, 22°, light W.

At least 6 Yellow Wagtail feeding on the hill today, 2 adults and at least 4 youngsters, presumably from the nearby breeding pair.

They were mainly feeding around the cattle on the hill and also on the cattle. When the cows were laid down they would sometimes lower their head as to encourage the Wagtails to take the flies off their faces.

Yellow Wagtails affinity for feeding around large mammals is well documented. The mammals disturb and attract insect food that the Wagtails feed on and they can be seen feeding in their wintering areas around Zebra and Giraffe etc. Fascinating to observe this commensal behaviour!

A lot of young Chiffchaff around today, several juv Corn Bunting, Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer and 2 juv Blackcap and a Hobby circling overhead with a flock of Swift.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly and Emperor Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.