A Hornet's nest photographed by Alan today in a garden in Cholsey.
Thursday, 30 April 2020
Hornets Nest
Light to heavy showers, 10°, light SSW.
A Hornet's nest photographed by Alan today in a garden in Cholsey.
A Hornet's nest photographed by Alan today in a garden in Cholsey.
Wednesday, 29 April 2020
A birdy day
Bright at first then clouding up and rain by midday, 12°, light SSE.
Bird of the day was a Common Redstart seen briefly at Amwell Spring before moving off to an area that could not be viewed.
10 singing Yellowhammer between the village and Lollingdon Hill this morning, also a single Reed Bunting in song and 4 Corn Bunting on the Hill with 3 in song.
A lot of Common Whitethroat with 20+ seen and heard, 4 Lesser Whitethroat and good numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff.
2 Yellow Wagtail flew north over Lollingdon Hill and 5 Buzzard and several Red Kite enjoying the breeze over the hill before the rain came.
A Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk noted and a distant Raven heard.
20+ Swallow seen with a few local pairs in. One pair were landing in a field and collecting mud for nest building and 2 House Martin seen with Swallows feeding over CSW.
At least 6 Fieldfare and 5 Starling in a flock still present between Amwell Spring and West End.
Alan was seeing the Cuckoo again on the Marsh along with Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a Swift and Ed Munday noted 2 Swift this morning in the area.
Later in the day there was a flock of 25-30 House Martin and a few Swift between Church road and CSW and a Yellow Wagtail overhead. Per Alan.
Bird of the day was a Common Redstart seen briefly at Amwell Spring before moving off to an area that could not be viewed.
10 singing Yellowhammer between the village and Lollingdon Hill this morning, also a single Reed Bunting in song and 4 Corn Bunting on the Hill with 3 in song.
A lot of Common Whitethroat with 20+ seen and heard, 4 Lesser Whitethroat and good numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff.
2 Yellow Wagtail flew north over Lollingdon Hill and 5 Buzzard and several Red Kite enjoying the breeze over the hill before the rain came.
A Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk noted and a distant Raven heard.
20+ Swallow seen with a few local pairs in. One pair were landing in a field and collecting mud for nest building and 2 House Martin seen with Swallows feeding over CSW.
At least 6 Fieldfare and 5 Starling in a flock still present between Amwell Spring and West End.
Alan was seeing the Cuckoo again on the Marsh along with Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a Swift and Ed Munday noted 2 Swift this morning in the area.
Later in the day there was a flock of 25-30 House Martin and a few Swift between Church road and CSW and a Yellow Wagtail overhead. Per Alan.
Corn Bunting
Reed Bunting
Yellowhammer
Lesser Whitethroat (AD)
Common Whitethroat
Swallow
A few farms have sprayed poison!
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
Scorpionfly
Alan found a Scorpionfly yesterday.
There are 3 species of Scorpionfly in the UK and are somewhat difficult to tell apart.
I may be wrong but I think this one is possibly a female Common Scorpionfly (Panorpa communis).
(Are there any Entomologist out there to correct the ID?). deffo a nether region identification for scorpion flies so a Genus level ID only for this one. VG.
The Scorpion like tail is used in mating and is not a sting and they are completely harmless.
Scorpionflies belong to a very ancient order of insects that can be dated back to the Permian era (250 million years ago) and are possibly ancestors of modern day butterflies.
There are 3 species of Scorpionfly in the UK and are somewhat difficult to tell apart.
I may be wrong but I think this one is possibly a female Common Scorpionfly (Panorpa communis).
(Are there any Entomologist out there to correct the ID?). deffo a nether region identification for scorpion flies so a Genus level ID only for this one. VG.
The Scorpion like tail is used in mating and is not a sting and they are completely harmless.
Scorpionflies belong to a very ancient order of insects that can be dated back to the Permian era (250 million years ago) and are possibly ancestors of modern day butterflies.
Monday, 27 April 2020
Bunk Line & Marsh
Sunny spells then clouding over with showers later, 16°, light N.
A walk along the Bunk line today with 46 species seen.
Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer among the more vocal songsters.
2 Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, 3 Buzzard, a Grey Heron, a Green Woodpecker, 4 Swallow, 6 Starling, a single Lapwing, 2 Bullfinch, a Sedge Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, a Raven overhead and surprisingly 2 Herring Gull still around CSW.
One of the Church road Swallows is back and has been perched up on an aerial singing away.
Alan was on the Marsh this morning with the Cuckoo in good voice. Also Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler.
Mammals: Brown Hare, Muntjac Deer, Roe Deer.
Dragonflies: a Broad-bodied Chaser seen by Alan along the river.
Butterflies: During the few sunny spells there were a few butterfly on the wing and between us we saw: Brimstone, Large White, Orange Tip, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.
A walk along the Bunk line today with 46 species seen.
Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer among the more vocal songsters.
2 Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, 3 Buzzard, a Grey Heron, a Green Woodpecker, 4 Swallow, 6 Starling, a single Lapwing, 2 Bullfinch, a Sedge Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, a Raven overhead and surprisingly 2 Herring Gull still around CSW.
One of the Church road Swallows is back and has been perched up on an aerial singing away.
Alan was on the Marsh this morning with the Cuckoo in good voice. Also Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler.
Mammals: Brown Hare, Muntjac Deer, Roe Deer.
Dragonflies: a Broad-bodied Chaser seen by Alan along the river.
Butterflies: During the few sunny spells there were a few butterfly on the wing and between us we saw: Brimstone, Large White, Orange Tip, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.
Other: Devil's Coach Horse
Quite a few photos today!
Lapwing
Brown Hare
Chiffchaff in full flow
Chaffinch
Linnet pair
Yellowhammer
Cuckoo (courtesy Alan)
Broad-bodied Chaser f (courtesy Alan)
Devil's Coach Horse
Sunday, 26 April 2020
A quiet Sunday
Sunshine again, 19°, light S.
A Common Sandpiper seen this morning flying upriver near the 4-Arches. Per Paul Rainsden.
TR had a singing Reed Warbler in his garden this morning and a Swift overhead.
A Common Sandpiper seen this morning flying upriver near the 4-Arches. Per Paul Rainsden.
TR had a singing Reed Warbler in his garden this morning and a Swift overhead.
A couple of smart photos today with a Moth from Tony R and a Bee species that I am not familiar with from Vicky Gilson.
White Ermine Moth courtesy Tony Rayner
Gooden's Nomad Bee courtesy Vicky Gilson
Saturday, 25 April 2020
Birds and Insects
Sunshine, 18°, light E.
An eagerly awaited Cuckoo turned up at Cholsey Marsh early this morning and 2 Oystercatcher flew up and downriver possibly looking for somewhere to settle. Been quite a few in the county recently.
Also Cetti’s Warbler. Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Per Alan Dawson and Brian Wyatt.
TW has been out to the south west of the village several times recently and has had up to 10 separate Lesser Whitethroat, good numbers of Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and several Wheatear. A single Raven and a female Ring Ouzel (that makes 4 this spring, a record).
Also still a flock of c20 Fieldfare with 6 Starling and a Song Thrush associating with them.
2 catches from TR’s Moth trap last night included a Purple Thorn Moth and a Cockchafer.
And a couple of insect pics from Alan.
An eagerly awaited Cuckoo turned up at Cholsey Marsh early this morning and 2 Oystercatcher flew up and downriver possibly looking for somewhere to settle. Been quite a few in the county recently.
Also Cetti’s Warbler. Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Per Alan Dawson and Brian Wyatt.
TW has been out to the south west of the village several times recently and has had up to 10 separate Lesser Whitethroat, good numbers of Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and several Wheatear. A single Raven and a female Ring Ouzel (that makes 4 this spring, a record).
Also still a flock of c20 Fieldfare with 6 Starling and a Song Thrush associating with them.
2 catches from TR’s Moth trap last night included a Purple Thorn Moth and a Cockchafer.
And a couple of insect pics from Alan.
Purple Thorn (TR)
Cockchafer or MayBug/JuneBug (TR)
Sedge Warbler (AD)
Reed Warbler (AD)
Large Red Damselfly (AD)
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (AD)
Alder Fly sp (AD) Thanks to Vicky Gilson for the ID.
A scarce sight these days (AD)
Friday, 24 April 2020
Swifts
Sunshine, 22°, light ENE.
Looks like an end to the sunny weather next week with April showers coming in.
Looks like an end to the sunny weather next week with April showers coming in.
2 Swift over Station road and 1 over Honey Lane today. Per Mitchell-Frazer Jones.
Also several Swift seen moving north over Cholsey Hill plus 2 Yellow Wagtail over. Per Alan Dawson.
Looks as though there has been an influx of Swift today as there have been quite a few reports throughout Oxfordshire today.
The first county record this year was 18th April at Farmoor.
The mean arrival date for local Swifts over the last 25+ years has been the 4th May.
Yesterday’s probable Montagu’s Harrier was looked for today but not seen so may well have carried on with its journey north.
A Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling on the other side of the river from Cholsey Marsh early morning. Per Paul Rainsden.
Also several Swift seen moving north over Cholsey Hill plus 2 Yellow Wagtail over. Per Alan Dawson.
Looks as though there has been an influx of Swift today as there have been quite a few reports throughout Oxfordshire today.
The first county record this year was 18th April at Farmoor.
The mean arrival date for local Swifts over the last 25+ years has been the 4th May.
Yesterday’s probable Montagu’s Harrier was looked for today but not seen so may well have carried on with its journey north.
A Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling on the other side of the river from Cholsey Marsh early morning. Per Paul Rainsden.
A couple of Swift photos I took last year.
Thursday, 23 April 2020
Green Hairstreak
Sunny, 23°, light NE.
A Garden Warbler in song on Cholsey Marsh this morning with a Lesser Whitethroat nearby, another near Green Lane and yet another out at Lollingdon. Per AD.
Alan also saw the first Green Hairstreak butterfly of the year today
A good number of butterflies around at the moment with 13 species seen on the wing in the past 2 weeks.
By far the most frequent visitors to the garden recently have been Brimstone and Orange Tip with Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock in fewer numbers.
A Garden Warbler in song on Cholsey Marsh this morning with a Lesser Whitethroat nearby, another near Green Lane and yet another out at Lollingdon. Per AD.
Alan also saw the first Green Hairstreak butterfly of the year today
A good number of butterflies around at the moment with 13 species seen on the wing in the past 2 weeks.
By far the most frequent visitors to the garden recently have been Brimstone and Orange Tip with Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock in fewer numbers.
Green Hairstreak (courtesy Alan Dawson)
Holly Blue female (courtesy Alan Dawson)
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
Small Copper & Large Red Damsel
Another sunny day, 20°, light ENE.
A couple of firsts for the year.
First Small Copper of the year in Cholsey (apparently the first record this year in Berks, Bucks & Oxon. per TR) and a Sedge Warbler and Tawny Owl in TR’s garden yesterday, 21st.
A Sedge Warbler heard singing along the brook in Whitehead meadow early this morning but not since.
First Dragonfly seen by Alan today in Cholsey. A Large Red Damselfly.
First Small Copper of the year in Cholsey (apparently the first record this year in Berks, Bucks & Oxon. per TR) and a Sedge Warbler and Tawny Owl in TR’s garden yesterday, 21st.
A Sedge Warbler heard singing along the brook in Whitehead meadow early this morning but not since.
First Dragonfly seen by Alan today in Cholsey. A Large Red Damselfly.
Small Copper (TR)
Large Red Damselfly (AD)
Swallow (AD)
Speckled Wood (AD)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Breezy days
Sunshine, 17°, breezy NE.
One of the Ring Ouzel still present out at Lollingdon early morning (Paul Rainsden) but not seen later. It was being hassled by a Magpie and may well have flown off to somewhere nearby.
Seen again this evening around 19:00, per Kev Polley.
Other species noted were Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Swallow and a flyover Yellow Wagtail. Per AD & AS.
Common Lizard also noted.
One of the Ring Ouzel still present out at Lollingdon early morning (Paul Rainsden) but not seen later. It was being hassled by a Magpie and may well have flown off to somewhere nearby.
Seen again this evening around 19:00, per Kev Polley.
Other species noted were Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Swallow and a flyover Yellow Wagtail. Per AD & AS.
Common Lizard also noted.
Ring Ouzel (AD)
Wolf Spider? (AD)
Monday, 20 April 2020
Ring Ouzels
Sunny and breezy, 17°, fresh ENE.
2 male Ring Ouzel out at Lollingdon today. Per Alan Dawson.
And a singing Lesser Whitethroat at Tony Rayner’s this morning. Also a regular Hedgehog.
My “Garden lockdown list” is currently running at 42 species. Is anyone else keeping a garden list at the moment, be it birds or anything else?
2 male Ring Ouzel out at Lollingdon today. Per Alan Dawson.
And a singing Lesser Whitethroat at Tony Rayner’s this morning. Also a regular Hedgehog.
My “Garden lockdown list” is currently running at 42 species. Is anyone else keeping a garden list at the moment, be it birds or anything else?
Currently have a singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap regular at the end of the garden and a Song Thrush at dawn and dusk.
Ring Ouzel pics courtesy Alan Dawson and Hedgehog courtesy Tony Rayner.
Sunday, 19 April 2020
April so far.
Migrants have been arriving or passing through most of the month so far.
Reed and Sedge Warbler have arrived in good numbers along with Blackcap and Common Whitethroat and a single Garden Warbler noted.
A few Willow Warbler have been seen along with several male and female Wheatear and a couple of Yellow Wagtail flying over.
A single female Ring Ouzel seen on the 17th and a couple of singing Lesser Whitethroat.
Swallow have been moving through in good numbers but not sure if local ones are present yet and several small flocks of House Martin noted.
One lucky person saw a Stoat in their garden last week.
Butterflies have been plentiful during the sunny weather with Brimstone and Orange Tip frequent, also Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Comma, Peacock, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood. And a surprise of a Painted Lady found by TR in his garden on the 10th.
Tony has also trapped and ID’d a few Moths, Early Thorn, Brindled Beauty and Streamer amongst others and AD has photographed some Spindle Ermine Moths (totally harmless).
Tony has also recorded at least 10 Grass Snake and 60+ Slow-worm in his meadow.
VG has managed to find several specimens of Rugged Oil Beetle in Aston Tirrold but have not had any reports yet of other Oil Beetle species in the Cholsey area.
Thank you to Alan Dawson, Tony Williams, Tony Rayner, Vicky Gilson, Paul Rainsden and others for the information and photos.
As a footnote: Loren and I have been ill over the last few weeks and are now making a slow but steady recovery. Subsequently have not been out for almost a month so there are no observations from me here.
Reed and Sedge Warbler have arrived in good numbers along with Blackcap and Common Whitethroat and a single Garden Warbler noted.
A few Willow Warbler have been seen along with several male and female Wheatear and a couple of Yellow Wagtail flying over.
A single female Ring Ouzel seen on the 17th and a couple of singing Lesser Whitethroat.
Swallow have been moving through in good numbers but not sure if local ones are present yet and several small flocks of House Martin noted.
One lucky person saw a Stoat in their garden last week.
Butterflies have been plentiful during the sunny weather with Brimstone and Orange Tip frequent, also Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Comma, Peacock, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood. And a surprise of a Painted Lady found by TR in his garden on the 10th.
Tony has also trapped and ID’d a few Moths, Early Thorn, Brindled Beauty and Streamer amongst others and AD has photographed some Spindle Ermine Moths (totally harmless).
Tony has also recorded at least 10 Grass Snake and 60+ Slow-worm in his meadow.
VG has managed to find several specimens of Rugged Oil Beetle in Aston Tirrold but have not had any reports yet of other Oil Beetle species in the Cholsey area.
Thank you to Alan Dawson, Tony Williams, Tony Rayner, Vicky Gilson, Paul Rainsden and others for the information and photos.
Wheatear (AD)
Necklace Ground Beetle (VG)
Rugged Oil Beetle (VG)
Ashy Mining Bee? (AD)
Brindled Beauty (TR)
Painted Lady (TR)
The Streamer (TR)
Ermine Moth Caterpillars (AD)
As a footnote: Loren and I have been ill over the last few weeks and are now making a slow but steady recovery. Subsequently have not been out for almost a month so there are no observations from me here.
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