Roebuck Encounter

Mainly sunny, 19°, light SW.

A pleasant walk out along the Bunk Line today. Birdlife still very static and very little song being heard.

A few Swift overhead and a couple of Kestrel present.

Butterflies and Dragonflies more apparent in particular areas that have not been sprayed or cut and even then, mainly grassland species as there are very few wild flowers around.

Why is the field on the other side of the road opposite the Church being sprayed or even cut? It seems just for so called cosmetic purposes!

Mammals: an encounter with the Roebuck again.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Comma, a Silver-washed Fritillary (found by Tony Pittaway yesterday), 1 Speckled Wood, many Marbled White, and Meadow Brown, good numbers of Ringlet & 3 Small Heath.

Wet & Dry

Sunshine and showers, 17°, breezy SW.

Wet then dry, then wet again was the order of the day today. Walking out in sunshine then getting thoroughly soaked when caught in the open with a heavy rain shower. Then drying out in the sunshine again and again etc.

Lollingdon Hill was relatively quiet, around 80 Swift passed over in an hour or so accompanied by a few Swallow and House Martin. Appeared to be moving to avoid the rain showers staying in the clear areas.

Jays have started to become noisy again. They seem to go very quiet and elusive when breeding but they are back to their usual noisy selves now as several heard and seen today.

Also 3 Yellow Wagtail in 2 locations.

During the sunny spells a few species fired up their vocal chords to liven up an otherwise quiet stroll.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle.

Butterflies: few on the wing except for Meadow Brown and Marbled White, 1 Large White, 2 Small White, 1 Comma, 1 Speckled Wood and 2 Ringlet.

Bunk Line

Cloudy with a few light rain showers, 20°, breezy SSW.

A good number of Swallow around today with several flocks of c20 strong each. Again mostly young birds with accompanying adults.

Several House Martin, Swift and 2 Sand Martin.

A couple of Yellow Wagtail noted and the usual Yellowhammer and Warblers present.

Nuthatch visiting the garden regularly now and the Sparrowhawk more frequent.    

Dragonflies: Common Blue Damselfly and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Heath.

Swallows on the Railway line

Swallows on the power line ↕

Linnets

Small Tortoiseshell

Dragons

Sunshine, 23°, light WNW.

A visit to Cholsey Meadows today to see a few Dragons on the pools. Most had dried up but one had a good number of Dragons and Damsels present.

Bird wise fairly quiet but for a Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Linnet and Common Whitethroat in song and several Swift swirling around overhead.

The River/Marsh: No change.

Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Emperor, Four-spot Chaser & Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

Paul, Loren & Alan.

Four-spot Chaser

Emperor

Red-eyed Damsel

Cockchafer courtesy Loren

White-legged Damselfly courtesy Alan

A Good day for Butterflies

Sunny, 20°, light NNE.

A good day for butterflies with the first Ringlet of the year and dozens of Meadow Brown flitting around and good numbers of Small Skipper.  

Bunk line was rather quiet today with bird song becoming less frequent as most birds have probably established breeding territories by now. Only the odd Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat singing.

First young of Swallow seen on the wing with a flock of c16, the majority being young birds.

Several House Martin and Swift feeding overhead and 2 Sand Martin noted.

Alan covered the River/Marsh area: With Common Tern, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat Etc.

Dragonflies: Red eyed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Four Spotted Chaser & Emperor.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Heath.

Paul & Alan.

Small Skippers courtesy Alan

Comma in the Sun

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Common Whitethroat

Red-eyed Damsel courtesy Alan

Small Skipper courtesy Alan

Ringlet

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

Small Red-eyed Damselfly at Cholsey Meadows courtesy Alan.

only known from a few sites in Oxfordshire.

 

Lapwing breeding

Cloudy with some rain, 17°, breezy N.

A cooler day than of late and Alan out along the “Long Ditch”. Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Corn Bunting, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lapwing (breeding success), and a distant Little Egret.

Nearby a Turtle Dove was heard “purring” by Hugh Pope. Second record this year of an extremely declining species. Maybe just a migrant passing thru?

A Sparrowhawk visited the garden on a couple of occasions but was unsuccessful and 3 Great-spotted Woodpecker present, an adult female and 2 youngsters and the male was feeding out in the meadow. They bred in the small wood by the school.

Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly.

Butterflies: Meadow Brown.

Young Lapwing courtesy Alan

Great-spotted Woodpecker (m)

Family Affair

Sunshine, 28°, light SSW.

Pretty quiet out there along the Bunk today apart from insects on the wing.

The usual birds around including 3 Herring Gull and several Black-headed Gull.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly and Azure Damselfly.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown & Small Heath.

Moths: Alan’s grandson found an Elephant Hawkmoth in Alan’s garden and his granddaughter found a Banded Demoiselle.

Banded Demoiselle found and photographed by Emily Dawson

Brimstone Moth courtesy Alan

Elephant Hawkmoth found by Thomas Dawson

Banded Demoiselle ↕

All quiet

Sunny, 24°, light SW.

A walk out to Lollingdon proved somewhat uneventful, the hill was quiet with just a couple of Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Common Whitethroat and Blackcap in song plus 3 Buzzard and 7 Red Kite soaring overhead.

Nearby, just a Yellow Wagtail of note.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, 1 on the hill and another near the Bullshole.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown.

Alan was off checking out a Scarce Chaser Dragonfly in Shillingford. Only 2 confirmed records for Oxfordshire prior to this one. We may yet find one in Cholsey.

Large Skipper

Scarce Chaser courtesy Alan

Chicken of the Woods Fungi

Sunshine and News

Sunshine, 22°, light SSW.

2 bits of good news: Polecat has bred locally with a pair and a kit photographed recently in a Cholsey garden.

And a pair of Barn Owl with 2 young in the village.

All settled along the Bunk line area today. Still a few songsters in full voice with Common Whitethroat and Blackcap topping the charts.

A Hobby and a Sand Martin seen and a second Hobby late afternoon over the village.

The River/Marsh, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler etc.

Nuthatch in the garden.

Mammals: Roe Deer, and 2 Hedgehog in garden most evenings.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Emperor, Four-spot Chaser & Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Small Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Marbled White, Meadow Brown & Small Heath.

Paul & Alan.

Polecats 

Roe Buck

Small Heath

Common Whitethroat

Marbled White courtesy Alan

Black-tailed Skimmer courtesy Alan

Pyramid Orchid courtesy Alan

Large Skipper courtesy Alan

Linnet courtesy Alan

Eyed Hawkmoth

Eyed Hawkmoth, Lapwing Lane, 31/5/2022

Found by Shirley Skeats

Photo taken by Sarah Readings

A quiet time

Mainly cloudy with a few sunny spells, brighter later, 17°, breezy W.

Another quiet day, 10 Greylag feeding in a cattle field along the Bunk line and a steady movement of House Martin, Swallow and Swift feeding overhead.

And 2 Herring Gull and 6 Black-headed Gull in the area.

The Kestrel pair still in the vicinity and hopefully have young?

The river area was equally quiet however insects were quite apparent today.

Mammals: Brown Hare and a Muntjac Deer at dusk yesterday in the Brook meadow.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Emperor and Four-spotted Chaser.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

Alan & Paul.

Emperor courtesy Alan

Yellowhammer courtesy Alan

Common Blue Damselfly courtesy Alan

Muntjac at dusk