A trickle

Sunny again, 26°, light NE veering SE.

A generally quiet day, however a Willow Warbler seen and heard in the millennium wood and a male Common Redstart and a Grasshopper Warbler, both seen and heard on Lollingdon Hill, along with a Lesser Whitethroat. Suggesting a thin trickle of return migration happening.

A Kestrel hunting grasshoppers on the hill.

A good number of Chiffchaff noted plus the odd Yellowhammer still in song.

A Hobby noted over Cholsey Marsh mid-week but generally quiet in that area as well.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Red Fox. At least 4 Hedgehog in garden last night.

Dragonflies: possible Migrant Hawker.

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

Paul & Alan.

Common Redstart (m)

Red Fox courtesy Alan

Hedgehogs

Lollingdon, Bunk & Marsh

Mainly cloudy, 20°, light to breezy SE.

Rather quiet all round today with Lollingdon, the Bunk Line and the River covered.

At least 1 Common Redstart (very elusive) still present on Lollingdon Hill plus a Mistle Thrush and 2 Kestrel but little else other than a Little Owl nearby.

The usual commoner Warblers mainly heard rather than seen but several Yellowhammer still in good voice.

A flock of c50 Swallow feeding and resting around Lollingdon and a few House Martin and Swift overhead.

Elsewhere, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Blackback Gull.

Mammals: 2 Hedgehog (frequenting garden regularly), Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Red-eyed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer and Common Darter.

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

Paul & Alan.

Cooler

Cloudy, 24°, light to breezy WSW.

After yesterday’s record temperatures it was nice to get out in relatively cooler conditions.

Still somewhat quiet. Alan covered Lollingdon and the Bunk areas early this morning and I covered the Bunk this afternoon.

Gull numbers increasing in favoured areas with 2 Herring Gull, 14 Lesser Blackback Gull and 30-40 Black-headed Gull.

A few sightings of Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat and Blackcap but most song appears to have ceased, apart from a few Yellowhammer still singing frequently.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Common Blue Damselfly & Common Darter.

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

Alan’s grandson Thomas found a smart Ruby Tiger Moth.

Comma

Small White

Brown Hare courtesy Alan

Ruby Tiger Moth

Getting Warmer

Sunny, 36°, light SSE.

A day for not going out as it was too hot. Annoying as I used to deal with hot weather well years ago. I’ve been in the Middle East and other parts of the world in 40+° and coped okay. But with a dodgy ticker these days I have to be careful.

I spent most of the day in my home office (or as my wife calls it “My Man Cave”) with a fan blowing cool air, plenty of water and peering out the window.

The water features in the garden proved very busy throughout the day as there were birds continually bathing or drinking from them.

25 species of bird seen in or around the garden and 8 species of Butterfly and a single Dragonfly. A Brown Hawker.

Alan out earlier this morning with a Green Sandpiper seen flying downstream along the river and another Clouded Yellow butterfly, apart from that very much the same.

Clouded Yellow courtesy Alan

Greenfinch & Great Tit

Wood Pigeon sunbathing

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Another warm one

Mainly sunny, 25°, light W.

2 Redstart still on Lollingdon Hill although quite elusive and staying at the top of the hill and in cover. Seen briefly on several occasions and heard infrequently. Also seen by Alan later in the day and the juv has a ring on left leg.

A few Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Linnet, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting also in the vicinity.

2 Raven seen flying west out at Little Lollingdon and another seen by Alan later over the hill.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Brimstone, Clouded Yellow (yesterday per Alan), Large White, Small White, Brown Argus (yesterday per Alan), Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath.

Common Redstart (juv) courtesy Alan ↕

Common Redstart (m)

Yellowhammer

Otter & Redstart

Mainly sunny, 26°, light NW.

The find of the day has to be a video of an Otter in a garden in Church Road.

A busy Lollingdon hill today. 3 Common Redstart seen (1m & 2f/juv). Present in the same hedgerow were, several Chiffchaff, 3 Common Whitethroat, 2 singing Corn Bunting, 3-4 Yellowhammer, 4 Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker. A flock of c12 Long-tailed Tit passed thru, accompanied by several Blue and Great Tit plus a few more Chiffchaff and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Nearby, a Little Owl, 5 Mistle Thrush and a couple more Yellow Wagtail.

Earlier in the day Alan & Bryan Wyatt saw 2 Oystercatcher circling around over the Bunk Line.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle & Brown Hawker.

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

Otter courtesy Richard Broughton

Distant shot of one of the Redstart

Blackcap (f)

Little Owl & Stock Dove

Long-tailed Tit

Dragons & Butterflies

Cloudy, 29°, light SW.

Bunk line still relatively quiet. Good numbers of House Martin, Swallow and Swift feeding overhead. Yellow Wagtail, Kingfisher, Grey Heron, 11 Lesser Blackback Gull and 40+ Black-headed Gull noted.

Alan visited Cholsey ponds with the usual present.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Red-eyed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Emperor, Four-spot Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Ruddy Darter (yesterday) & Common Darter.

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

Ruddy Darter courtesy Alan

Brown Hawker ovipositing courtesy Alan

Marbled White

Black-tailed Skimmer (f)

Banded Demoiselle

Brimstone

Peacock

(Church Road) Swallow

Red-eyed Damselfly courtesy Alan

Small Red-eyed Damselfly courtesy Alan

Emperor (m) & Emperor (f) ↕ courtesy Alan

A Warm one

A sunny day, 26°, light NW.

A warm sunny day with fair numbers of Dragonflies & Butterflies on the wing.

Lollingdon and the River/Marsh covered today. Bird wise: Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Little Owl, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting etc.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Emperor, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Black-tailed Skimmer & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Clouded Yellow (first of the year), Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath.

Paul & Alan.

Clouded Yellow courtesy Alan

Gatekeeper

Common Blue

Scarlet Tigers courtesy Alan

Butterflies

Sunny periods, 20°, light W.

Still rather quiet bird wise. A single Black-headed Gull and a Herring Gull noted and a flock of c50 Swallow feeding over and around CSW.

The most frequent songster today was Yellowhammer with only occasional Blackcap and Common Whitethroat noted.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath.

Loren's allotment yesterday: Southern Hawker, 2 Common Blue Damselfly and a Silver-washed Fritillary. + Large White, Large Skipper & Meadow Brown.

Small Skipper

Gatekeeper courtesy Alan

Yellowhammers in full song ↕

Brown Hare courtesy Alan

Marbled White

Comma

Small Tortoiseshell