Winter is coming

Light cloud, 8°, light E.

3 of us covering Lollingdon and the river today: Tony W, Alan and myself.

Lollingdon produced a Little Egret, 3 Egyptian Geese, a Chiffchaff, several Stonechat, a Peregrine, 2 Raven, several Meadow Pipit and Yellowhammer, 50+ Pied Wagtail and a Grey Wagtail.

The river area: 2 Kingfisher, a Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting and 3 species of Goose.

Grey Wagtail

Egyptian Goose courtesy Alan

Pied Wagtail

Gone quiet again

Cloudy with some sunshine, 8°, light SW.

A repeat of last weeks places but rather quieter.

2 Little Egret out at Lollingdon along with a Grey Wagtail and several Gulls frequenting the flooded field. A Raven over but little else other than the regular Fieldfare and Redwing.

A similar situation on the route out from the Bullshole via Aston to Lollingdon. A few Stonechat, Water Rail, Chiffchaff and other regulars.

Mammals: Brown Hare & Roe Deer.

Alan & Paul.

2 Little Egret

Grey Heron courtesy Alan

Dunnock courtesy Alan

? 😊

Pleated Inkcap

A late Darter and a dead Kittiwake

Sunny, 11°, light SW.

A repeat of Wednesday with both Alan and myself out in the Lollingdon area.

I decided to stick around the flooded field area whilst Alan covered the long ditch and areas around Lollingdon.

Unfortunately I found a dead Kittiwake along the margin of the flooded field, only the 2nd record of this species in Cholsey. The last being in November 1957 also deceased. Would be nice to see a live one here!

A Little Egret commuting between the flooded field and the cattle field and a couple of Raven in the area.

2 Chiffchaff at 2 sites, several Siskin also seen at 2 sites, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Reed Bunting, a few hundred Starling, a Peregrine, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, approx. 50 Pied Wagtail scattered around the wet fields and c250 Lesser Blackback Gull and up to 50 Black-headed Gull.

Dragonflies: a surprise late record of a Common Darter.

Common Darter

Kittiwake

Little Egret courtesy Alan

Little Egret

Pied Wagtail

Buzzard

Lollingdon

Sunny with rain later, 11°, breezy SW.

An area between Lollingdon and Aston covered today by both Alan and myself and quite a productive day.

A Redshank (1st of the year), 11 Lapwing, a Little Egret, a Water Rail, , 6 Stonechat, a Little Owl, 1 possibly 2 Raven, 12+ Pied Wagtail, several Meadow Pipit, good numbers of Skylark and several Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting.

A female Merlin landed on the flooded field briefly and started to drink but was eventually chased off by a couple of Gulls.

Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing and an increase in Blackbird numbers, 2 Kestrel, several hundred Lesser Blackback and Black-headed Gull and c300 Starling.

Garden also busy late afternoon, with Sparrowhawk, Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaw, both Collared and Stock Dove and assorted Finch and Tit species.

Several Siskin yesterday, Caps Lane. Per Tony Rayner and also yesterday along Bunk: Raven over, several Redpoll, Grey Wagtail and Common Snipe. Per Alan.

Photos courtesy Alan.

very little going on

Mainly cloudy, 10°, breezy SW.

Rather quiet for the last few days with little of note.

A flock of Lapwing over Cholsey Hill and a distant Barn Owl and the usual “Winter Thrushes” all over.

A Grey Wagtail and Herring Gull, Bunk line but little else.

Alan & Paul.

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Kinda quiet

Sunshine and showers, 12°, light SSE.

Another fairly quiet day with the river and Bunk line covered.

The Gull flock has dispersed with most on a recently ploughed field on Cholsey hill and the rest scattered in various fields elsewhere incl 2 Herring Gull hanging around CSW.

A couple of Chiffchaff still around, 5 Siskin, Common Snipe, several Teal, a couple of Grey Wagtail, 8 Pied Wagtail accompanying a small cattle herd, Sparrowhawk and Raven.

Alan & Paul.

Still a little quiet

Cloudy at first then a few sunny spells, 14°, light SSW.

A quietish day again. Alan reported the river area as very quiet with just a Sparrowhawk worthy of note.

Bunk line also quiet, a Little Owl heard calling, a Treecreeper and the usual Gull flock loafing in one of the fields, c400 birds.

Lollingdon also proved quiet, however a Barn Owl seen being harried by a Red Kite. The Owl eventually dived thru a hedge and lost its pursuer. A Raven over and a Grey Wagtail present and 2 Common Snipe on a flooded field.

Mammals: Brown Hare, Stoat and some long dead remains that looked like a Polecat.

Dragonflies: at least one Common Darter still on the wing.

Both pics courtesy Alan

Buzzard

Lesser Blackback Gull

A mild one

Overcast with later sunny spells, 16°, light SSW.

Unseasonably mild today and relatively little to show for it.

Alan along the river and seemingly quiet. A Mandarin Duck on the river, “Winter Thrushes” evident plus Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff and the regulars.

Large numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing along the Bunk today with many coming from the Cholsey Hill area. 500-600 birds noted and 2 Sparrowhawk flew thru.

A Chiffchaff along Green Lane with a roving Tit flock and Fieldfare and Redwing in just about every bush.

A Grey Wagtail in the Church Road area.

Dragonflies: A Migrant Hawker along the river and a Common Darter, Green Lane.

Long-tailed Tit ↕

Great Tit

Shaggy Parasol

Egrets & Dragons

Sunny spells and the odd rain shower, 13°, breezy SW.

Relatively quiet out at Lollingdon today. 100+ Fieldfare on the hill plus a few Redwing and Starling.

Nearby 2 Little Egret, 2 Raven overhead, a Chiffchaff, a flock of 20+ Meadow Pipit and several Pied Wagtail and Skylark.

A Sparrowhawk visiting the garden again.

Dragonflies: at least 3 Common Darter still on the wing.

Butterflies: a single Brimstone.

Little Egret

find the Common Darter

Fieldfares & Redwings

Cloudy with occasional showers, 14°, light to breezy SSW.

Pretty quiet along the Bunk line today although plenty of Fieldfare and Redwing around. 2 Grey Heron, 2 Grey Wagtail, a Kestrel and around 200 Lesser Blackback and 20+ Black-headed Gull.

Garden very busy this afternoon with 2 Nuthatch, several Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit, a Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Treecreeper.

Butterflies: Yesterday, a Red Admiral, Green Lane and a Peacock, Brook Meadow.

Alan & Paul.

Getting colder

Cloudy with some sunshine, 12°, light WNW.

The Long Ditch, Lollingdon and Bunk line covered today.

Kingfisher, Peregrine, Reed Bunting, 4 Stonechat, 5 Siskin, 3 Redpoll, 4 Grey Wagtail (incl 1 in the garden), Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 2 Chiffchaff and good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing. Several Skylark and a few Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail.

Dragonflies: a single Common Darter.

Paul & Alan.

Siskin courtesy Alan ↕

Buzzard courtesy Alan

Stonechat courtesy Alan

A couple from the garden. Grey Wagtail (above) & Dunnock, Wren & Blue Tit (below)

All quiet

Mostly cloudy, 14°, breezy SSW.

Not a lot today out at Lollingdon: 2 Stonechat on the hill,100+ Fieldfare and 30’ish Redwing, a single Chiffchaff and a Raven over was about it.

Only other thing of interest was a Stoat hunting.