Quiet start

Wet ’n’ windy, 17°, breezy WSW.

Portland:

A rather quiet Portland today. We knew the birding would not be great this time of year but were hoping for some insect findings.

Due to the wet and windy weather even, that was out of the question.

Apart from a few Gannet passing by on the sea, a couple of Swallow and a handful of Swift late on. There was nothing else of note.

A Common Pipistrelle picked up with the bat detector at 22:30 hunting around the Obs.  

A couple of pics of 2 moths that were caught overnight and released at dusk this evening.

A Large Emerald and a Green Silver-lines.

Cholsey Thames

Sunny periods, 20°, light NW.

Alan along river today: Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, distant Cuckoo, Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff and Kingfisher.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker, Emperor, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly and White-legged Damselfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Comma, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Small Blue, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Red Admiral and Small Heath.

Moths: Forester.   

Insects: Spotted Longhorn Beetle.

all photos courtesy Alan

Emerald Damselfly

Marbled White

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Forester Moth

Garden Warbler

Ruddy Darter

Lollingdon

Cloudy, 22°, light WSW.

Little change out at Lollingdon today. 2 Lapwing present and seen mobbing a Buzzard, 5 Mistle Thrush and a Nuthatch present in one of the gardens.

Dragonflies: several Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle over the local brooks and an Emperor hunting over a wheat field.

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

Moths: Cinnabar.

BlueTit on the hunt

Lollingdon

Sunny spells, 21°, breezy W.

A cooler day than of late thankfully and a less tiring walk out to Lollingdon and back.

Little change with the usual Yellowhammer, Reed and Corn Bunting, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff all regular.

A Lapwing heard but no visual.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Southern Hawker and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper (foy), Ringlet and Speckled Wood.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Comma

Greenfinch

Speckled Wood

Yellowhammer

Bunk & Thames

Sunny, 25°, light WSW.

Bunk line today: Little Owl heard calling plus a Lesser Whitethroat, Yellow Wagtail and the usual regulars.

Dragonflies: Both Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle, Common Blue and Azure Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Several Large Skipper and Small Skipper, (4) Brimstone, (1) Large White, (2) Small White, (2) Red Admiral, (1) Small Tortoiseshell, (2) Comma, (5) Speckled Wood, (20+) Marbled White, (50+) Meadow Brown, Several Ringlet and a Small Heath.

Alan noted very much the same as yesterday along the river and added Southern Hawker Dragonfly and both Large and Small Skipper Butterflies. Plus 6-spot Burnet Moth and Silver Y Moth.

Meadow Brown ↕

Marbled White

Small Heath

Great-spotted Woodpeckers in garden

6-spot Burnet courtesy Alan

Southern Hawker courtesy Alan

Lollingdon & Thames

Mainly sunny, 25°, light NNW.

Pretty quiet bird wise out at Lollingdon today. The Lapwing appear to have departed other than that all the usual present.

Alan had very much the same along the river.

A day all round for insects. Plenty of Marbled White and Meadow Brown on the wing and a few Common Blue on the hill.

Also Large and Small Skipper, Red Admiral, Ringlet and Comma noted.

Alan found about 4 Emerald Damselfly and a female Ruddy Darter.

And the first Southern Hawker for the year out at Lollingdon.

Spent about an hour on the allotment this afternoon with up to 20 Swift screeching around overhead plus the odd House Martin and Swallow.

There was also a male Black-tailed Skimmer hunting on the allotment plus several Common Blue and Azure Damselfly and a Cinnabar Moth.

Full list from Alan: Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Kingfisher, Skylark and Reed Bunting etc.

Dragons: Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle, Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Red-eyed Damselfly and Emerald Damselfly.

Butterflies: Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Comma and Red Admiral.

Young Blackbird bathing ↕

Emerald Damsel courtesy Alan ↕

Large Skipper

Ruddy Darter (imm m) courtesy Alan

Southern Hawker

Speckled Wood

The Lees & The Thames

Sunny spells, 23°, light SSW.

Alan out along the river: Cuckoo, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail over.

I took a walk out to the Lees area again: Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Yellow Wagtail, Skylark etc.

The Lees:

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

Butterflies: Common Blue, Marbled White, Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown.

The river:

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

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

Sedge Warbler

Small Skipper courtesy Alan

Broad-bodied Chaser courtesy Alan

Ringlet courtesy Alan

Large Skipper courtesy Alan

Reed Bunting

Insects

 Some of Alan's insect photos from this week.

Emerald Damselfly

Azure Damselfly

Black-tailed Skimmer

Common Blue Damselfly

Common Darter

Large Red Damselfly

Marbled White

Red-eyed Damselfly

Wild flower meadows or not

Sunny, 26°, light NE.

A source has informed me that 2 fields between the railway tunnel and the rail bridge that was being worked on (out by the Lees) have been planted with wild flowers. The reason being that the farm cannot now get a combine over the bridge to harvest the crop. So uneconomical to sustain it.

I had a walk out there today and the fields have been worked but all I could see were mainly thistle growing and sparse areas of other plants otherwise quite devoid of any insect life. Will wait and see how this develops.

Further out beyond the Lees, both Sedge (5) and Reed Warbler (2) present, Chiffchaff (2), Blackcap (2), Common Whitethroat (1), Yellow Wagtail (3), Yellowhammer (5), Reed Bunting (6), Skylark (10+) and Corn Bunting (1).

Although insects were relatively sparce there were a few:

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

A few more Bees, solitary Wasps and others noted.

Alan out and about along the river and added: Cuckoo, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Kingfisher, Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Swallow, House Martin, Swift and Grey Wagtail.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Emerald Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, Emperor, Broad-bodied Chaser, Ruddy Darter and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Small Blue, Brown Argus, Small Heath, Red Admiral and Common Blue.

Still no sign of Swallow and House Martin nesting in the Church Road area of the village.

The House Martins that turned up last week probably have not been able to find mud to either repair or rebuild their nests and have not discovered pre-built nest boxes nearby?

Or, could it be lack of aerial insects?

Emerald Damselfly courtesy Alan

Marsh Orchid or hybrid sp ?

 Sedge Warbler song

GSW & BB

Sunny, 28°, light NE.

A few pics from the garden today. A Great-spotted Woodpecker feeding young and Blackbirds.