Showers

Overcast with a few rain showers, 18°, breezy WSW.

Somewhat quiet on the hill today, unlike yesterday when Alan found a Wheatear and a Redstart there and on Saturday 4 Raven over Bunk line.

Elsewhere on the walk a Sparrowhawk, 2 Green Woodpecker, a handful of Swallow and House Martin, a few Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer noted.

A large flock of c200 Swift passed thru stretching from the Lees to my location near the Bullshole. The flock steadily drifted south west until lost from view. Also noted, numbers of Swift passing over the Church Road area, late afternoon and still moving thru at 17:30.

Alan covered the Bunk and Fair Mile/River area. Spotted Flycatcher family still present, Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, c60 Swift, several Swallow and House Martin, Common Whitethroat and Yellowhammer.

Butterflies: few considering the weather, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

The Bee swarm relocated.

A bit quiet

Mainly cloudy, 21°, light SW.

Very little bird wise noted today, the hill was exceptionally quiet apart from 2 Grey Partridge and c50 Swift passing over heading south west.

Elsewhere just a couple of Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and a Yellow Wagtail.

Mammals: Brown Hare and (deceased) Pipistrelle Bat.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle and Common Darter.

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

Speckled Bush Cricket

Common Pipistrelle courtesy Alan & Jane

Sparrowhawk

Lollingdon

Hazy sunshine, 20°, light SSW.

The Redstart still present on Lollingdon Hill plus a handful of Mistle Thrush, 2 Kestrel, 6 Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Blackcap.

Elsewhere rather quiet with up to 5 Yellowhammer still in song.

Several Swallow, House Martin and Swift over Church Road and a Sparrowhawk.  

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Brown Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Redstart

Common Blue

Beautiful Demoiselle ↕

River

Hazy sunshine with rain later, 20°, light SSW.

Per Alan: River area:  

Spotted Flycatcher family still present, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Kingfisher, Blackcap, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Swallow, House Martin and Swift.

Mammals: Red Fox, Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Common Darter, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly and Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Painted Lady, Brown Argus, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock and Gatekeeper.

Photos courtesy Alan  

Spotted Flycatcher ↕

Green Woodpecker

Brown Hare

Mistle Thrush

Swallow

A wet one

Cloudy with light rain showers, 16°, light NW.

A bit of a damp trek up to the hill today, however still pretty busy out there.

The Redstart still present but elusive in the top Hawthorns. A large Tit flock passed thru with over 80 birds incl 10+ Chiffchaff, Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Lesser Whitethroat.

The Mistle Thrush flock appeared on the hill mid-way thru the watch and a flock of 100+ Starling nearby.

50 odd Swallow seen in several flocks moving south.

Nearby 2 Raven over, a Jay, a Little Owl, a couple of Common Whitethroat and Blackcap and several Yellowhammer.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: few, given the weather. Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper.

Raven

Brown Hare

Bunk Line

Sunny at first then clouding up, 19°, light W.

Bunk Line fairly quiet today, a small passage of c20 Sand Martin passing thru plus several Swallow and Swift and the odd House Martin.

3 Lesser Whitethroat noted along with several Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer plus singles of Common Whitethroat and Blackcap.

A Cormorant high overhead and a couple of Black-headed and Lesser Blackback Gull in the area and both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk hunting.

Dragonflies: Common Blue Damselfly, Southern Hawker and Migrant Hawker (in garden).

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

Migrant Hawker

Yellowhammer

Redstart

Mainly sunny, 21°, light WNW.

Unfortunately the field I mentioned earlier in the week that hosted loads of butterflies has been cut. There appears to be no plants higher than 10cm left and subsequently no butterflies other than a few Whites traversing the area. Why cut it?

3 Lapwing dropped in on the field at the far side briefly.

Lollingdon Hill was pretty busy today with the first autumn Redstart, 30+ Mistle Thrush, a Tit flock comprising 20+ Long-tailed Tit, 11 Blue Tit and 3 Chiffchaff. 2 Raven, 5 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap and 7 House Sparrow.

A couple of Lapwing nearby.

A Reed Warbler singing (sub-song) in the small woodland next to the school early afternoon.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Small Heath. Far fewer than earlier in the week.

Some rather blurred and heavily cropped Redstart pics 

River

Mainly sunny, 21°, light WNW.

River area, per Alan.

Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Kingfisher, Swift, House Martin, Swallow, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff and Common Whitethroat.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Emerald Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brown Argus, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Comma, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper.

Photos courtesy Alan

Ruddy Darter

Four-spot Chaser

Southern Hawker

Common Darter

Moorhen with young and a Dragonfly snack

Spotted Flycatcher

Lollingdon & Butterflies (part 2)

Sunny spells with a few light showers, 21°, breezy WSW.

Fairly quiet out at Lollingdon still. A flock of at least 36 Mistle Thrush and the Lapwing still present.

11 Yellowhammer counted in song on the walk out, a couple of singing Corn Bunting plus Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat and Blackcap.

12 Swift drifted SW over the hill and 2 Swallow families comprising 11 birds also SW.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Marbled White, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

The field to the right of the long tunnel from the Bullshole is loaded with Thistles and other flowering plants and was attracting 15 species of butterfly today.

Small Tortoiseshell has been quite scarce this year, so good to see at least 6 today.

Brimstone

Peacock

Comma

Small Tortoiseshell

Red Admiral

Spot Flys (part 1)

Sunny spells with a few light showers, 21°, breezy WSW.

Alan covered the river today and discovered our first Spotted Flycatcher of the year with 2 Adults and at least 3 young. These may well have bred somewhere in Cholsey but have remained elusive until now.

Also, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Kingfisher and Sparrowhawk.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Emerald Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Black-tailed Skimmer, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, and Red-eyed Damselfly.

Butterflies: Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Brown Argus, Small Skipper, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Red Admiral and Painted Lady.

Spotted Flycatcher pics courtesy Alan

A few birdy pics

 A few sunny spells with showers, 20°, moderate WSW.

A few birdy pics from local birders/photographers.

A surprise visitor to the garden feeders today, Buzzard.

House Sparrows courtesy Bill Nicholls ↕

Young Sparrowhawk that was bred nearby courtesy Alan

Reed Bunting (f) courtesy Andy King

Lollingdon

Sunny spells, 22°, breezy S.

A Lesser Whitethroat and 2+ Corn Bunting on Lollingdon Hill. Nearby, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, 2 Lapwing plus the usuals.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Marbled White, Comma, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood.

River and Bunk rather quiet. Per Alan.

A Ring-necked Parakeet seen by RB in the Church Road area on Saturday then seen at various places in the village over the weekend.

Insects: Stag Beetle, male found by Alan and a female near the Bullshole.

Long-tailed Tit

Stag Beetle (f)

Common Blue ↕

Stag Beetle (m) courtesy Alan