Bunk & Long Ditch

Sunny with variable cloud cover, 15°, light SSE.

Alan covered the long ditch area this morning: Common Snipe, 3 Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Lesser Blackback Gull.

We both covered the Bunk line at different times: 12 Shoveler overhead, 20+ Fieldfare, about the same of Redwing, 2 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, 2 Raven, 2 Grey Heron, 10 Siskin, a Grey Wagtail, several Meadow Pipit, 100+ Lesser Blackback Gull, 50+ Black-headed Gull, 5 Herring Gull and 2 Common Gull. Plus 2 Egyptian Geese flew south over Church Road.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: several Red Admiral.

All photos courtesy Alan

Blackcap

Meadow Pipit

Stonechat

Lesser Blackback Gull

Jackdaw

Sunshine & Rain

Rain then sun then rain again, 14°, light SSW.

A rather uneventful walk out to Lollingdon and back. The hill was quiet other than 250+ Starling chattering away on some nearby telegraph wires and the calls of 12 Red Kite and 3 Buzzard soaring over the hill.

Have been hearing a lot of Siskin moving through lately and today was no exception with at least 3 small flocks passing overhead.

Just 5 Fieldfare noted plus, 52 Redwing, 10 Yellowhammer, 1 Chiffchaff, 12 Meadow Pipit, 6 Pied Wagtail, 2 Jay and a single Raven etc.

River, per Alan: Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, 2 Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail and Water Rail.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: 1 Small White and 7 Red Admiral.

Goldcrest courtesy Alan

Nuthatch

Blackbird

Warm and wet

Rain at first then sunny spells, 15°, light SSW.

Bunk line: 40+ Fieldfare, 24 Redwing, 3 sightings of 2 Sparrowhawk, 6 Grey Heron, 1 Lapwing, 2 Grey Wagtail, 7 Pied Wagtail, 4 Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, several Siskin and 5 Yellowhammer etc.

Yesterday along the River. Per Alan.

Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Siskin, 2 Kingfisher, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest and Sparrowhawk.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Common Darter warming up on the rail

Red Admiral

Grey Wagtail

One of two Nuthatch in the garden

Little Egrets

A cloudy day, 15°, breezy ESE.

Alan took the long hike out by the lees and skirting Aston and back through Lollingdon. I just trekked out to Lollingdon and back.

When I walked out there was one Little Egret at Lollingdon but by the time Alan got there it had been joined by another two.

Between the Lees and Lollingdon, another? Little Egret, Kingfisher, Peregrine, Common Snipe, Reed Bunting, Redwing, Meadow Pipit and Skylark.

Lollingdon, 34 Yellowhammer noted with just over 20 leaving the hill and flying south, plus a Reed Bunting with them.

25+ Meadow Pipit, 60+ Skylark, 6 Pied Wagtail, 5 Fieldfare, 4 Song Thrush, 14 Blackbird, 2 Jay, a flyover Raven and a single Little Owl.

Bunk line later, 40+ Pied Wagtail, several Redwing and Fieldfare. Per Alan.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Little Egret courtesy Alan

Little Egret

River & Meadows

Mainly sunny, 15°, light SSW.

River/Meadows. Per Alan.

Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Usual Geese, Pied Wagtail, Redwing and Fieldfare.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter and Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: Small White and Red Admiral.

Reed Bunting courtesy Alan

Willow Emerald

After the rain

Sunny periods, 16°, light SW.

River, Bunk and Lollingdon covered today. A lot of soggy fields out there.

A scattering of Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush, a (f) Stonechat, 2 Corn Bunting, 16 Yellowhammer, a Kingfisher, a Treecreeper, good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, 2+ Jay, 3-4 Chiffchaff and 2 Little Egret.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White and Red Admiral.

Little Egret ↕

Fieldfare courtesy Alan

Yellowhammer courtesy Alan

Yellowhammer

Cattle Egret

Sunny spells and showers, 13°, light to breezy W.

Was not planning to go out today as it looked like more rain and didn’t fancy getting wet for a second day running.

At c10:30 I got a message from Alan to say he had found a Cattle Egret on a flood beside the Wallingford Road.

As I had not seen one before in Cholsey, I grabbed my kit and drove up there.

The bird had left the flood and had flipped over the road to a field with a herd of cattle next to Green Lane.

It stayed in the area for at least another hour and appeared then to have moved on.

Alan stayed on for a time and then found a Little Egret nearby plus c 40 Lapwing, a Goldcrest, Stonechat, Chiffchaff and Meadow Pipit.

All 3 Egret species have been seen in Cholsey this year. All have colonised the UK in the last few decades with breeding in Oxfordshire in the last few years.

They were all rarities in the UK 30-40 years ago hence trips to see Cattle Egret and Little Egret in Sussex in 1984 and 1987 respectively and Great Egret in Cornwall 1989.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

6 photos from both Alan and me.  

 

A wet one

Overcast with constant light rain, heavier later, 14°, light to moderate E.

Alan along the river early but very little to speak of apart for a flock of 70+ Fieldfare and Redwing.

I ventured out to Lollingdon and waited in a sheltered spot just watch and listen.

100+ each of Fieldfare and Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush, an increased number of Blackbird, 4 Jay, 2 Raven, 3 Chiffchaff, several Siskin, 5 Yellowhammer, the odd Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, etc.

Alan out along the Bunk in the afternoon and I imagine getting a bit wet. c100 Fieldfare, c60 Redwing, (m) Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Raven etc.

Magpie in the garden

Bunk again

Sunny intervals, 13°, breezy E.

Alan along the Bunk today with Fieldfare, Redwing, Siskin, Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk and Chiffchaff.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Meadow Pipit courtesy Alan

Common Buzzard courtesy Alan

Bunk Line

Cloudy with the odd sunny spell, 10°, light E.

Bunk line: 50+ Fieldfare (2 flocks), 2 Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush, 2+ Siskin over, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipit, 14 Skylark, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 1 Jay, 2 Raven, 1 Common Snipe, 1 Jay, a Little Owl, 50 + Black-headed Gull, 23 Lesser Blackback Gull, etc.

Butterflies: 1 Red Admiral.

Dragonflies: Common Darter (Saturday).

8 Fieldfare, part of one of the flocks seen today

Black-headed Gull (above & below)

Grey Heron

Todays Red Admiral

Common Carder Bee

Speckled Bush Cricket

Bunk line

Overcast with light rain, 13°, light SSW.

Bunk Line: a Stonechat, 20+ Redwing, 9 Mistle Thrush, 16 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting, 7 Pied Wagtail, 15 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Raven and a Cormorant over. A scattering of Black-headed and Lesser Blackback Gull in the area and a Grey Wagtail Church Road.

Alan along the river later in the day with good numbers of Fieldfare.

No Dragons or Butterflies on the wing today.

Stonechat

Chiffchaff

Redwing

Yellowhammer

Cormorant

Lollingdon & Bunk

Overcast, 19°, light SW.

Both Alan and myself out at Lollingdon today with Alan on the earlier visit.

The hill was a little quiet but a lot of Skylark in the area with around 100+ scattered around and a flyover Ringed Plover.

Some movement going on with both Redwing and Fieldfare noted, plus 20+ Meadow Pipit, 6 Pied Wagtail, 2+ Siskin, 11 Yellowhammer and 8 Reed Bunting.

2 Tawny Owl heard, a Common Snipe, 9 Chiffchaff and 3 Jay noted.

Alan then out along Bunk Line: Redwing, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, Raven etc.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admirals still noted moving south but in fewer numbers. Large White, Small White and Speckled Wood also seen.

A Red Admiral resting up

Common Darter

Winter Thrushes arrive

Sunny, 23°, light SSW.

Some of our “Winter Thrushes” arrived today on an unseasonably warm day with c80 Redwing and a Fieldfare, out at Lollingdon and probably some (migrant) Blackbirds that were moving with the flock.

Alan also had 50+ Redwing along the Bunk line this afternoon. Plus a flock of c100 Lapwing.

Redwings heard passing overhead this evening. Per Michael Pocock.  

6 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellowhammer and 2 Corn Bunting on Lollingdon Hill and some overhead movement of Finches, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Skylark.

Nearby, at least 2 Siskin over, a Mistle Thrush, a Raven and 2 Jay.

3 Chiffchaff, including 1 in garden.

River & Cholsey Meadows, per Alan. Chiffchaff, Kingfisher and Cormorant.

Bunk: Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Black-headed and Lesser Blackback Gull.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald, Migrant Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral, loads around and another day of most of them moving strongly south. Also a Brimstone, several Large and Small White, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Ruddy Darter courtesy Alan

Willow Emerald courtesy Alan

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Red Admiral courtesy Alan

Common Darter courtesy Alan

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Speckled Wood