Bunk

Overcast with light rain showers, 8°, light WSW.

Both along Bunk this afternoon: 20+ Greylag Geese, 6 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, 50+ Lesser Blackback Gull, 3 Herring Gull, 3 Black-headed Gull and a single Common Gull on the floods.

“An interesting Gull on the floods along the Bunk this afternoon. With an off-white mantle and wings, black wing tips and a black tail tip, white head and rump, yellowish legs and a yellow bill with dark tip. Similar size to Lesser Blackbacks present but flew of west before I could get a pic.”

Around 50 Shoveler and 20 Tufted Duck in the air after an overflying Chinook flew over.

200+ Starling with a similar amount of Fieldfare and Redwing, a Lapwing, 2 Raven, a Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, 2 Siskin and both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker.

c150 Golden Plover over Cholsey Hill. Per Geoff Wyatt.  

A Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming in the Brook meadow today.

Black-headed Gull courtesy Alan

Common Gull courtesy Alan

Starlings with the odd Fieldfare and Redwing

Lapwing

Lesser Blackback Gull courtesy Alan

Egrets

A cloudy day with some light showers, 10°, light SSW.

Bunk with Alan: A Cattle Egret (3rd record) flew over heading NW.

Black-headed Gull, Lesser Blackback Gull, Herring Gull, Raven over, Shoveler over, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest, Lapwing, Meadow Pipit and 4 Mute Swan.

A call later in the day from TW alerted us to 2 Great Egret back on the flood near Winterbrook bridge. They then flew towards Bow bridge but were relocated back at the initial site by Alan later.

Looks as though all 3 Egret species will became a regular sight locally in the future as they have done in other parts of Oxfordshire.

Egret photos courtesy Alan

Pretty quiet times

Few sunny spells, 8°, light SSW.

Very little along the Bunk area this afternoon. 2 Mute Swan still frequenting the area plus a reasonable flock of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling roaming the flooded fields.

Other than that, a Chiffchaff and several Yellowhammer present.

Jackdaws at the church

Corn Bunting courtesy Alan

Lollingdon & Garden

Cloudy with a few showers, 7°, light SW.

A very damp walk out to Lollingdon today: 12 Lapwing, 2 Raven, 2 Jay, 8 Yellowhammer with a few in song, single Reed Bunting, several Skylark, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit.

Good numbers of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling roaming and several small flocks of Linnet and Goldfinch.

Blackcap, 2 Nuthatch and Sparrowhawk in the garden, a Raven overhead and 2 Tawny Owl last night.

Green Sandpiper still present in the Bunk line area yesterday. Per Alan.  

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: a single Red Admiral.

Bunk

Mainly cloudy, 11°, light SSW.

Bunk area: 2 Mute Swan, 102 Greylag Geese, Green Sandpiper, 18 Shoveler, 14 Tufted Duck, 250+ flock of Fieldfare, Redwing & Starling, Raven, Chiffchaff, 3 Pied Wagtail and 2 Yellowhammer.

A Mistle Thrush and 2 Song Thrush singing.

AD & PC.

Fieldfare, Redwing & Starling ↕

Peregrine from yesterday courtesy Alan

Lollingdon & Bunk

Mainly cloudy, 13°, breezy SW.

Rather quiet out at Lollingdon today. 9 Lapwing, c50 Fieldfare, 2 Raven, a handful of Redwing, Yellowhammer and Meadow Pipit, 2 Song Thrush, a Mistle Thrush and several Skylark in song.

Bunk area proved a little more active for Alan. 3-5 Stonechat, 2 Raven, a Sparrowhawk, 6 Lapwing, 2 Peregrine, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, 2 Mute Swan, 8 Grey Partridge and several Skylark in song.

A Barn Owl seen yesterday on Cholsey Hill. Per Michael Pocock.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: yesterday, both Brimstone and Peacock on the wing.

Stonechat courtesy Alan

Meadow Pipit courtesy Alan

Egrets

Overcast, 13°, light S.

The day started with a Great White Egret found by Geoff Wyatt on the Thames flood by Nosworthy Way, Winterbrook bridge. When Michael Pocock arrived a little later it had been joined by a second. 3rd & 4th records for Cholsey.

Possibly a 3rd GWE seen on the flood in the horse field  near Caps lane later in the day. Per MA.

Bunk pretty quiet. Very few Thrushes with c20 Fieldfare and a handful of Redwing. 4 Yellowhammer, several Chiffchaff, 2 Mute Swan still on the flood and c50 Shoveler flying over and 2 Peregrine.

River: Water Rail, Little Egret, singing Mistle Thrush, Siskin and good numbers Of Fieldfare and Redwing. Per Alan.

A Ring-necked Parakeet over CSW yesterday and a Blackcap in song. Per Alan.

Mammals: Otter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Great White Egret courtesy Michael Pocock

Great White Egret courtesy Alan Dawson ↕

Little Egret courtesy Alan

Shoveler ↕

Bunk

Sunny spells, 12°, light SW.

Bunk: Ref Alan, Lesser Blackback Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, 3 Common Gull, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler.

Mute Swan now joined by Greylag Goose in the middle of the field.

Flock of 50 Corn Bunting near Bullshole and another 40 under pylon on Westfield Rd ref Richard Broughton.

Corn Bunting (Archive Pic)

Dead Swans

2 dead Mute Swan found by Alan in the space of 2 weeks near Bunk area. Approx. 1 km apart.

The Swans have been attracted by the floods in the area. Maybe with the river running fast they are seeking quieter water.

There were no obvious injuries to either and the most likely cause was collision with power lines?

Weather

Rain, Sunshine and Cloudy, 12°, moderate SSW.

c50 Teal plus Wigeon and Shoveler on the flooded field along the Wallingford Road this morning.

Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing along the Bunk, c500 birds in total. A Chiffchaff near CSW and 6 Yellowhammer, 2 Greylag and 2 Egyptian Geese over Green Lane.

Good numbers of Lesser Blackback, 2 Herring Gull and c 40 Black-headed Gull around the floods and 2 Mute Swan.

c200 Lapwing over Cholsey Hill heading towards the Moreton floods.

An Oystercatcher flying around the floods on Wednesday. Per Alan.

AD & PC.

Yellowhammer ↕

A regular garden visitor

Quiet start to February

Overcast, 11°, breezy SW.

Both out along the Bunk today and fairly quiet: 4 Chiffchaff, 2+ Raven, c12 Teal, 4 Grey Heron, 20+ Canada Geese, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Yellowhammer, a single Mistle Thrush, low numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing and 3 Gull species, not a lot else of note.

The male Mute Swan still present in the “not so flooded field”. Unfortunately the female was found dead by Alan last week approx. 500 metres away. No obvious injuries.

AD & PC.

Greenfinch courtesy Alan

Mute Swan

2 Herring Gull with Black-headed Gulls

Stock Dove courtesy Alan