Another sunny one

Another sunny one, 14° (but seemed warmer) light E.

Usual procedure starts with a sea watch then loafing around the Obs for a while and then a walk about.

My totals for today but not in time order were: 16 Pomarine Skua, a Great White Egret, 7 Whimbrel, 16 Common Scoter, 10 Manx Shearwater, 5 Sandwich Tern, 14 Common/Arctic Tern, a Puffin, good numbers of Guillemot and Razorbill, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 4 Willow Warbler, a Whinchat, 10 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail, a White Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, a Stonechat, 22 Swallow and 2 Swift.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: same as yesterday.

The white line on the sea on the above photo is approx 1000 Gulls and the Gulls flying on the video below were spooked by a Pomarine Skua flying low and close to the cliffs. We saw the Gulls go up but did not know why until an observer came back and informed us what had happened. Pic and Vid courtesy Loren.

Another slow day

Sunny, 14°, moderate E.

Another slow day but slightly better than yesterday.

Sea watching produced 40+, Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua, a Great Northern Diver, 11 Manx Shearwater, 3 Fulmar and 4 Sandwich Tern.

Land wise: a Short-eared Owl, in-off the sea, a Grey Heron, 7 Swift, 15+ Swallow, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 White Wagtail, a Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, 5 Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap and a Reed Warbler.

Dragonflies: Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood.

Whinchat

Wheatear

Skylark 

? courtesy Loren

Portland 28th April

A sunny day, 15°, light E.

Arrived on Portland later than usual yesterday so little to note from then. So today dawned rather quietly. We were expecting fog, so decided to have a lay-in. Still managed to wake at 06:00, looked out the window. No fog. So better get up. However, it proved a very slow day with very little noted:

Migrants were very thin on the ground, a Lesser Whitethroat, a few Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Wheatear, Stonechat, 22 Swallow, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Shoveler, 3 Manx Shearwater and a Puffin.

We decided to take a look at the Auk colony to see if we could find a Puffin but no luck but plenty of Guillemot and Razorbill.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Red Admiral and Wall Brown.

Moths: a Boxworth Snout. (a scarce species caught by John Lucas).

Insects: Boat Bug.

Guillemot

Razorbill

Boxworth Snout

Boat Bug

?

Insect photos courtesy Loren.

Sunday

Bunk area: 4 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Shelduck, Yellow Wagtail and 2 pristine Black-headed Gull dropped in. Per Michael Pocock.

Still moving

Sunny periods, 16°, light NE.

A milder day than of late and a few more Butterflies on the wing as migrant birds still continue to arrive and pass through and Gull species virtually absent.  

Bunk: 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, 3 Lapwing, Herring Gull, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellowhammer, 5 Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, a Willow Warbler, 8 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin.

Yesterday on Cholsey Marsh: a Cuckoo and poss Grasshopper Warbler.  

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Oystercatcher

Dunnock

Red Admiral

Rain & Shine

Overcast with a few light showers then clearing later, 14°, light W.

Lollingdon, River, Marsh, Bunk and Lees.

8 Tufted Duck, Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8+ Sand Martin, 6 House Martin, 20+ Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 2 Wheatear ( 1 Lollingdon and 1nr Church Road), 6 Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Jay, 2 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Orange Tip.

AD, MP & PC.

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy Alan. Just outside the Cholsey boundary so can't count it in the annual stats.

Cuckoo

Cloudy, 12°, breezy SW.

Cuckoo on the Marsh at 06:15 today. Per Phil Dyson. Heard one last evening from the garden, called 3 times and not heard again.

Some needed rain

Cloudy with showers, 15°, fresh SE.

Bunk, Lollingdon and River/Marsh:

Oystercatcher, 3 Shelduck, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, 2 Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, 3 Lapwing, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat, 3 Wheatear, etc.

Butterflies: a single Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Photos courtesy Alan

Reed Warbler

Wheatear

Little Ringed Plover

Cholsey

Sunny at first then mostly cloudy, 15°, light S.

Bunk, Lollingdon and River/Marsh:

6 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, 4 Black-headed Gull, 20+ Swallow, 3+ House Martin, 14+ Sand Martin, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Wheatear, many Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, 5+ Blackcap, 2+ Common Whitethroat, 3 Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy Alan ↕

River & Bunk

Sunny spells and the odd shower, 13°, fresh SW.

River and Bunk:

C25 House Martin, c15 Swallow, several Sand Martin, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher and 12+ Yellow Wagtail.

Butterflies: Orange Tip.

AD & MP.

Yellow Wagtail

Wheatears

Cloudy with occasional sunshine, 13°, fresh S.

Lollingdon, Marsh and Bunk areas:

3 Wheatear, 2 Common Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, Reed Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 5 Yellowhammer, 6 Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, 4 Lapwing,  Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, and 2 Little Ringed Plover.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Orange Tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Wheatear

Wheatear courtesy Alan ↕

Brown Hare

A change in the weather

Cloudy with some light rain showers. 12°, light SW.

River: Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Oystercatcher over, 2 Swallow + usual suspects.

Bunk: 6 Swallow, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, 20 Tufted Duck, Grey Wagtail, Oystercatcher, 4 Yellow Wagtail over, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

AD.

Common Whitethroat courtesy Alan

Greenshank courtesy Alan

Resin Weevil

Sunny at first then cloudy, 16°, light SW.

No sign of the Black Redstart today but Alan caught up with Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat and a Ring-necked Parakeet.

I on the other hand was helping Loren on her allotment when this strange insect landed on me. Loren took a photo and we have tentatively ID’d it as a Resin Weevil, which is a pretty scarce beetle in the UK.

Black Red & Green

Another sunny one, 20°, light NNE.

Bunk, River and Lees areas: A female Black Redstart (3rd record) found by Alan late in the day out towards the Lees, elsewhere, 3 Willow Warbler, usual Chiffchaff and Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, 2 Herring Gull, 8 Black-headed Gull, 5 Lesser Blackback Gull, Gulls becoming less frequent now, 2 Little Grebe, a Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, a Sparrowhawk and a Raven over.

A Ring-necked Parakeet north over Church road approx. 19:00. Per RB.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip and Peacock.

AD & PC.

Black Redstart courtesy Alan

Black Redstart ↕

Greenshank courtesy Alan

Roe Deer

Another day

Sunny, 16°, light N.

Usual areas covered again today:

Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing, 9 Tufted Duck, a Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 8+ Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, a single Redwing, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.

Mammals: unfortunately a dead Otter found by Alan along the river bank today.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Common Sandpiper courtesy Alan

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Migrants trickle in

Sunny, 14°, light to mod NE.

Usual spots covered today:

A Common Redstart, Willow Warbler, many Chiffchaff, several Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, 10 Swallow, 8 Sand Martin, 2 Treecreeper, several Reed Bunting, a Yellowhammer, 1+ Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, 6 Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Kingfisher, a handful of Black-headed Gull, 2 Herring Gull and a Sparrowhawk.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Chiffchaff

Just over the Oxon border in Streatley, Berks yesterday Alan made the trip for a Hoopoe. One of many to hit the UK’s shores recently.

More sunshine

Sunshiny day, 17°, light ENE.

Lollingdon, River and Bunk areas: Another sunny day but we need some rain.

Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, several Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Mistle Thrush, Swallow, Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Lapwing, 8 Tufted Duck, a Teal and a Little Egret on Church road flood again.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD, MM, PC & RB.

Kestrel

Roe Deer

Wren

Wheatear courtesy Alan

Peacock courtesy Alan

Weather?

Sunny then clouding over, 18°, breezy E.

Everywhere a little quiet at the moment. Is the weather playing a part?

Green Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatcher and 6 Lapwing were the waders noted today. 6 Tufted Duck and 2 Teal and a few Blackcap in song, a Cetti’s Warbler, Water Rail, Yellowhammer, etc.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White and Peacock.

AD & PC.

Green Sandpiper courtesy Alan

A bit of a mix

Sunny, 16°, breezy ENE.

Lollingdon, River and Bunk:

Wheatear, 2 Swallow, a Green Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret, 16 Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, a Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, 4 Common Gull, 2 Cetti’s Warbler and 2 Redwing.

AD & PC.