Another wet one

Overcast with frequent rain showers, 11°, breezy SW.

Not long back from a visit to Yorkshire and an abortive walk out to the Lollingdon floods today. Nothing there, probably due to a “@~?”%” with a shotgun out there!

The rain wasn’t doing any favours either. A Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff heard in the Millennium Wood and good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing around.

That was about it.

James Beaumont had 3-4 Redpoll at Cholsey Meadows earlier in the week.

A Redpoll on Cholsey Marsh from a few years ago.

Cholsey Marsh

Overcast then rain, 8°, breezy NE.

A trip down to Cholsey Marsh to check out the roost this evening. Not able to get close to the bank as the river has flooded up to 100 metres up Ferry Road.

Managed to count just over 200 Corn Bunting coming in plus a couple of Meadow Pipit.

A Cetti’s Warbler singing along the river bank, a few Siskin heard calling, at least 3 Water Rail, 2 Reed Bunting, a Yellowhammer and Goldcrest.

2 Egyptian Geese flew down stream along with 3 Cormorant and 60+ Canada Geese in a nearby field.

At 16:45 a flock of Starling in excess of 1000 birds flew north over the marsh.

A Chiffchaff in the garden this morning and a Blackcap nearby.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Quiet

Cloudy with the odd rain shower, 11°, light SSW.

Pretty quiet along the Bunk today: 2 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, a Treecreeper and very few Fieldfare and Redwing.

Gravel pit: just a single Little Grebe on the water and c200 Lapwing scattered around and around 20 Canada Geese.

Lollingdon

Overcast and rain, 10°, light SE.

A walk out to the flooded area at Lollingdon today proved rather wet.

Having said that the birds were not too bad.

As a flock of Tits passed through, I heard a call I’ve not heard for a while and confirmed it when a Marsh Tit popped up and soon moved on along the hedgerow with the rest of the flock. I couldn’t follow as the water was too deep along the field edge. First record in 5 years. Also a Chiffchaff with the flock.

The flood was deserted but I had an Oystercatcher fly over and there were 2 Little Egret and 3 Grey Heron nearby. A distant flock of c100 Lapwing in the air again and the usual Fieldfare and Redwing.

A Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and a couple of Goldcrest in the Bullshole area and 20+ Pied Wagtail on the football field.

8 Song Thrush heard singing on the walk out. Great to hear them. In the 90’s when we took part in a bird race, we had a job to find a Song Thrush. So good they have made a comeback over the last 20 or so years.

Yesterday: A male Merlin and Jack Snipe at Hithercroft along with c. 50 Common Snipe and 2 Peregrine. Per Connor Pimm. Not sure if they were seen in or close to the Parish boundary but worth a mention. The 2 Peregrine were probably the same 2 that I saw out by the Lees last week and maybe the 2 males from last years nest out at South Stoke?

Mammals: Roe Deer (3 Bucks).

The Lees

Overcast with frequent showers, 11°, light S.

The Lees: 3 Chiffchaff and a Treecreeper with a Tit flock and several Siskin and 2 Jay heard.

2 Stonechat and a Kingfisher along the Long Ditch and 2 Peregrine on the pylons.

50+ Fieldfare and 20+ Redwing.

30+ Skylark, 5 Meadow Pipit, a Reed Bunting, 2 Mute Swan and 100+ Black-headed Gull in adjacent fields.

Male Blackcap in garden.

Did not take the camera out today due to wet weather so an old pic of 2 Stonechat. Pretty much as I saw them today.

Redwings

Overcast with drizzly spells, 8°, breezy ESE.

2 Redwing in garden.

Bunk

Mainly sunny, 9°, breezy E.

Quiet along the Bunk area today: 4+ Chiffchaff in the usual spot near CSW and a Raven over.

c200 Lapwing at the gravel pit plus a Little Grebe and 2 Tufted Duck and the usual Fieldfare and Redwing around and that was about it!

2 Redpoll along Bunk yesterday. Per Brian Wyatt and a singing Blackcap, Papist Way. Per Phil Dyson.

Quiet

Overcast, 8°, moderate E.

A walk out to Lollingdon today and very quiet.

The regular 2 Little Egret present, a Grey Heron, c60 Lapwing and a Sparrowhawk and the usual Fieldfare and Redwing.

3 Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrest, Millennium Wood/Bullshole area and c50 Pied Wagtail on the football fields.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Muntjac Deer.