Cholsey Wildlife: Cholsey Birds (204 @ November 2024, (last new sp Sanderling)

Cholsey Birds as @ November 2024

1.	Canada Goose (Common introduced resident)
2.	Greylag Goose (Common feral resident)
3.	White-fronted Goose (Very rare winter visitor, last record Jan 2011)
4.	Mute Swan (Common to scarce resident)
5.	Bewick’s Swan (Very rare winter visitor)
6.	Whooper Swan (Very rare winter visitor, 5 Cholsey Hill Dec 2015)
7.	Egyptian Goose (increasing number of records on the Thames)
8.	Shelduck (Scarce passage visitor on floods and 1 gravel pit)
9.	Ruddy Shelduck (few records on Thames), 1 Gravel pit 24/08/2022.
10.	Mandarin Duck (Annual on the Thames, rare elsewhere)
11.	Garganey (Rare passage migrant)
12.	Shoveler (Regular winter visitor)
13.	Gadwall (Scarce winter visitor)
14.	Wigeon (Scarce winter visitor)
15.	Mallard (Common resident)
16.	Pintail (Rare winter visitor)
17.	Teal (Regular winter visitor)
18.	Pochard (Scarce winter visitor)
19.	Tufted Duck (uncommon resident)
20.	Common Scoter (calls heard on the night of 17^th March 2021 passing north)
21.	Goldeneye (Scarce winter visitor)
22.	Smew (rare winter visitor)
23.	Goosander (Scarce winter visitor)
24.	Red-breasted Merganser (1 record, flew upriver 1^st Feb 2013)
25.	Red-legged Partridge (Common introduced species)
26.	Grey Partridge (Scarce to common resident)
27.	Quail (Rare summer visitor)
28.	Pheasant (Common resident)
29.	Nightjar (Now very rare, bred Cholsey Downs, last record 1966). A report of one churring in Cholsey Meadows in spring of 2022.
30.	Alpine Swift (2 records, July 1975, 29/08/67)
31.	Common Swift (Common summer visitor, declining)
32.	Cuckoo (Declining summer visitor)
33.	Stock Dove (Common resident)
34.	Wood Pigeon (Common resident)
35.	Turtle Dove (Once common now very rare passage migrant)
36.	Collared Dove (Common resident)
37.	Water Rail (Common resident)
38.	Corncrake (Regular until early 1960's). Last record May 1999.
39.	Spotted Crake (Once common, last record Aug 1957)
40.	Moorhen (Common resident)
41.	Coot (scarce visitor)
42.	Common Crane (one record soaring high over village 19^th Apr 2014)
43.	Little Grebe (Common resident)
44.	Great-crested Grebe (now absent on river, once common)
45.	Red-necked Grebe (1 record on Thames 1938)
46.	Slavonian Grebe (Very rare 1 record on the Thames, Jan 1980)
47.	Stone Curlew (very rare passage migrant, has bred)
48.	Oystercatcher (rare passage migrant)
49.	Lapwing (Declining resident and winter visitor, bred 2024)
50.	Sanderling ( 1 present on floods at Lollingdon, 06/11/24)
51.	Golden Plover (Scarce to common winter visitor)
52.	Grey Plover (3 records, 1 Cholsey common, 31^st Dec 1962), 1 heard passing overhead at 22:25 24/03/2021. 1 associating with Golden plover, Cholsey Hill, 16-27/10/24.
53.	Ringed Plover (rare passage migrant).
54.	Little Ringed Plover (scarce passage migrant/visitor, bred 2022 & Pos 2023/4)
55.	Dotterel (very rare passage migrant)
56.	Whimbrel (rare passage migrant)
57.	Curlew (Rare visitor, regular breeder in the 60's. Last bred in 1978)
58.	Bar-tailed Godwit (rare passage, 1 record of 16 flying west Cholsey Hill, 2^nd May 2017.
59.	Ruff (rare passage migrant)
60.	Dunlin (rare passage migrant)
61.	Woodcock (scarce to rare winter visitor)
62.	Jack Snipe (rare winter visitor)
63.	Common Snipe (Scarce, intermittent breeder, more regular in winter)
64.	Common Sandpiper (regular passage migrant)
65.	Green Sandpiper (scarce passage migrant and winter visitor)
66.	Redshank (Irregular visitor, has bred)
67.	Wood Sandpiper (Very rare passage migrant)
68.	Spotted Redshank (Very rare passage migrant)
69.	Greenshank (scarce passage migrant)
70.	Kittiwake (2 records, 1 dead Cholsey Common, 17th Nov 1957 & 1 Lollingdon 25/11/2022, deceased)
71.	Black-headed Gull (common winter visitor)
72.	Mediterranean Gull (3 records 2^nd w March 2013 and a 1^stw Jan 2021, 31^st Jan 2022)
73.	Common Gull (Uncommon winter visitor)
74.	Iceland Gull (1 record, Lollingdon March 2014)
75.	Herring Gull (Uncommon visitor, possibly breeds)
76.	Yellow-legged Gull (3 records so far, Feb 2011, Jan 2019 & Feb 23)
77.	Lesser Black-backed Gull (Common winter visitor)
78.	Great Black-backed Gull (Rare winter visitor)
79.	Common Tern (scarce passage migrant and scarce visitor along the Thames)
80.	Black Tern (Very rare, Few records, passage migrant along Thames, pre-1950’s)
81.	Little Auk (1 record found dead on road near Cholsey Hill, 9th Nov 1957)
82.	White Stork (6 Cholsey Hill, 26^th Apr 2012, possibly some old records). Also a few sightings 2019/2020 of reintroduced birds.
83.	Leach's Petrel (1 record of dead bird 15^th Nov 1952)
84.	Northern Gannet (Very rare 1 record, June 1985)
85.	Great Cormorant (Regular non breeder)
86.	Bittern (Rare winter visitor)
87.	Grey Heron (Common non breeder)
88.	Great Egret 4 records, (1 flew south Church Road, 8^th Aug 2019), 1 Flew north over Bunk line, 28^th Aug 2023, 2 on floods 14^th Feb 2024 & 28^th Feb.)
89.	Little Egret (1st record 23rd Aug 2001, then 2 in Dec 2010, Jan 2011 now several annually)
90.	Cattle Egret 1 seen on floods along Hithercroft 20/04/23, 1 Green Lane, 19/10/23 and 1 over Bunk, 28^th Feb 2024 and 17 Sep 2024.
91.	Osprey (Very rare passage migrant, last record 1 upriver 24^th Apr 2017)
92.	Golden Eagle (1 shot near Bow Bridge in October 1865)
93.	Sparrowhawk (Common resident)
94.	Goshawk (1 record, Cholsey Fairmile 2nd Aug 1978)
95.	Marsh Harrier (Rare passage migrant, last record, Lollingdon Sep 24)
96.	Hen Harrier (Rare winter visitor)
97.	Montagu's Harrier (Very rare passage migrant)
98.	Red Kite (Common resident since re-introduction, few records prior)
99.	White-tailed Eagle (A juv seen flying south over Cholsey Church, 15^th Sep 2019 and another roosted in Cholsey on 14/03/2020 and subsequently seen flying north over Cholsey Hill. PC, LC & IL.
100.	Rough-legged Buzzard (6 records all Cholsey Downs from 1935 to 1975, also 1 record March 2011)
101.	Common Buzzard (Common resident)
102.	Barn Owl (Rare resident and winter visitor)
103.	Little Owl (Scarce resident, under recorded?)
104.	Long-eared Owl (Rare visitor, 2 confirmed records)
105.	Short-eared Owl (Rare winter visitor and passage migrant)
106.	Tawny Owl (Common resident)
107.	Hoopoe (3 records, May 1st 1962, Apr 29th 1994, 1 19^th Apr 2015)
108.	Kingfisher (Common resident)
109.	Wryneck (Formerly uncommon summer visitor, now very rare)
110.	Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (probably extinct, last bred early 1980's)
111.	Great-spotted Woodpecker (Common resident)
112.	Green Woodpecker (Common resident)
113.	Kestrel (Common resident)
114.	Merlin (Uncommon winter visitor)
115.	Hobby (Scarce summer visitor)
116.	Peregrine (Regular, has bred)
117.	Ring-necked Parakeet (several records, latest 13^th Feb 2024)
118.	Red-backed Shrike (Very rare visitor, last bred Westfield rd. in 1960's)
119.	Great Grey Shrike (4 records, 1 Cholsey Common, Nov to Dec 1966, 1 Lollingdon Hill, 17th Oct 2002, Lollingdon, 21^st Dec 2012, and probably same at Cholsey Marsh, Jan-Feb 2013)
120.	Jay (Scarce resident)
121.	Magpie (Common resident)
122.	Nutcracker (1 record, 2-3 birds Dec 1968 to Jan 1969)
123.	Jackdaw (Common resident)
124.	Rook (Common resident)
125.	Carrion Crow (Common resident)
126.	Hooded Crow (2 records, 17th Nov 1966 and 26th Feb 1967)
127.	Raven (Once very rare, now regular)
128.	Waxwing (Rare "irruptive" species, last record, 5 in Jan 2024)
129.	Coal Tit (Scarce resident)
130.	Marsh Tit (Very scarce visitor, once a resident)
131.	Willow Tit (Very rare visitor, once regular)
132.	Blue Tit (Common resident)
133.	Great Tit (Common resident)
134.	Bearded Tit (1 current record, 2 Jan 1965)
135.	Woodlark (Several records in the 1950's and 1960's on Cholsey Downs), a flyover on Lollingdon Hill 7^th Oct 2016 and another May 2018, 1 2^nd July 2020 Little Lollingdon and a flyover Church Road Oct 22.
136.	Skylark (Common resident)
137.	Sand Martin (Regular passage migrant, especially along Thames, has bred 1981 an last 3 years)
138.	Barn Swallow (Common summer visitor, declining)
139.	House Martin (Common summer visitor, declining)
140.	Cetti's Warbler (Scarce, irregular breeder)
141.	Long-tailed Tit (Common resident)
142.	Wood Warbler (Very rare passage migrant, historically bred. 1, 3^rd May 2016)
143.	Yellow-browed Warbler (1 heard in Whitehead Meadow 20^th Oct 2017).
144.	Willow Warbler (Scarce summer visitor and regular passage, once common)
145.	Common Chiffchaff (Common summer visitor and scarce winterer)
146.	Siberian Chiffchaff (2 records of 2 birds at a private site, Jan/Feb 2016 & Jan/Feb 2023).
147.	Sedge Warbler (Common summer visitor)
148.	Reed Warbler (Scarce summer visitor)
149.	Marsh Warbler (Very rare, 1 record from Cholsey Common Aug 1962)
150.	Melodious Warbler (1 record, 28/05/2021, Lollingdon Hill)
151.	Grasshopper Warbler (Irregular summer visitor and passage migrant)
152.	Blackcap (Common summer visitor and scarce winter visitor)
153.	Garden Warbler (Scarce summer visitor)
154.	Lesser Whitethroat (Scarce summer visitor)
155.	Common Whitethroat (Common summer visitor)
156.	Dartford Warbler (19th cent records, none since)
157.	Firecrest (11 records, 12^th Mar 1965, 17^th Mar 1978, 13^th Oct 1984, 1 25^th Dec 2014, 1 Jan/Feb 2016), 1 25^th Apr 2019, 1 29^th – 30^th Oct 2020. 4 records in 2024.
158.	Goldcrest (Common resident)
159.	Wren (Common resident)
160.	Nuthatch (scarce resident)
161.	Treecreeper (Common resident)
162.	Starling (Common resident, augmented by winter visitors)
163.	Ring Ouzel (Scarce passage migrant, last record Lollingdon Hill 2022)
164.	Blackbird (Common resident)
165.	Fieldfare (Common winter visitor)
166.	Redwing (Common winter visitor)
167.	Song Thrush (Scarce to common resident)
168.	Mistle Thrush (Scarce to common resident)
169.	Spotted Flycatcher (Declining summer visitor, now rare except on passage). Occasionally breeds.
170.	Robin (Common resident)
171.	Nightingale (Historically bred, no recent records)
172.	Pied Flycatcher (Very rare passage migrant, 3 recent record 8^th May 2016 & Lollingdon 11^th Sep 2018), 1 Bunk line 22^nd Aug 2022.
173.	Black Redstart (Rare passage migrant, last records Nov 2014 & Oct 2022, both Lollingdon hill)
174.	Common Redstart (last bred 1960's, now a regular migrant esp. autumn)
175.	Whinchat (Regular passage migrant in small numbers)
176.	Stonechat (Regular passage and winter visitor)
177.	Wheatear (Regular passage migrant in varying numbers)
178.	House Sparrow (Common resident)
179.	Tree Sparrow (Very rare, once common in 1980's)
180.	Dunnock (Common resident)
181.	Yellow Wagtail (Scarce to common summer visitor)
182.	Grey Wagtail (Scarce resident)
183.	Pied Wagtail (Common resident and winter visitor)
184.	Richard's Pipit (2 records, 1 Dec 1961 and 1 Lollingdon Hill 24^th April 2017)
185.	Meadow Pipit (Common passage migrant and regular winter visitor)
186.	Tree Pipit (Rare passage migrant, has bred in past)
187.	Rock Pipit (1 record, Cholsey GP 27^th Feb 2023)
188.	Water Pipit 2 records, (1 Cholsey Sewage Farm, 27th March 1966, 1, 23^rd Mar 77, floods nr Bow Bridge)
189.	Chaffinch (Common resident)
190.	Brambling (Scarce winter visitor)
191.	Hawfinch (Very rare visitor, an influx from Eastern Europe in Autumn 2017 saw several records in the parish)
192.	Bullfinch (scarce resident)
193.	Greenfinch (Common resident though declining)
194.	Twite (1 record, 2+ Cholsey Downs, 16th Dec 1962)
195.	Linnet (Common resident)
196.	Lesser Redpoll (Scarce but regular winter visitor)
197.	Common Crossbill (Rare "irruptive" species)
198.	Goldfinch (Common resident)
199.	Siskin (Common to scarce winter visitor)
200.	Snow Bunting (2 records, Kingstanding Hill, Dec 1961)
201.	Corn Bunting (Common resident)
202.	Yellowhammer (Common resident)
203.	Cirl Bunting (Formerly common, bred, now extinct, last record in 1968)
204.	Reed Bunting (Common resident)

203 species status refers to Cholsey Parish.

Escapes plus:

	Reeves Pheasant (1 record Lollingdon Hill 14^th Apr 2018 and a feather found 2020 in same area)
	Black Swan 1 on the Thames 05/02/2019
	Wood Duck (1 record on Thames)
	Bar-headed Goose (1 record near 4 Arches)
	Indian Peafowl (1 record 28/05/15)
	Harris Hawk (A bird in the area from 2009 to 2019)
	Zebra Finch (1 Lollingdon Hill 29/05/2021)
	Iberian Chiffchaff (heard singing in Whitehead Meadow early morning 02/07/2021) searched for but not found..

7 species

Well watched areas are Lollingdon, Bunk Line and Cholsey Marsh/River Thames.

Gravel extraction started at a site in Cholsey in 2020 opening up a water body.

Species abundance are continually changing as new habitats are opening up and some disappearing.

List follows BTO systematic list June 2021.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miscellaneous.

“Status may change after more research.

Extinct Cholsey breeders:

Tree Sparrow

Marsh Tit

Redshank

Curlew

Stonechat

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker

Turtle Dove

Nightingale

Cirl Bunting

Red-backed Shrike

Records from Wallingford/Cholsey area (not included in main list) Wallingford Sewage Farm in 50's and 60's (on the boundary) include.

Little Stint, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Temminck’s Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Knot, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Turnstone, Little Crake(15/09/1953).

Also a male Black-headed Wagtail (a race of Yellow Wagtail) seen very close to and within the parish boundary at Brightwell in June/July 1988).

Shag (I found this bird by the side of the Habitat warehouse early September 1974. Brian Wyatt then took it home to Cholsey where it recuperated and we released it on a lake at Dorchester on Sep 10^th 1974).

Other species that require further investigation that may be in Cholsey:
Great Snipe (shot Oct 1893) near “Wallingford”.
Sooty Tern (shot 21^st June 1869) near “Wallingford”.