Not all Wildlife

Sunday 16^th Nov.

Overcast, light rain showers, 11º, misty, no wind.

A walk out to the Lees proved uninspiring; however back towards Cholsey Church saw several flocks of Fieldfare flying overhead numbering 300+ in total with several Redwing accompanying them. Also around 20 Chaffinch, 3 Yellowhammer, 10 Meadow Pipit and 2 Pied Wagtail overhead.

Some time spent wondering around the church yard area and produced 2 Mistle Thrush, 5 Song Thrush, 14 Blackbird, 2 Jay, a Goldcrest and a Green Woodpecker in the church yard and a Kestrel hunting nearby.

Several Grey Partridge heard in the surrounding farm land.

Only had the Fuji bridge camera with me today so a pic of the church and a famous resident.

Agatha Christie's gravestone

Cholsey Church

For more information: Cholsey

Saturday 15^th Nov.

Just had at least 17 Grey Partridge at Manor Farm (between Cholsey hill and the church), including coveys of 9 and 6, and at least 2 other calling birds. Most I've seen around here. Also 50-plus Meadow Pipit got up from the rape there, possibly going to roost. (Per RB)

A Goldcrest and several Long-tailed Tit passed through Marymead garden at lunch time ‘ish.

Communities Against Gravel Extraction (CAGE).

The current proposal by Oxfordshire County Council regarding gravel extraction in Cholsey in my view is an ill-conceived idea.

The effects on Cholsey, Wallingford, Brightwell and other surrounding villages will be environmentally and economically dire!

Oxfordshire County Council plans to site a new gravel pit to extract five million tonnes of sand and gravel on land between Wallingford and Cholsey, and then backfill it with waste. CAGE (Communities Against Gravel Extraction) has been set up to fight these plans that will severely damage the countryside and affect the lives of the 10,000 people who live in these two communities.

Wallingford and Cholsey are separated by just under a mile of arable and grazing farmland, hedges and trees. It is a peaceful and largely undisturbed area, supporting an amazingly wide variety of bird species and wildlife. The mining of sand and gravel will mean the loss of this natural landscape forever and the well-trodden footpaths, including the Agatha Christie Trail from Winterbrook to Cholsey Church, will be ruined.  In addition, any archaeological trace will be lost, the area is rich in pre-history as well as Bronze and Iron age sites in the area.

This scheme will also threaten the Cholsey and Wallingford railway (Bunk line) which follows the route of the Agatha Christie Trail and continues to Cholsey Rail Station.

The Wallingford Road is also an important thoroughfare for many commuters travelling daily to Oxford, Reading and London from Cholsey station, and others going the other way to school, work or shopping trips in Wallingford. Apart from wrecking the scenery, the extraction of gravel and heavy lorry traffic will bring danger, noise and dirt for all the cars, pedestrians and cyclists.

The heavy traffic will also affect villages like Brightwell where the trucks moving the gravel will pass through on their way to their destinations.

Interesting to note that the gravel in this area is of poor quality!!! So is it economically viable?

Oxfordshire County Council is holding a public consultation between 5^thSeptember and 31^st October. We believe there are more appropriate places to site new gravel pits and that this piece of countryside should be protected for the well being of the two communities and posterity.

Please register your support for the campaign by clicking the link to the petition on this website http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cage/

More information can be found at the CAGE website @ http://www.cagegravel.org.uk/