Suspicion!

Mainly overcast with minimal sunny spells. 19°, light SSW.

Some worrying observations today with Alan finding a dead Fox and Tony W finding a dead Buzzard and Badger all under suspicious circumstances with the latter 2 being suspected of being shot! Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity please.

Not a lot going on out at Lollingdon today. A Little Owl present, several Chiffchaff and good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Skylark. Tony W had 4 Mistle Thrush earlier and a possible Ring Ouzel.

Alan along the Bunk line: Stonechat, several Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Skylark, Reed Bunting, Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

And along the river later in the day: 14 Mistle Thrush, Chiffchaff, more Jay and a Kingfisher.

A Kingfisher flew from Cholsey Brook in the Brook meadow and disappeared across Church road.  

Mammals: Weasel, Stoat, Brown Hare & Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood.

All photos courtesy Alan

2 Weasels at play? ↕

Stonechat

An excellent capture by Alan just outside the parish boundary

Red Fox deceased

Redstart & Badger

Sunshine, 12°, light NE.

Alan out at Cholsey Marsh this morning with roughly the same as on previous days, no new arrivals.

This afternoon along the Bunk line he found a male and female Redstart. A good find.

An unusual occurrence this afternoon. Was alerted by a neighbour that we had a Badger in the garden.

When I went down to check I noticed that the Badger had an injury to its lower back. May have been grazed by a vehicle or even attacked by a dog?

It was obviously disorientated and frightened but very mobile and it went under the fence and into a neighbouring garden and disappeared despite further searching. So I hope it is okay!

Badger and Blackcap

Foot prints from a small-ish badger today near the bunk line. No setts found locally, and this is the first sign of them I've had around the village, but recall one was seen on the meadow recently?

Before Christmas I was getting up to 6 Goldfinches on my nyger feeder (took them 5 months to find it!), but none since. There was also a Blackcap today at Church Rd bridge.

Thanks to RB for info.

Badger

Sunny spells, 6º, light WSW.

Woke up last night around 03:30, looked out the bedroom window to see a Badger shuffling around the meadow, visible for a couple of minutes before losing sight of it in the darkness.

Lollingdon Hill.

Rather quiet today, had to get out briefly as I have been stuck in with a cold for the past few days.

Nothing on the hill only a few corvids, gulls, 3 Yellowhammer and 2 Skylark as flyovers.

Several Black-headed Gulls loafing at the far end of the meadow today.

The garden getting busier lately with Blue and Great Tits in fair numbers, also more Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch seen in garden. The pair of Mallards are regular visitors now.