Rain and Shine

Rain clearing, then sunny spells, 13°, breezy NNW.

Still a good passage of Hirundines passing through over the Bunk area, with c250 Swallow, 80+ House Martin and 60+ Sand Martin.

200+ Lesser Blackback Gull and a few Black-headed Gull loafing in fields, a Sparrowhawk, 20+ Pied Wagtail, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Chiffchaff (incl 1 in song) and a Stonechat. Plus a Peregrine along Westfield Road.

The sun made a show around 14:00 and a few insects appeared.

Dragonflies: a single Common Blue Damselfly, a Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: 2 Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

A few of the Swallow hawking over flooded fields

The Stonechat (above PC, below AD)

Lesser Blackback Gull

Speckled Wood

Dragons & Butterflies Pt II

 Some of the insects captured yesterday by Alan.

Brown Argus

Small Heath

Azure Damselfly

Common Blue Damselfly

Four-spot Chaser

Quiet times locally

Mainly cloudy, 14°, light N.

Have not got out much this week but Alan has been out most days.

Little change birdwise as most if not all our summer visitors are in now.

A few Gulls still hanging around with 2 Herring Gull, up to 10 Black-headed Gull and the odd Lesser Blackback Gull.

Alan added a few new insects for the year, Common Blue Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Broad-bodied Chaser and Blue Emperor.

All Dragons courtesy Alan Dawson  

Bunk Line & River Thames

Sunny periods with rain showers later, 15°, light WNW.

The Bunk line and river covered today with Alan finding some “first for the year” Dragonflies including Club-tailed and a good selection of Butterflies around today.

Firstly, Grundon’s in their wisdom (or not) are building an earth rampart around the gravel pit that blocks the pit from view! Why is this being done? And is there something they do not want us to see?

Bunk line: Relatively quiet, although a Lesser Whitethroat singing quite consistently along Green Lane and several Swift (6-8) overhead ranging over the village. Still negative for House Martin around Church road!

Several Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 6 Yellowhammer, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 6-8 Swallow,

Cholsey Marsh and The Thames: All the usual present including Lesser Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler and Tawny Owl to name a few.

Mammals: Red Fox and Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly and Club-tailed Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Dingy Skipper, Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Marsh Fritillary, Small Heath and Speckled Wood.

Whilst out walking this morning I was thinking I have not seen a Fox for a while. I had this feeling to turn around and when I did I saw this handsome creature looking right back at me. Law of Attraction at work?

Painted Lady

Goldfinch

Club-tailed Dragonfly

Field full of Buttercup

The Rampart

Lollingdon and the Thames

Mainly sunny, 15°, light NW.

A walk out to Lollingdon on a pleasant, sunny, May morning and not a lot going on out there.

Birdsong beginning to subside now, however, a few Common Whitethroat, a single Lesser Whitethroat and several Blackcap and Chiffchaff still singing well and a few Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting along with them.

A few Swift moving north over the hill.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: Small White, Orange Tip, Brown Argus, Common Blue and Speckled Wood.

Alan along the river:

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, White-legged Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Small Blue, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock, Marsh Fritillary and Small Heath.

Yellowhammer

Corn Bunting

The Lees and beyond

Sunny spells, 19°, light W.

A walk out to the Lees and beyond today and a little warmer than of late.

The “long ditch” out beyond the Lees was dredged over the winter and subsequently all the growth in and around the ditch was either disrupted or destroyed.

There are no birds breeding along the ditch this year and it seems the Reed Buntings that bred along the ditch have moved out into the crop fields (5 singing males). A lot of the Bullrush, Reed and other plants that were in the ditch have been destroyed but some of the plants on the bank have survived. Any larvae or other life that was in the ditch has also been partially destroyed.

However nature has a way of coming back!

Several Dragonfly species seen along the ditch and a few small fish present (probably Stickleback) and a few Orchid species along the bank.

The “Reedy ditch” at the far end had 5 singing Sedge Warbler and 3 singing Reed Warbler (plus others present) present along with several Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.

A family group of Swallow spent time feeding over the area (2 adults & 5 young) and a few Swift overhead and a distant Grey Heron.

From Alan: 2 Common Tern again on the river and Lesser Whitethroat. 

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, 4-spot Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly. Per Alan: Brown Hawker and White-legged Damselfly.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Large White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Marbled White and Meadow Brown. Per Alan: Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Marbled White, Small Copper and Large Skipper.

Moths: Cinnabar Moth and Scarlet Tiger. Per Alan: Burnet Companion.

Insects: Black and Yellow Long Horn Beetle. Per Alan.

Orchids: Pyramid Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid and Poss Marsh Orchid hybrid.

Reed Warbler

Emperor Dragonfly

Burnet Companion

 Common Spotted Orchid

 Scarlet Tiger

 Small Tortoiseshell

 Large Skipper

 4-spot Chaser

 Azure Damselfly

Dragons and Butter

Sunny, 22°, light SW.

Little of note other than the usual, bird wise, 2 Stock Dove on the hill and 9 Swift drifted north.

A young Crow turned up in the meadow today along with the 2 adult birds!

More about the insects today!

Dragonflies: 2 mating Emperors again plus another male, 2 4-spot Chasers and several of each Common Blue and Azure Damselflies on the pond. In addition a Southern Hawker on the north side of the hill.

Butterflies: fewer around today, Large White, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown.

Southern Hawker

Meadow Brown