Cholsey Marsh

Overcast, 8°, light ESE.

A late afternoon visit to Cholsey Marsh to monitor the Corn Bunting roost saw just over 120 birds come in over a 30-minute period at dusk and 2 Meadow Pipit in the roost.

Also a Goose flock in a nearby field comprising of c150 birds, mainly Canada Geese plus 5 Egyptian Geese and a handful of Greylag Geese.

A Cormorant and a Peregrine overhead, a Tawny Owl heard nearby, both Mistle and Song Thrush in song, a Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming, 2-3 Water Rail, a Jay, a Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer, a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest and several Fieldfare and Redwing.

A Firecrest found by Andy King in a Honey Lane garden on Sunday.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Bunk area

Overcast, 12°, light NE.

Another gloomy day with this anticyclonic weather system overhead.

A Firecrest found in the SW corner of the gravel pit area but disappeared into a large garden nearby and not relocated.

8 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe and 30 Canada Geese on the pit that is partially visible.

Elsewhere along the Bunk area: 2 Goldcrest, 4 Chiffchaff, 5 Fieldfare, 16 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush, 2 Jay, 4 Raven, several Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, a Little Owl, 2 Yellowhammer etc.

Sea-watch saved the day

Sunny periods and rain showers, 19°, breezy SSW.

Another day of wind and rain with migratory land birds virtually non-existent.

A Tree Pipit, 2 Willow Warbler and a Firecrest that has been present in the garden for the last 5 days at least. A single Swallow and 3 Raven overhead.

The sea-watch was the saving grace of the day although we missed the Fea’s Petrel that was seen off the Bill when we were viewing from the Obs.

5 Arctic Skua, a Sooty Shearwater, a Cory’s Shearwater, 2 Manx Shearwater, 38 Balearic Shearwater, 5 Fulmar, 10+ Kittiwake, 2 Auk sp, 1 Common Scoter and 2 Whimbrel.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Wall Brown.

Moths: Striped Hawkmoth, Hummingbird Hawkmoth and Gothic Beauty.

Blue-fin Tuna – at least one seen breaching.

Did not get any bird photos today due to the lack or distance of birds. so Moths will have to do as they were placid and nearby.

Rain stopped Play

Sunny spells at first then rain p.m., 19°, breezy SSW.

Rain stopped play after midday except for a brief interlude mid-afternoon when another sea-watch took place.

Very little in the way of migrants today, most caught by ringer s rather than observed in the field.

2 Tree Pipit, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Firecrest, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Grey Wagtail, a Yellow Wagtail and a Wheatear.

Sea-watch: 2 Arctic Skua, 6 Balearic Shearwater, 20+ Manx Shearwater and 60+ Gannet.

Butterflies: Small White and Speckled Wood.

Moths: Possibly a record count of 10 Convolvulus Hawkmoth caught at the obs, 3Striped Hawkmoth, a Cosmopolitan and a Lilac Beauty, also a Hummingbird Hawkmoth buzzing around nicotinia during the dryish spells.

Tree Pipit

Firecrest

One of the young Robins at the obs coming for its meal worm breakfast

9 Convolvulus Hawkmoth (1 escaped) and a Striped Hawkmoth

Wind, Rain & Sun

Rain & Shine, 17°, strong WSW.

Squally rain showers and blustery winds put paid to any serious birding today but this is Portland and there were a few things noted.

A Pied Flycatcher appeared in one of the only two nets deployed today, ringed and released.

A Fircrest that was very elusive in the front garden, a Common Whitethroat nearby, a flyover Grey Wagtail and a few Willow Warbler was about it.

The sea fared no better with just a couple of Balearic Shearwater amongst the quantity of Gannet passing through.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White and Speckled Wood.

Moths: Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Convolvulus Hawkmoth, Striped Hawkmoth etc.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth courtesy Loren.

Common Darter

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Pied Flycatcher

Speckled Wood

Convolvulus Hawkmoth

A brief walk

Cloudy with some light rain, 15°, light SSW.

A short walk out to the Lees and back this afternoon with Loren.

The pair of Stonechat still present, plus a Raven, several Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, 2 Yellowhammer, Jay etc.

Yesterday: Firecrest and Nuthatch. Cholsey Meadows. Per Alan.

The Grey Plover still in the area, just outside the parish on the Moreton floods. Courtesy Alan

Portland: Day 2

Sunny spells, 18°, fresh W.

The day dawned with limited expectations, the sea was relatively quiet and overhead passage was fairly low.

At around 07:00 we started to see a small passage of Shearwaters and then by 07:30 it really kicked off.

The following are rough totals: c700 Great Shearwater (all within 30 minutes), in excess of 500 Manx Shearwater, c15 Balearic Shearwater and 4 Sooty Shearwater.

Plus, 3 Great Skua, 8 Arctic Skua, c50 Sandwich Tern, c20 Common/Arctic Tern, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 200+ Gannet, c30 Kittiwake and c20 Auk sp.

The sea movement petered out towards midday so attention focussed on land birds.

A Marsh Harrier, 3 Raven, a Little Owl, a Short-eared Owl (in, off the sea), a couple of Oystercatcher, 14 Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 15 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 5 Sand Martin, c40 Meadow Pipit, 1 Tree Pipit, 8 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Common Whitethroat, several Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler and 1 Firecrest.

A small pod of Common Dolphin offshore and a couple of Blue-fin Tuna sightings.

Dragonflies: Emperor and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood and Small Heath.

Sunrise

Firecrest

Convolvulus Hawk Moth

Marsh Harrier

Wheatear (above & below)

Raven

Little Owl

Painted Lady

Bunk & River

Sunny spells, 15°, light WNW.

Bunk and River: A cooler day with a reasonable selection of birds, very few butterflies on the wing and a relatively poor showing of other insects.

Singles of Black-headed Gull and Lesser Blackback Gull, Kingfisher, Little Owl, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser.

Butterflies: did not see any myself but Alan found Brown Argus and Meadow Brown.

AD & PC.

Spotted Flycatcher courtesy Alan

WTF has someone done to Green lane? Very recent as foliage still green and dumped in ditch. Hedge cut and foliage gone. So very irresponsible!!!!!!!!!

adult Jackdaw above and youngster below.

Firecrest

Overcast with showers, 16°, light to breezy SW.

River/ Fairmile grounds:

Alan found a Firecrest at Cholsey Meadows/Fairmile, (4th record this year). Plus, Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Swift, Swallow, House Martin and Black-headed Gull.

Not the best weather for Dragons.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly and Four-spotted Chaser.

Firecrest courtesy Alan

White Ermine Moth

Buff-tailed Bumblebee courtesy Bill Nicholls

Dingy Skipper courtesy Alan (from weekend)

Weekend Bits

Weekend bits: a Firecrest found at the Bullshole by Tony Williams on Saturday, also seen by Alan but extremely elusive and not found on Sunday.

c500 Golden Plover seen on and over Cholsey Hill over the last few days.

Today, Bunk and Cholsey Hill. 3 Gull species, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Goldcrest. Noted by Alan.

Golden Plover courtesy Alan

One of the many Skylark in the area. courtesy Alan

Firecrest, Redpoll & Barn Owl

Overcast, 2°, light NE.

A call from Tony W this afternoon stirred both myself and Alan to shoot up to Caps Lane, where Tony had just seen a Firecrest, Blackcap and some Siskin and Redpoll.

By the time we got there, no Firecrest was to be found but plenty of Finches around with many Goldfinch plus several Chaffinch, 3-4 Siskin and 1-2 Redpoll.

Also Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, plenty of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit plus Fieldfare and Redwing and a single Goldcrest and Alan found a Barn Owl a bit later.

Mammals: A Red Fox, a Muntjac Deer and 5 Roe Deer.

AD, PC & TW.

Siskin courtesy Alan

Fieldfare

A blustery end to Rocktober!

Rain this morning and sunny interval this afternoon, 13°, breezy WSW.

The Firecrest still present along Green lane seen late afternoon by Alan but still quite elusive and at least 3 Chiffchaff in same area.

2 Stonechat along the Bunk line and showing well in the late afternoon sun.

Again good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare and a single Egyptian Goose overhead. 

2 Herring Gull and 20+ Black-headed Gull around CSW.

Several Meadow Pipit, Yellowhammer and Skylark scattered around and both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker and a couple of Mistle Thrush.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Chiffchaffs & Stonechats.

A grey day

Overcast, 15°, breezy SSW.

The Firecrest was still present along Green lane today but very elusive and staying in cover a lot of the time. Seen by Alan, Tony Rayner and myself.

Quite a few Redwing and Fieldfare again and at least 1, maybe 2 Goldcrest along with a Chiffchaff and another Chiffchaff near CSW.

Several flocks of geese flying back and forth with Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese all noted.

Another (or one of the same) Stonechat present along the Bunk line.

All the usual’s present.

Stonechat ↕

Firecrest

Overcast with light rain, 14°, light SW.

The highlight today was a Firecrest found along Green lane, a quick message to Alan who was soon on the scene.

The bird was very active and due to the windy conditions was often in cover and not an easy subject to photograph. However Alan got some good pics.

Apart from the Firecrest it was relatively quiet. 2 Egyptian Geese flew over heading north and quite a few Fieldfare and Redwing about.

Green lane also produced a Goldcrest, Bullfinch and Chiffchaff.

Also the usual suspects seen and heard.

Thanks to Alan for 5 of the photos.