Lollingdon

Sunny spells, 23°, light W.

Common Redstart still present out at Lollingdon. A large Tit flock came down the hedgerow, c40 strong and accompanying were 5-6 Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler and at least 2 Blackcap. Possibly more species but feeding group very active and on both sides of hedge.

Nearby 2 Common Whitethroat and a couple of Yellowhammer but little else.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Not a good pic but at least you can ID it.

Cooler & Windier, with a few birds turning up

Sunny periods, 14°, breezy NE.

Another slow day with few migrants noted, windier and colder than of late.

The pick of an intermittent sea watch produced 20+ Manx Shearwater, a Great Northern Diver, an Arctic Skua and 7 Whimbrel.

Elsewhere: a Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, a Garden Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Wheatear, Stonechat, c50 Swallow, 1 House Martin and a Swift.

Butterflies: Orange Tip, Green-veined White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Wall Brown.

Moths: A Striped Hawk Moth and a Sycamore.

Spotted Flycatcher

Striped Hawk Moth

Sycamore

May Day

Sunny at first then clouding up, 17°, light NE.

Lollingdon, Bunk, River and Long Ditch areas covered today.

Back to birding in Cholsey after a 10-day stint at Portland. A coldish time but viz-mig was good with 96 species.

Firstly a Barn Owl heard at 22:15 last night over Ilges Lane. Per Geoff Wyatt.

Other areas: Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, 2 Herring Gull, 2 Raven, Lapwing, Tree Pipit (flew over garden), Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, 8+ Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 3+ Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, 2 Swift, several Swallow and House Martin and a single Sand Martin.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Peacock and Comma.

Contributors: AD, AK, GW, LC & PC.

  

Yellow Wagtail courtesy Andy King

Little Egret courtesy Alan

Azure Damselfly courtesy Alan

Buff-tailed Bumblebee courtesy Loren

Lollingdon

Hazy sunshine, 20°, light SSW.

The Redstart still present on Lollingdon Hill plus a handful of Mistle Thrush, 2 Kestrel, 6 Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Blackcap.

Elsewhere rather quiet with up to 5 Yellowhammer still in song.

Several Swallow, House Martin and Swift over Church Road and a Sparrowhawk.  

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Brown Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Redstart

Common Blue

Beautiful Demoiselle ↕

Lollingdon, Bunk & Thames.

A few sunny spells, 14°, fresh E.

Usual areas covered today: 2 Little Egret, 3 Green Sandpiper, Lapwing, 4 Black-headed Gull, Mandarin Duck, a Sparrowhawk going for a Mistle Thrush unsuccessfully, 1 pos 2 Fieldfare, 1-2 Yellow Wagtail, 5-6 Swallow, 2 Wheatear, Common Whitethroat, several Blackcap, a Garden Warbler, several Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer & Corn Bunting.

A Common Sandpiper earlier in week along the river. Per PR.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock & Speckled Wood.

3 Green Sandpipers on the floods at Lollingdon courtesy Alan ↕

Black-headed Gull, 1 of 4 on the flood

Mandarin Duck with Mallards on the flood courtesy Alan ↕

Wheatear

Wheatear

Sunny, 18°, light SW.

A Wheatear on Lollingdon Hill today but little else other than a couple of Corn Bunting and a couple of Swallow and House Martin flew thru.

Nearby a couple of singing Reed Bunting and several Yellowhammer. The now regular Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff in song and the Lesser Whitethroat still present.

A couple of Yellow Wagtail and a single Raven over.

No change along the Marsh/River apart from a Garden Warbler found by Alan and a Grey Wagtail and Lesser Whitethroat.

And a Cuckoo heard yesterday from near the 4-Arches. Per MA.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Club-tailed Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Wheatear

Brimstone

Yellowhammer

A pair of foraging Starling

Drinker Moth caterpillar? courtesy Alan

Ermine Moth nursery

Ring Ouzels

Sunny periods, 14°, light NNE.

A nice find by Tony Williams of a pair of Ring Ouzel out at Lollingdon today and singles of Fieldfare and Redwing associating with them.

6 species of Thrush in one field with Blackbird, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush added to the mix.

Alan got there shortly after and also had 2 Raven over Lollingdon Hill and I made it mid-afternoon.

Earlier in the day Alan was out along the river, with Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff etc.

I made it out earlier along the Bunk to the Gravel pit, 2 Sand Martin, up to 5 House Martin, c10 Swallow, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Tufted Duck, a Grey Wagtail, 2-3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Pied Wagtail, a Kestrel, several Yellowhammer, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler.

Sparrowhawk visiting garden again.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Ring Ouzel pics (M & F) last 3 courtesy Alan

Birds & Rain

Sunshine, showers, 21°, light to breezy S.

A bit of a marathon today between Alan and myself and a lot of birds, approx. 8 hours in the field in total and a good mix of species.

Started off with a Raven flying east over the Church and I guessed Alan was out along the Bunk line as his car was parked up nearby.

We bumped into each other near to Green lane and both agreed that not much was going on. Alan walked off towards the village and I continued along Green lane.

Then the rain came!

Quite a hefty shower and I managed to shelter under a hedge and just got damp but Alan was caught in the open and got somewhat wet.

When the rain cleared the birds started to appear. Alan popped home to change and then took a brief trip out to Lollingdon before coming back along the Bunk Line also another trip to Lollingdon late afternoon.

The rain showers possibly grounded birds that were passing thru and lots of Hirundines on the move most of the day.

Follows is a list of what we found between us today, not everything included.

1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, c30 Black-headed Gull, 100+ Lesser Blackback Gull, 2 Herring Gull, 4 (3&1) Swift, 1+ Sand Martin, c500 Swallow, c120 House Martin, 25+ Yellow Wagtail, 1 pos 2 Common Redstart plus another Lollingdon, 1 Wheatear (Lollingdon), 1 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat (Lollingdon), 1 Garden Warbler, c20 Blackcap, c20 Common Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 15+ Chiffchaff, 1 Raven, 200+ Starling, c20 Yellowhammer.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown & Small Heath.

Redstart plus a Robin ↕

Whitethroats at a distance

This Yellowhammer kept flying off and returning with food and disappearing to what is a possible nest site. Maybe has young still in a nest. 2nd brood? 

Blackcap, always staying well hidden

House Martin courtesy Alan

Quiet start to September

Cloudy, 17°, light NE.

Lollingdon was a bit of a lost cause today with very little out there.

A few Warblers of the usual 3 species on the way out and back and a handful of Swallow and House Martin moving thru.

A single Corn Bunting and a couple of Yellowhammer on the hill.

Alan was around on the other side of the village today with the bunk line and river covered.

A Wheatear near the gravel pit and 2 Raven overhead.

Cholsey marsh was busy with at least 100 Swallow and several Yellow Wagtail with a Goldfinch flock.

Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff noted.

2 Wheatear out at Lollingdon late afternoon. Per Alan.

Butterflies: Large White, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Peacock, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown.

Wheatear courtesy Alan

Corn Bunting

Tortoise Beetle sp? courtesy Alan

Wheatear courtesy Alan

Good passage of birds

Cloudy with light rain showers and infrequent sunny spells. 17°, light to breezy NE.

A good passage of Hirundines today seen by Alan out at Lollingdon and Silly Bridge and myself along Bunk Line/Green Lane.

Upwards of 200 birds, mainly Swallow with a good number of House Martin and 3 Swift.

Alan saw between 60-70 Swallow resting up on wires and surrounding bushes out at Lollingdon. Also Little Owl, Sparrowhawk and Chiffchaff and 2 Wheatear in the Silly Bridge area.

Outside the parish boundary Alan had also found 5 Whinchat and a good number of Wheatear.

Green Lane was quite busy with a couple of good Tit flocks with 10+ Blackcap, c7 Common Whitethroat and c15 Chiffchaff and singles of Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.

All the Corvids in the area suddenly too to the air and scattered as a male Peregrine Falcon zipped thru. Then 5 minutes later the Peregrine was flying leisurely overhead with prey in its talons.

A single Yellow Wagtail over and a Sparrowhawk over Church road.

Dragonflies: 2 Southern Hawker.

Butterflies: a few of each, Large White, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown.

Moths: Orange Swift.

Chiffchaff

Lesser Whitethroat

Swallows courtesy Alan

Whinchat courtesy Alan

Orange Swift

Sunshine & Showers

Sunshine and showers, 10°, light NNW.

As soon as I stepped out this morning a Swallow was flying overhead and a Chiffchaff singing over the road.

100m up a Lesser Whitethroat was singing in the small wooded area between the school and Bunk Bridge.

Several more Swallow encountered between the Church and Green lane and a couple of Common Whitethroat.

Green lane hosted several Blackcap and Common Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler and a Chiffchaff.

A Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling, distant but clear from the direction of the brook to the south west of the lane.

Alan out on the Marsh early today: with several Swift, Swallow and House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Reed Bunting, Common Tern, Sparrowhawk etc.

Blackcap

Lapwing from yesterday courtesy Alan ↕