Redstarts & Buntings

Sunny spells, 25°, light SW.

The big loop to the Lees, skirting Aston and then to Lollingdon and back.

Highlight of the day was 3 Common Redstart on Lollingdon Hill, a male and 2 juvenile birds. Initially heard calling then located. At least 4 weeks earlier than seen before on the hill after breeding elsewhere.

3-4 Corn Bunting present plus a family group of 6 Common Whitethroat and a few more nearby and a singing Garden Warbler.

Initially out at the Lees, 5 Reed Bunting, several Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler and 6+ Skylark.

7 Yellowhammer on walk along with Chiffchaff and Blackcap and several family groups of Swallow overhead.

Dragonflies: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle, Common Blue Damsel, a Hairy Dragonfly, an Emperor and a Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Many on the wing today. Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Heath.

Male Redstart with a juv, out of focus to the right.

Juv Redstart above and 3 sp of Bunting below.

A good day for Butterflies

Cloudy with few sunny spells, 23°, fresh SE.

Bunk line walk.

Little Ringed Plover heard calling at gravel pit and Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow and Swift feeding overhead.

Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, and Garden Warbler.

A single Lapwing, Kestrel and 4 Yellowhammer and 3 Herring Gull and 5 Black-headed Gull at CSW.

“Hobby low over the garden this morning. Reed Warbler singing on the brook just off Church Rd just now, and 5 Mallard families there (currently 32 ducklings in total), with another nest in our garden due to hatch this week. Grey Wagtails on 2nd brood at Church Rd/brook bridge (first was successful). Nuthatch calling yesterday.

Goldcrest bred again alongside our garden – fledglings were noisy all last week. Loads of Chub and Minnow in the brook – there’s also been a big shoal of Minnow spawning at the Bullshole tunnel, with Chub hunting them. Otter scats in the garden and on the steps into the brook in the meadow.” Per Richard Broughton.

Mammals: Muntjac Deer.

Dragonflies: Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly and a Hairy Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Small Skipper, Large White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Marbled White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

Twin-lobed Deer Fly Chrysops relictus

Bunk

Overcast, 15°, light E.

Bunk area: c15 Swallow and 50+ House Martin over. 14 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, 2 Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, 2 Yellowhammer, 7 Siskin, 14 Greenfinch, 2 Grey Wagtail, c20 Pied Wagtail, 6 Meadow Pipit, a Curlew over, 2 Raven, 2 Grey Heron, 6 Cormorant over, 2 Egyptian Geese, several Greylag and Canada Geese etc.

Tawny Owl in garden @ 21:10.  

Butterflies: 2 Red Admiral.

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