Stonechats

Mainly cloudy, 14°, light SSW.

Still c100 Golden Plover on Cholsey Hill today but Grey Plover not seen.

Pretty quiet along the Bunk today, 2 Raven, a Grey Wagtail, a Chiffchaff, a Cormorant over, 2 Siskin over, a Yellowhammer, 50+ Redwing, c100 Meadow Pipit, 8 Pied Wagtail and 20+ Skylark.

Had not long got back home when Alan messaged me to say he had found a Stonechat near the farm. So as its not too far I went out again and came across a male and female in the same area. Alan also found another out towards the Lees and 2 on the farm track south of the main-line railway but we think these were the 2 initially on the north side. 

1000+ Wood Pigeon noted in the area.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: a single Small White.

AD & PC.

Male Stonechat courtesy Alan

Golden Plover courtesy Alan

Female Stonechat (at distance and into the sun)

Roundup

Cloudy, 13°, light E.

A roundup of today:

Gravel pit early morning, 4 Little Ringed Plover, several Swallow, House Martin and a Sand Martin. Later in the day added 2 Cormorant (flyovers), 2 Lapwing, 10 Tufted Duck, 2 Herring Gull, a Black-headed Gull and a Yellow Wagtail.

Lollingdon, nothing out of the ordinary but the Little Owl present and 2 Raven over.

River/Marsh, several Swallow, a Kingfisher, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler plus.

Butterflies: a single Small White again.

Alan & Paul

Tufted Duck (M & F)

  Lapwing

LRP

Cormorant

Grebes and a touch of the Tropical

Mainly sunny, 18°, light S.

Not a lot to report today. Just a pair of Great Crested Grebe on the river that appeared to be moving through.

And quite bizarrely a report of 2 Blue and Yellow Macaw flying over Station Road by a colleague of Richard Broughton’s.

Apparently seen the following day in Ewelme then Lewknor.  

Must have been quite a sight to see. A native of tropical South America popular with aviculturists.

A few butterflies in the garden today, Brimstone, Small White & Holly Blue and a Green-veined White seen by Alan.

Green-veined courtesy Alan

Great Crested Grebe courtesy Alan

Common Whitethroat courtesy Alan

Cholsey Marsh

Photos today from Alan Dawson.

Egyptian Geese, a lot around at the moment.

A Cormorant drying out.

Little & Little

Cloudy with light rain showers, 11°, light to breezy SW.

A Little Egret still around on Cholsey Brook and seen a couple of times and a Little Owl eventually seen after hearing it a few times out at Lollingdon.

The hill was fairly quiet with just a couple of Pied Wagtail and a single Meadow Pipit present. A couple of Corn Bunting in song again and 12 Red Kite and 2 Buzzard soaring around over the hill and joined briefly by a Cormorant that soared around gaining height and then flew off north.

A distant Raven heard.

A good flock of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling between Lollingdon and the village, numbering around 400 birds.

Also a couple of Yellowhammer in song despite the rain.

Several Golden Plover heard flying over garden at 19:15.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Little Owl

Cormorant