Time to go home

Mainly cloudy, 12°, breezy NE.

A weather block out in the Channell appears to have prevented any northward bound migrants reaching Portland shores today.

In the small time we had left not much was noted as we departed northwards ourselves at around 12:30.

As well as a steady flow of Gannet, Manx Shearwater and Auks and a single Great Northern Diver flew west and a Fulmar noted.

The only land birds noted were Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, and Common and Lesser Whitethroat.

Weather

A cloudy start, then fog, then rain, then sun, 14°, light to mod SW.

A strange day weather wise, the fog put the dampers on a sea-watch around 11:00, then a brief period of rain, then the sun came out, birding again.

The RNBWS folk arrived today so we had a lighthouse full of ex RN bods all into birding. So felt right at home.

Anyway, to the birds: the sea produced, 2 Pomarine Skua, 3 Arctic Skua, 150+ Kittiwake, a handful of Sandwich Tern, 5 Shelduck, 23 Common Scoter, a Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Diver and 50+ Manx Shearwater etc.

Land: 2 Whimbrel, a Redpoll, 2 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, a Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Common Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Whinchat, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 30+ Swallow.

Butterflies: Large White, Orange Tip, a Blue of some description, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown and Meadow Brown.

Penultimate day

Mainly sunny, 14°, Light NE veering E.

The weather has been against us on this trip, clear skies overnight and clear sunny days. Plus, the wind in either north or east does not bode well for VizMig here.

Anyway, no meaningful sea watch, 20+ Manx Shearwater, an Arctic Skua, a Great Northern Diver, a Whimbrel and 3 Sandwich Tern.

A female Marsh Harrier in-off the sea at 07:20, 25+ Swallow, 8 Swift, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Whitethroat, a Yellow Wagtail, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and Common Redstart.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Common Blue, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

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

Another slow day

Sunny, 14°, moderate E.

Another slow day but slightly better than yesterday.

Sea watching produced 40+, Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua, a Great Northern Diver, 11 Manx Shearwater, 3 Fulmar and 4 Sandwich Tern.

Land wise: a Short-eared Owl, in-off the sea, a Grey Heron, 7 Swift, 15+ Swallow, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 White Wagtail, a Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, 5 Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap and a Reed Warbler.

Dragonflies: Broad-bodied Chaser.

Butterflies: Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood.

Whinchat

Wheatear

Skylark 

? courtesy Loren

Day 4: Rain stopped play

Cloudy then rain, 8°, light NNE.

Day started reasonably well then rain stopped play around 13:00.

Sea-watch: 67 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Knot, 2 Arctic Skua, 9 Whimbrel, 10 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, numbers of Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet and several Sandwich Tern and Oystercatcher.

Land: Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Common Redstart, Cuckoo, Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin.

Razorbill

Swallow

Guillemot

Great Blackback Gull

Guillemot and a Razorbill

Oystercatcher

Day 2: Slow start

Sunny, 13°, light to breezy NE.

A bitty sea watch and a good day’s birding. Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, a couple of Manx Shearwater, 2 Canada Geese, a Fulmar plus usual Auk species, Shag and Gannet.

On land: 2 Common Redstart, a Black Redstart, 3 Wheatear, a Whinchat, a Stonechat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, several Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, 20+ Swallow, 2 Little Owl, 3+ Raven and a Whimbrel.

Butterflies: Small White, Holly Blue and Red Admiral.

Lesser Whitethroat

Stonechat

2 Little Owl

2 of a flock of 18 Carrion Crow

Angle Shades

Christmas Eve

Overcast, 12°, breezy WSW.

A very dull (weather wise) day around Portland Harbour: a selection species seen today were, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1-2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant, 16 Brent Geese, 3 Oystercatcher, c40 Mediterranean Gull, several Black-headed Gull, 3-4 Great Blackback Gull etc.

Poor photography today

A Mild One

Overcast, 12°, light WSW.

A mild day by any standards for mid-December with both Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush in song.

Both Stonechat still present with 1 on Lollingdon Hill and another near the cattle field.

Lollingdon Hill was quiet with a single Raven hassling some Black-headed Gull plus 6 Red Kite and 2 Buzzard overhead. And plenty of “Winter Thrush” in the area,

The Bunk line area still held plenty of Gull with an estimated 500 of the usual mix. Also “Winter Thrush” in good numbers plus Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Jay, Yellowhammer. Per Alan.

Alan took a trip to Farmoor Reservoir this morning to see a juvenile Great Northern Diver. (pics below)

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Stonechat ↕

Great Northern Diver ↕ courtesy Alan

Cholsey 1st Jan!

Overcast, 12º, light to fresh WSW, rain p.m.

Went out fairly early today and covered a fair bit around Cholsey then off to Farmoor where there is a Great Northern Diver. Also checked out a few other county water bodies. Fairly quiet in places probably due to the mild weather we are having.

A Chiffchaff seen at Ewelme cress beds.

55 species seen in Cholsey (see http://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/p/2011-cholsey-bird-list-107.html )  and 67 species overall.

The best of the day was a Stonechat seen between Cholsey and Aston Tirrold, fairly sizable flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare around also 4 Song Thrush (3 in song), 8 Mistle Thrush and several Blackbirds.

Bullfinches heard calling in Jubilee Wood and 3 Corn Bunting singing near Lollingdon Hill.

8 Lapwing flew SW over Cholsey Marsh and a Kingfisher along the river bank.

7 Roe Deer and a Muntjac Deer also seen.

Hedgehog active in garden this evening.

                                   Stonechat

                                   Roe Deer

                    Great Northern Diver at Farmoor