Hedgehog

 First Hedgehog of the year last night.

Garden stuff

Sunny intervals, 21°, light SW.

Caught up with some gardening today and watch the partial solar eclipse.

A young Great-spotted Woodpecker in the garden being fed by an adult female and whilst watching the eclipse we noticed the local House Martins are back.

4 birds prospecting the regular nest sites in Church road. Also local Swallow and Swift in the air and a Kestrel overhead.

Plus the Hedgehog appeared mid-evening to clear up under the bird feeders.

Wet, wet, wet.

Heavy rain, 10°, fresh to strong SW.

Not a good day for birding other than from the living room window.

A Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Coal Tit in the garden to name a few and Tawny Owls in the meadow last night and a pair of amorous Hedgehogs in the garden after dark.

A quiet marsh

Cloudy, 11°, fresh SW.

A visit to a rather quiet Cholsey Marsh this afternoon.

5 Siskin and at least 1 Lesser Redpoll noted, 30+ Fieldfare and a handful of Redwing.

2 Common Snipe noted by Bob Wyatt who was also present.

c200 Golden Plover flew south overhead and a few Cormorant over but very little else.

Nuthatch and Blackcap still visiting the garden and a Hedgehog feeding in the garden tonight.

Winter doldrums

Overcast with steady light rain, 11°, light SSE.

A rather dull dreary day out there today with little to be found around Lollingdon.

Around 30 Pied Wagtail feeding out with the sheep on the south side of the hill and a flock of Starling and a few Fieldfare further out.

200+ gulls nearby with the majority of Lesser Blackback and a few Black-headed Gull.

A few Fieldfare and Redwing to the north but little else noted.

The Whooper Swan family still present on Cholsey Hill and a small flock of Golden Plover still there.

2 Hedgehog still active in the garden.

Garden photo courtesy Loren

Whoopers still here and a late Hedgehog

Cloudy, light to moderate rain, 8°, light SSE.

The family of Whooper Swans still present on Cholsey Hill between the road and the railway.

A Hedgehog still visiting the garden, I am assuming it is a male as it’s quite large. Normally do not see them after October and it’s late in the year activities are probably reflecting the mild weather we are having so far this winter.

A few garden pics.

Grey Days

Cloudy and dull, 12°, light SW.

Rather dull and overcast for the last few days with SW winds light to strong with the winter storm Clodagh passing through and blowing in a second Grey Phalarope to Farmoor reservoir. Both still present today.

click link - Grey Phalaropes.

Not been out over the last few days due to not being 100% so have to be content with garden stuff.

2 Nuthatch and 2 Coal Tit and a Treecreeper frequenting the garden of note, also a few more species either visiting the garden or nearby or flying overhead - 5 Mallard, 1 Red Kite, Buzzard (over), Sparrowhawk, 2 Moorhen, Lesser Blackback Gull and Black-headed Gull (over), 6 Wood Pigeon, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, Tawny Owl, Kingfisher (heard along the brook), Great-spotted Woodpecker, Skylark (over), 2 Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, 2 Robin, Redwing (over), Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare (over), Blackbird, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jackdaw (over), Rook (over), 2 Carrion Crow, Starling (over), House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.

Also a Hedgehog still active in the garden after dark.

Wet then Windy

Sunny, 12°, a little milder than yesterday but still very windy, WSW, rain this morning.

3 Whinchat and 2 Wheatear on the hill today, 5 Lesser Blackback Gull and a single Black-headed Gull flew over NW.

Managed a rather snatched shot of one of the Whinchat before they were flushed by a walker and flew well out of range.

The usual Red Kite and Buzzard around, most small birds appeared to be keeping to cover in the windy conditions however Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Blackcap and both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker all noted.

A Song Thrush visiting garden on a regular basis this week gathering food so probably nesting nearby.

Butterflies: very few seen with only Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell in sheltered areas.

First Hedgehog of the year in the garden tonight.

Hazy (polluted) Day

Very hazy, 16º, light NE.

South East England is currently suffering from air pollution and this is rated at 7 and is composed of local and continental pollution and also Saharan dust. It should all clear by tomorrow, 4th April.

Lollingdon hill was rather quiet, a few Meadow Pipit, 3 Corn Bunting singing, a couple of Red Kite and Buzzard.

2 Lapwing still in the area, 11 Fieldfare and 2 Redwing also still present, 3 Chiffchaff in song and 4 Yellowhammer.

3 Lesser Blackback Gulls overhead, the flood on the north side of the A417 has dried up, the flood to the south had 6 Lesser Blackback Gulls and 2 Mallards on.
 

There was a Little Egret on the flood opposite brook house on Wallingford road this evening with a Grey Heron and 2 Canada Geese (per MP).

Peacock & Small Tortoiseshell butterflies noted, along with Oil Beetles burrowing, many Bees and a couple of Bee Flies.

First Hedgehog of the year in the garden tonight and the Tawny Owls vocal again.

 Yellowhammer

 Chiffchaff singing high in the canopy

 Stock Dove nest prospecting in the garden

 Oil Beetle (courtesy Loren)

 Bee Fly (courtesy Loren) 

Little Egret (courtesy Michael Pocock)

Marymead

Sunny spells, 20º, light S.

Did not get the rain forecast for today but nice and sunny! Rain now forecast for tomorrow!

2 Willow Warbler and 5 Chiffchaff in trees at Marymead today.

2 Spotted Flycatchers in Lollingdon in the hedgerow behind one of the paddocks and several more Chiffchaff around, plus a single Blackcap.

Several Migrant and Southern Hawkers seen along with a few Common Darters.

Both Large and Small White Butterflies, Red Admiral, Comma and Gatekeeper seen.

Tawny Owls and Hedgehogs in garden tonight.