A day for Butterflies and a Dragon

Hazy sunshine, 19°, breezy SSW.

A visit to Lollingdon the Bunk and River today: Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Grey Wagtail, Common Snipe, Lapwing, Sparrowhawk, and 6+1 Lesser Blackback Gull.

20-30 Hirundines noted, mainly Swallow and Sand Martin and a single House Martin.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

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

AD & PC.

Comma

Large Red Damselfly courtesy Alan

Wheatear courtesy Alan

Dark-edged Bee Fly courtesy Alan

Plovers

Sunny spells, 17°, light NW.

Alan out and about this morning along the river, Bunk and Lollingdon. Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap etc. Bunk: Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Whitethroat and 2 (f) Wheatear out at Lollingdon.

I didn’t get out ‘til this afternoon and walked out to Lollingdon. 3 Ringed Plover and a Little Ringed Plover on the flood and eventually flushed by a Hobby. Also 2 Lapwing, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, a Mandarin Duck, 5 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin.

Alan went back to the flood and the 4 Plovers were relocated late afternoon.

Tony W noted that a couple of Reed Warbler are back on Cholsey Marsh.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Holly Blue and Peacock.

3 Ringed Plover and a (fuzzy) Little Ringed Plover far right.

Little Ringed Plover courtesy Alan

Mandarin Duck

Pied Wagtail

LRD

Sunny and breezy, 11°, fresh NW.

First Odonata of the year today. A Large Red Damselfly.

And a Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling on Cholsey Marsh. Per JT.

Plus 2 Wheatear, 2 flyover Raven, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Mandarin Duck, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, several Swallow, Kingfisher & Cormorant.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

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

PC & AD.

LRD

First Dragon of the year

Mainly sunny, 18°, light ESE.

The first Dragonfly of the year found by Alan today, a *Large Red Damselfly along the River. Birdwise: Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler & Water Rail.

Common Sandpiper at the gravel pit still. Per Paul Rainsden.

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

Large Red Damselfly courtesy Alan

Improving

Sunny intervals, 15°, light SSW.

A single Wheatear on Lollingdon Hill today plus a couple of Pied Wagtail. A Yellow Wagtail and 3 (2&1) Raven overhead and up to 3 Corn Bunting in song.

Nearby a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a Spotted Flycatcher that moved off towards Amwell Spring where I lost it.

Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting regular.

A singing Goldcrest, Little Lollingdon.

Good numbers of Swallow around now but still not seeing Swift or House Martin over this end of the village. However Alan still finding them along the river so they may be still feeding up over areas where insects are more abundant.

Alan at Cholsey Marsh to Bow Bridge and Bunk Line:

Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Swift, House Martin, Swallow, Grey Wagtail, STILL NO REGULAR CUCKOO!

Bunk Line: 2 Yellow Wagtail.

Mammals: Brown Hare & Stoat.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly. Per Alan.

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

Lesser Whitethroat courtesy Alan

Blackcap (f)

Wheatear ↕

Large Red Damselfly courtesy Alan

Holly Blue ↕ courtesy Emily Dawson

Small Copper & Large Red Damsel

Another sunny day, 20°, light ENE.

A couple of firsts for the year. 

First Small Copper of the year in Cholsey (apparently the first record this year in Berks, Bucks & Oxon. per TR) and a Sedge Warbler and Tawny Owl in TR’s garden yesterday, 21st.

A Sedge Warbler heard singing along the brook in Whitehead meadow early this morning but not since.

First Dragonfly seen by Alan today in Cholsey. A Large Red Damselfly.

Small Copper (TR)

Large Red Damselfly (AD)

Swallow (AD)

Speckled Wood (AD)

The Lees and beyond

Sunny spells, 19°, light W.

A walk out to the Lees and beyond today and a little warmer than of late.

The “long ditch” out beyond the Lees was dredged over the winter and subsequently all the growth in and around the ditch was either disrupted or destroyed.

There are no birds breeding along the ditch this year and it seems the Reed Buntings that bred along the ditch have moved out into the crop fields (5 singing males). A lot of the Bullrush, Reed and other plants that were in the ditch have been destroyed but some of the plants on the bank have survived. Any larvae or other life that was in the ditch has also been partially destroyed.

However nature has a way of coming back!

Several Dragonfly species seen along the ditch and a few small fish present (probably Stickleback) and a few Orchid species along the bank.

The “Reedy ditch” at the far end had 5 singing Sedge Warbler and 3 singing Reed Warbler (plus others present) present along with several Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.

A family group of Swallow spent time feeding over the area (2 adults & 5 young) and a few Swift overhead and a distant Grey Heron.

From Alan: 2 Common Tern again on the river and Lesser Whitethroat. 

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, 4-spot Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly. Per Alan: Brown Hawker and White-legged Damselfly.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Large White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Marbled White and Meadow Brown. Per Alan: Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Marbled White, Small Copper and Large Skipper.

Moths: Cinnabar Moth and Scarlet Tiger. Per Alan: Burnet Companion.

Insects: Black and Yellow Long Horn Beetle. Per Alan.

Orchids: Pyramid Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid and Poss Marsh Orchid hybrid.

Reed Warbler

Emperor Dragonfly

Burnet Companion

 Common Spotted Orchid

 Scarlet Tiger

 Small Tortoiseshell

 Large Skipper

 4-spot Chaser

 Azure Damselfly

Lollingdon 22nd Apr

A sunny but cooler, breezy day, 14°, fresh ENE.

The Grasshopper Warbler still on the hill, not seen but heard reeling on several occasions.

A single Wheatear present, a couple of Pied Wagtail and 10+ Linnet.

20+ Swallow over and at least 1 House Martin.

The meadows to the north, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 3 Yellowhammer.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly (first of the year).

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