Saturday snippets

Sunny, 14°, light NE.

A Mandarin Duck flew south along the Thames at Cholsey Marsh and a couple of Teal present. Per James Beaumont.

A Small Tortoiseshell and several Peacock present on the Station Road allotments.

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

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

Bit of a mix

A sunny day for a change but still windy, 11°, breezy WSW.

Lollingdon and Bunk line covered today by us both.

3 Wheatear, Little Egret, Mandarin Duck, several Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Raven, Lapwing.

Mammals: Brown Hare, Stoat & Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Peacock, Comma & Speckled Wood.

Chiffchaff ↕

Wheatear

Wheatear courtesy Alan ↕

Mandarin Duck courtesy Alan

Little Egret courtesy Alan

Roe Deer

A mild one

Overcast with later sunny spells, 16°, light SSW.

Unseasonably mild today and relatively little to show for it.

Alan along the river and seemingly quiet. A Mandarin Duck on the river, “Winter Thrushes” evident plus Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff and the regulars.

Large numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing along the Bunk today with many coming from the Cholsey Hill area. 500-600 birds noted and 2 Sparrowhawk flew thru.

A Chiffchaff along Green Lane with a roving Tit flock and Fieldfare and Redwing in just about every bush.

A Grey Wagtail in the Church Road area.

Dragonflies: A Migrant Hawker along the river and a Common Darter, Green Lane.

Long-tailed Tit ↕

Great Tit

Shaggy Parasol

More arrivals

Sunny but a little cloudier today, 16°, light to moderate S.

Two visits to the hill today, the first was after a call from Tony W to say there is a drake Mandarin duck on a garden pond just north of the hill. Therefore, a quick visit to see that before shopping found the duck resting and preening by the side of the pond.

Then another more prolonged walk around the area this afternoon.

No sign of the Mandarin this afternoon, however 2 Yellow Wagtail in a horse paddock that flew off before I could get the camera on them (another seen over Cholsey Hill earlier when driving back home).

A Willow Warbler singing out by Amwell spring and a Swallow flew over.

Back by the paddock 2 Redwing flew in and then off almost as quick, a Little Owl heard calling, a single Goldcrest seen, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 4 Yellowhammer and 2 Grey Heron again.

Several Song Thrush noted in song along with a Mistle Thrush and the now  regular Chiffchaff.

The hill was relatively quiet with several Skylark and 2 Corn Bunting in song, both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk over and the usual Buzzard and Red Kite in the vicinity and several Linnet back on the hill.

Grey Wagtail seen frequently near the garden and another Chiffchaff in the garden today.

Butterflies: Frequent Brimstone, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell and the first Speckled Wood of the year.

Mammals: Muntjac Deer.

Mandarins

Sunny spells, light snow flurries (none settling), -1º, moderate to fresh NE,  -8º in the wind! A change on Thursday.

Did not get out today as I had certain other things to do but Roger Wyatt was along the river and found a pair of Mandarin Duck, they flew towards the Four Arches railway bridge.

As I was in most of the day I was also watching the garden, not much change but an increase in Chaffinch numbers to over twenty, also birds visiting more frequently presumably needing to “fuel up” more frequently in this cold weather. The Pheasant has found the feeding tray with sultanas on but he is a bit too big to stay on for long!

Some excellent pics of the Mandarins © Roger Wyatt (Cheers mateJ)

 

 

 

Cholsey Marsh, 16th Feb

Overcast, 10º, light WNW.

Approx 70 Corn Buntings roosting this evening on the marsh.

c150 Lapwing flew high north, possibly returning after the cold weather has passed?

Over 1000 Corvids flew north, probably to a roost site upriver somewhere, all Rooks and Jackdaws.

Speaking to a birder at the marsh who has seen a Merlin and Mandarin Duck recently at/by the marsh.