Rather quiet

A dull cloudy morning brightening up later, 12°, light N.

Pretty quiet all round today.

Yesterday Niall and Alan took on a Bat walk and recorded the following:

“By far the most common bat in the Cholsey area, with about 70% of detections, is the Soprano Pipistrelle. In joint second are the Common Pipistrelle and Noctule.

There are though also Common Serotine, Daubenton's, Nathusius' Pipistrelle, Natterer's and Brown Long-eared.

Detections are tailing off now as the weather is cooler and the nights longer.”

Back to today: Bunk line was rather quiet this morning. Good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare as usual, a few Song Thrush and approx. 20 Pied Wagtail feeding amongst the cattle and a couple of Jay present.

Bunk line area this afternoon with Alan: 2 Kingfisher, usual Thrushes, a Blackcap and c30 Chaffinch.

And pretty quiet along the river this morning.

Mistle Thrush courtesy Alan

Great-spotted Woodpecker courtesy Alan

Pied Wagtails

?

A mixed day

Mainly cloudy with lengthy sunny spells, 14°, light SSW.

A frustrating day! Whilst watching some Common Darter along a flooded margin of a field out at Lollingdon I heard a Woodlark call and a few seconds later call again.

Scanning the area where the call came from but could not see the bird and I spent the next hour searching for it. However no sign of it but I did flush a Common Snipe from the field.

I let both Alan and Tony know in case they go out that way soon.

Continuing on to the hill but it was somewhat quiet, a couple of Mistle Thrush and a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel present.

Back off the hill and another look for the lark. No luck but good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing scattered about. Also 2 Chiffchaff, several Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Skylark and a Kingfisher and 20+ Yellowhammer nearby.

3 Raven near the Bullshole and several Siskin and a Goldcrest, Millennium Wood.

Alan and Tony out along the river: Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Meadow Pipit and Fieldfare and Redwing.

30+ Golden Plover near Silly Bridge.

Mammals: Nathusius’s Pipistrelle recorded by Niall today near the Reading road proposed development site. He also has a few previous records from the site which may prove a case for conservation in the area rather than development!

Dragonflies: Common Darter, 5 pairs egg laying and a few individuals.

Butterflies: Brimstone (f), along the river and 2 Red Admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell, Lollingdon.

A few shots of the Common Darters.

Sparrowhawk

Chiffchaff courtesy Alan

Some of the hundred plus flock of Fieldfare.

Chiffchaff