Still quietish

Cloudy with sunny spells, 18°, light S.

Crossed paths with Alan out at Lollingdon today and we both found it relatively quiet.

A Stonechat and a Wheatear on the hill. A Raven over and a flock of 25 Starling visited briefly (Starling numbers increasing locally) and the odd Meadow Pipit and a Kestrel present.

Nearby 8 Mistle Thrush and 6 Chiffchaff in total between Church Road and Lollingdon.

A Kingfisher along Cholsey brook and a couple of Jay. And Alan found a Goldcrest near the Church.

Alan, Bunk line later: Stonechat, Grey Wagtail and several Meadow Pipit.

3 Nuthatch in garden today.

Mammals: Muntjac in garden.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: 1 Large White, several Small White and a Speckled Wood.

Wheatear

Muntjac courtesy Loren

Speckled Wood

Starling

Muntjac courtesy Loren

Thrushes

Overcast, 11°, light SW.

Michael Pocock on Lollingdon Hill yesterday. “Nice to see the pair of Stonechat at Lollingdon this morning. Also a couple of Yellowhammer, 14 Golden Plover overhead and lots of “Winter Thrushes” (mostly Fieldfare). The highlight for me was 5 migrating Stock Dove. They come in at height from the Chilterns and I watched them head right over the downs and then orientate to head up one of the valleys. Soon to be in Iberia?”

Alan headed along the river today: Redwing and Fieldfare in abundance, plus Blackbird, Song Thrush in good numbers. Cetti’s Warbler, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Jay, a singing Mistle Thrush, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch and a Marsh Tit heard.

I took a brief walk along the Bunk/Green lane area: “Winter Thrushes” in good numbers with several hundred Redwing, approx. 100 Fieldfare plus Blackbird and Song Thrush in good numbers.

Also a Raven heard, a Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Jay, and Yellowhammer, 2 Herring Gull plus the usuals.

Fieldfare courtesy Alan

Redwing

Blackbird courtesy Alan ↕

Stonechat and some!

Mainly cloudy with the occasional sunny spell, 19°, light SW.

I’m guessing there could have been some carrion on Lollingdon hill today as there was a swarm of birds *kettling over a small area on the top of the hill.

Comprising 15 Red Kite, 5 Buzzard, 4 Raven and briefly a Sparrowhawk and 2 Crow and several Magpie on the periphery.

The Raven appeared to be the dominant species as they seemed to work as a team with 1 or 2 presumably going down to feed whilst the others were busy hassling the Kites and Buzzards.

[*I know kettling is a controversial police tactic but the term was used back in the 1970’s in an ornithological context.]

2 Kestrel also on the hill but minding their own business hunting for Grasshoppers.

Also present, a juvenile Stonechat, an adult male Common Redstart and several Chiffchaff and Blackcap.

Almost a constant flow of Hirundines with a couple of large flocks passing overhead, 150+ House Martin, 100+ Swallow and a handful of Swift in 3 hours and continued thru the afternoon as noted from the allotments.

3 Nuthatch & 2 Coal Tit visiting the garden today 😊.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper & Meadow Brown.

Stonechat ↕

A few of the Ravens plus Red Kite

Nuthatch

Sunshine & Showers

Sunshine & Showers, 18°, light SW.

A day for dodging the rain showers out at Lollingdon but not always successful, and a thunderstorm passed close to the west and headed off over Didcot way.

Not a great deal on the hill but after approx. an hour and a half I managed to catch sight of a young Common Redstart that flew down the hedge. It stayed for a short time before moving back up to the top and lost from view.

Up to 50 Swallow moving thru over the hill during the time there, all heading SSW and a couple of Chiffchaff in the Hawthorns and the usual Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer present.

The Nuthatch still visiting the garden regularly in the company of a roving Tit flock.

Alan was back along the river today with a Kingfisher, Bullfinch, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff etc.

Dragonflies: None seen out at Lollingdon but Alan had both Southern and Brown Hawker along the river.

Butterflies: A lot of activity during the sunny spells with Lollingdon producing: Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet. River: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock, Marbled White, Meadow Brown & Small Heath.

Photos today courtesy Alan

Essex Skipper courtesy Alan ↕. note the black tips to the underside of the antennae separate it from the Small Skipper.

Southern Hawker

Large Skipper

Nuthatch

Another warm one, 30°, light WSW.

A not birding day today.

However a Nuthatch turned up in the garden today. The first record for just over a year!

This bird arrive with a small flock of Blue and Great Tit and it was not used to using the feeders.

All quietish!

Almost constant light rain, 9°, light SSW.

Apart from good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing a rather quiet time along the Bunk line/Green lane area today.

c100 Black-headed Gull, a single Herring Gull, a Green Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff was all of note.

Alan had a similar situation along the river with Nuthatch, Goldcrest and Siskin.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

A little less busy

Light cloud, 13°, moderate NE.

Both Tony W and myself out at Lollingdon today and Alan out along the Bunk line.

A Stonechat present on Lollingdon hill along one of the farm tracks and a small flock of c40 Fieldfare on the hill and a single Mistle Thrush.

At 11:40 a flock of approx. 200 Fieldfare passed overhead and flew towards Aston.

Only a handful of Redwing seen, 4 Chiffchaff, c50 Meadow Pipit, several Yellowhammer and a couple of Reed Bunting present and a slight increase in Song Thrush numbers.

A couple of Jay seen frequently over the last week flying off with acorns from the Oak trees out at Lollingdon.

Up to 40 Yellowhammer, several Reed Bunting and 2 Corn Bunting scattered around the Little Lollingdon area.

The Little Grebe still present on the new gravel workings and 25 Fieldfare and 30 ‘ish Redwing along the Bunk line and a Nuthatch Caps Lane area.

1 possibly 2 Common Snipe near Silly bridge. Per Michael Pocock.

Mammals: Red Fox.

Dragonflies: a single Common Darter.

Butterflies: a few Whites on the wing and a single Speckled Wood and Alan saw a single Common Blue.

All pics today courtesy Alan.

Chiffchaff

Red Fox

Common Blue

South West

Cloudy with a few sunny periods, 20°, light ESE.

A walk out towards Aston Tirrold via the Lees today.

Several Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler seen with food along the “Reedy Ditch” and the occasional snatch of song heard.

Several Reed Bunting along the “Long Ditch” and nearby and a couple of Blackcap, a Chiffchaff and a Nuthatch at the Lees.

2-3 Yellow Wagtail, a couple of Yellowhammer and a Corn Bunting between the Lees and Manor Farm.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Beautiful Demoiselle, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly. Emperor Dragonfly and Four-spot Chaser.

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell (50+), Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White and Meadow Brown.

A few Hoverflies around today including a Pellucid Hoverfly and a possible Ant-hill Hoverfly.

And if you have passed thru the Bull’s Hole you may have noticed the Hart’s Tongue Fern growing on a wall.

Sedge Warbler

 Hart's Tongue Fern

 2 butterflies (Large Skipper & Meadow Brown)

 Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Knapweed

 Pellucid Hoverfly

Batman Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

 Young Swallows on the wing (courtesy Alan Dawson)

 Reed Bunting

 Small Tortoiseshell

Beautiful Demoiselle

Garden Birding

Sunny, 13°, light NE.

Have been watching the garden for the last couple of days and not venturing out and not doing too bad. Fortunately we overlook Whitehead Meadow and so have a good vista to look out on.

Birdwise, there have been 39 species in, over or near the garden, including Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Green Woodpecker, Tawny Owl and Canada Goose to name a few.

A few butterflies present with many Brimstone, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, an Orange Tip and a Comma but none staying too long.

Plenty of Hoverflies around but none staying still, so no id’s yet.

A single Spotted Bee-fly seen briefly.

Female Blackbird

One of the four Stock Dove that regularly visit.

Nuthatch

This Nuthatch photographed by Alan today at Bow Bridge. Interestingly Nuthatch have not been seen in this location for a few years and may indicate an individual from the otherside of the river moving over to Cholsey if only temporarily?

The only other Nuthatch(s) in Cholsey have been present for a few years now in the Church road/Station road/West End area.

I have been reminded that there has been a Nuthatch visiting feeders in Cholsey Meadows for some time now. So Thank you Cathy & Niall.

I received an email this evening from Dave M stating he has 2 regular Nuthatch visiting his garden in Caps Lane. So the one at Bow Bridge may well be one of these?

So I wonder how many Nuthatch we actually have residing in Cholsey?

Going back 20 or so years the only Nuthatch(s) in Cholsey were in the Winterbrook area close to the river. These more recent records are an interesting development in the distribution of this species in Cholsey where they have usually been absent or very scarce. Wonder why?

Photos courtesy Alan Dawson.

Brown Hare

A bit more action

Cloudy, 6°, light SE.

A walk along the Bunk line/Green lane area where I bumped into Alan also out birding.

Between us we notched up a few species: Quite a few Fieldfare and Redwing, good numbers of Blackbird and Robin and a scattering of Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush (higher numbers than usual).

Several Common Snipe dropped into one of the fields and a Chiffchaff ,Treecreeper and male Blackcap noted.

The garden busy again today with a Pheasant appearing, also Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Treecreeper along with the usual suspects.

 Redwing

Treecreeper (courtesy Alan Dawson)

 Pheasant

 Goldfinch, Greenfinch & Great Tit

Roe Deer from yesterday, came to a full stop when it realised Alan was in front of it. (photo courtesy Alan Dawson)

Sparrowhawk............again!

Overcast, 6°, light E.

The male Sparrowhawk spent several minutes atop the bird feeders in the pouring rain this afternoon and constantly looking around. As if he is working out his future attack strategies. What's the best direction to approach from, what speed and height etc. Fascinating to watch.

The garden has been busy over the last few days with Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper and the odd Finch.

Everything saw him coming again so no luck today.

From the office window

Cloudy with drizzly rain later, 8°, light SW.

Waited in for a delivery today so did not venture out, however the garden and meadow were quite busy with a Little Egret and a Grey Heron both fishing in the brook and making occasional appearances.

Usual Nuthatch (2), Coal Tit, Treecreeper and Great-spotted Woodpecker (2) all visiting along with the other regulars.