Another new one for the year

 Mostly cloudy with a few sunny spells, 16°, light NE.

Another walk out to Lollingdon hill today, very little “en route” other than the usual.


A Quail heard a couple of times calling from the hill side with its distinctive call but unable to track it down (a new species for the year) also a Raven flew high south towards the downs and Great-spotted Woodpecker working the Hawthorn bushes on the hill.

A singing Lesser Whitethroat in the vicinity of the hill and another closer to the village.

12 Red Kite over a field that was being cut for hay and up to 4 Buzzard in the air over the hill.

A singing Reed Bunting still present near the hill and 4 Swift and a single Yellow Wagtail also seen.

3 Mistle Thrush on the playing field.

Dragonflies: a small unidentified hawker (possibly Hairy Dragonfly) flew across the hill.

Butterflies: not many around, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue.

Odds and Sods

Sunny spells, 22º, light NE.

Kingfisher on the brook at Church Rd last week and the moorhens have 5 new chicks.

Grass snake along the brook, and Great Tit brood fledged from Causeway House’s old letterbox, but two Blue Tits broods nearby did very badly (fledging only 2 and 4, due to food shortage – similar problem with Wallingford boxes).

The Sparrowhawks were taking food into the school nature area but I think they have failed (possibly due to the wind/rain), as no recent activity. Starlings fledged a brood in an old woodpecker hole on the large willow at Church Rd bridge.

Thanks to Richard for the above information.

A Quail heard on Cholsey Hill. I stopped there for a time on my way back from Didcot.

2 Goldfinch and a ♂ Bullfinch in the allotments by West End today.

Sat in the garden again this afternoon, usual Blue and Great Tits around and up to 8 Chaffinch in the garden and a Kestrel mobbing a Red Kite overhead.

A couple of Mistle Thrush in the meadow, Song Thrush singing briefly along with a Blackcap.

A surprise was a Spotted Flycatcher that put in an all too brief appearance in the meadow late afternoon. By the time I got my camera, I could not relocate it!

A few visitors to the garden earlier.