Lollingdon & Garden

Overcast, 14°, light E.

A walk out to Lollingdon:

6 Stonechat, 100+ Fieldfare, c30 Redwing, 10 Mistle Thrush, 7 Siskin, a single Chiffchaff, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 9 Yellowhammer, 2 Raven, a Peregrine, 60+ Stock Dove over and a flock of 200+ Black-headed Gull accompanied by a handful of larger Gulls flying high north east.

Late afternoon a Sparrowhawk took a Collared Dove in the garden. Started to pluck it but was disturbed, flew with the prey to a sheltered corner of the garden and spent the next hour consuming the Dove.

4 Little Grebe, 18 Tufted Duck and over 150 Lesser Blackback Gull in/on/around the pit next to the bunk on Friday afternoon. 3 Teal there a couple or so weeks back as well. Per MA.

Distant Fieldfare

Bunk area

Overcast, 12°, light NE.

Another gloomy day with this anticyclonic weather system overhead.

A Firecrest found in the SW corner of the gravel pit area but disappeared into a large garden nearby and not relocated.

8 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe and 30 Canada Geese on the pit that is partially visible.

Elsewhere along the Bunk area: 2 Goldcrest, 4 Chiffchaff, 5 Fieldfare, 16 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush, 2 Jay, 4 Raven, several Meadow Pipit, 10+ Pied Wagtail, a Little Owl, 2 Yellowhammer etc.

The Lees

Mainly cloudy, 16°, light NNW.

The Lees:

5 Redwing, 150+ Meadow Pipit, 20+ Pied Wagtail, c50 Skylark, 50+ Linnet, 7 Siskin, 3 Redpoll, 1 Yellowhammer, 5 Reed Bunting, 14 Corn Bunting, 9 Chiffchaff, 2 Raven, a Grey Heron etc.

Mistle Thrush and Grey Wagtail in garden.

Mammal: Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White.

A swarm of Harlequin Ladybird, 100’s.

Red Fox & Redwing

Cloudy, 15°, light SW.

A Fox in the garden this afternoon. Just managed to take a very hurried shot from the window before it disappeared across the garden.

Redwing heard over Church Road (first of the autumn). Per RB.

Another day

Sunny, 16°, light N.

Usual areas covered again today:

Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, 8 Lapwing, 9 Tufted Duck, a Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 8+ Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, a single Redwing, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.

Mammals: unfortunately a dead Otter found by Alan along the river bank today.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

AD & PC.

Common Sandpiper courtesy Alan

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Grey Plover

Overcast, 18°, light SSE.

A pretty good day all round. Alan covered Bunk this morning and Cholsey Hill this afternoon and I covered Bunk this afternoon.

A Grey Plover (3rd Cholsey record) with c60 Golden Plover on Cholsey Hill was the highlight and a single Swallow over.

Bunk: c300 Redwing, 10 Fieldfare over, 4-500 Starling, and increase in both Song Thrush and Blackbird numbers, 5 Siskin, 7 Swallow, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, several Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Pied Wagtail, a single Grey Wagtail and a Common Snipe.

2 Wigeon on flood near Wallingford Road this morning. Per Michael Pocock.

Dragonflies: several Common Darter.

Butterflies: 2 Small White.

AD, MP & PC.

Grey Plover with Golden Plover. bottom right in above pic and bottom left in pic below. Courtesy Alan.

One of several Swallow

A distant Redwing

A swarm of insects near CSW.

Redwings arrive as Swallows leave

Sunny spells and a few showers, 14°, light WNW.

Alan finally found our first Redwing of this winter period with 9 along Green Lane, presumably feeding on Hawthorn berries. As Redwing are coming in Swallow are in the process of leaving and approx 20 passed over moving south. Also a Blackcap still present.

Redwing (from my archive)

Varied weather

Sunny at first then cloudy with rain, 15°, breezy S.

Lollingdon and Bunk covered in the last few days: 2-3 Wheatear, a Common Redstart, many Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 3 Fieldfare, a single Redwing, Bullfinch, Jay, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, 8+ Lapwing, 2 Herring Gull and 2 Lesser Blackback Gull.

1st Sedge Warbler of the year. Per Phil Dyson.  

Mammals: Brown Hare, Muntjac and Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma.

AD & PC.

Muntjac Deer

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Wheatear courtesy Alan

Buzzard courtesy Alan

Sparrowhawk

All quiet

Sunshine and showers, 12°, breezy S.

Most areas quiet today: 6 Fieldfare yesterday, 3 Redwing today, plus several Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, Kingfisher, 6 Meadow Pipit, a Grey Wagtail, several Pied Wagtail, 6 Yellowhammer, Sparrowhawk, 2 Lapwing, 7 Lesser Blackback Gull, a Grey Heron and 2 Mute Swan.

AD & PC.

Chiffchaff

Bunk again

Sunny intervals, 13°, breezy E.

Alan along the Bunk today with Fieldfare, Redwing, Siskin, Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk and Chiffchaff.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Meadow Pipit courtesy Alan

Common Buzzard courtesy Alan

Bunk Line

Cloudy with the odd sunny spell, 10°, light E.

Bunk line: 50+ Fieldfare (2 flocks), 2 Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush, 2+ Siskin over, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipit, 14 Skylark, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 1 Jay, 2 Raven, 1 Common Snipe, 1 Jay, a Little Owl, 50 + Black-headed Gull, 23 Lesser Blackback Gull, etc.

Butterflies: 1 Red Admiral.

Dragonflies: Common Darter (Saturday).

8 Fieldfare, part of one of the flocks seen today

Black-headed Gull (above & below)

Grey Heron

Todays Red Admiral

Common Carder Bee

Speckled Bush Cricket

Lollingdon & Bunk

Overcast, 19°, light SW.

Both Alan and myself out at Lollingdon today with Alan on the earlier visit.

The hill was a little quiet but a lot of Skylark in the area with around 100+ scattered around and a flyover Ringed Plover.

Some movement going on with both Redwing and Fieldfare noted, plus 20+ Meadow Pipit, 6 Pied Wagtail, 2+ Siskin, 11 Yellowhammer and 8 Reed Bunting.

2 Tawny Owl heard, a Common Snipe, 9 Chiffchaff and 3 Jay noted.

Alan then out along Bunk Line: Redwing, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, Raven etc.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admirals still noted moving south but in fewer numbers. Large White, Small White and Speckled Wood also seen.

A Red Admiral resting up

Common Darter

Winter Thrushes arrive

Sunny, 23°, light SSW.

Some of our “Winter Thrushes” arrived today on an unseasonably warm day with c80 Redwing and a Fieldfare, out at Lollingdon and probably some (migrant) Blackbirds that were moving with the flock.

Alan also had 50+ Redwing along the Bunk line this afternoon. Plus a flock of c100 Lapwing.

Redwings heard passing overhead this evening. Per Michael Pocock.  

6 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellowhammer and 2 Corn Bunting on Lollingdon Hill and some overhead movement of Finches, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Skylark.

Nearby, at least 2 Siskin over, a Mistle Thrush, a Raven and 2 Jay.

3 Chiffchaff, including 1 in garden.

River & Cholsey Meadows, per Alan. Chiffchaff, Kingfisher and Cormorant.

Bunk: Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Black-headed and Lesser Blackback Gull.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald, Migrant Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral, loads around and another day of most of them moving strongly south. Also a Brimstone, several Large and Small White, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Ruddy Darter courtesy Alan

Willow Emerald courtesy Alan

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Red Admiral courtesy Alan

Common Darter courtesy Alan

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Speckled Wood

Wet 'n' windy

Wet and windy, 13°, fresh WSW.

A blustery walk out to Lollingdon today. The lone Lapwing still present on the flood along with a single Common Snipe. Nearby 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, a Little Egret and a single Redwing.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: Brimstone.

Bits & Pieces

Mainly sunny, 14°, light NNE.

Lollingdon, Bunk and River covered today. 2 Willow Warbler, 4-5 Blackcap, Reed Bunting, 3 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare, a Sparrowhawk, c 100 Lesser Blackback Gull, 5 Black-headed Gull and 2 Herring Gull.

Butterflies: several Brimstone and Peacock and a single Small Tortoiseshell.

One Swallow does not a summer make.

Mainly sunny, 12°, light E.

A few areas covered today but overall rather quiet.

A Wheatear and 2 Little Egret out at Lollingdon. Per MFJ.

2-4 Swallow, 2 Grey Wagtail, 4 Lapwing, several Fieldfare and Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, Herring Gull, Lesser Blackback Gull, Black-headed Gull.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Reptiles & Amphibians: Common Lizard found by Niall Hammond.  

Butterflies: Brimstone, Comma & Peacock.

Insects: Dark-edged Bee-fly.

PC & AD.

VizMig

Sunny ’ish, 16°. Breezy ENE.

A lot of chatter on WhatsApp this morning regarding “VizMig” (visible migration) of mainly Thrushes and Finches in Oxfordshire and further afield. E.g. an estimated 350,000 Redwing over Westenschouwen in the Netherlands today.

Alan was already out and confirmed this. I couldn’t make it ‘til this afternoon and also noted movement of birds.

So both along the Bunk line at different times and Alan along the river later in the day.

Rough figures of 200+ Redwing, up to 100 Fieldfare, 100+ Starling, 5 Redpoll and a hint of Skylark all moving south to south west. Not a lot compared to some sites, but that’ll do.

Redwing and the odd Song Thrush heard passing overhead after dark this evening.  

At one point about 350 Gulls and Corvids all took to the air. They had been following a plough.

A look skyward produced a Peregrine that soared high over me and continued north. Eventually all the birds settled back down behind the plough.

A few Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Yellowhammer present, plus a single Grey Heron and Chiffchaff.

The river produced a few more Fieldfare over plus Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher.

As an observation not bird related. The local farm was cutting the hedge (or rather hacking it) along the Bunk line today (a bit early!) when I noticed the arm of the mechanism was caught on the overhead telephone wires. I tried to warn the driver but as he moved forward the line snapped and he has presumably cut some residents off from the telephone service.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Peregrine Falcon

Redpolls courtesy Alan