Cold and frosty.

Sunny, 14º, light to mod NE.

A cold and frosty start at Cholsey marsh this morning with the mist rising off the Thames.

Arrived there just after 05:00 and Sedge Warblers were singing in abundance with nineteen counted on the marsh with more down towards the 4 Arches and several on the opposite bank, eleven Whitethroat, five Chiffchaff, two Lesser Whitethroat, a single Willow Warbler, two Blackcap, three Song Thrush, eight Reed Bunting and many Wrens. A Kingfisher and two Jay also on the other side of the river. Notable absentees were Cuckoo, Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler but hope these will arrive soon.

A visit to Lollingdon hill after found two Wheatear, two Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff two Yellowhammer, four Linnet and six Corn Bunting.

Later in the day I went to Bury down where a Dotterel had been seen but no luck just three Wheatear and six Whitethroat.

Dropped back in to Lollingdon hill on the way back and very much the same as earlier but with a few Swallow around and a lot warmer.

More Wheatears, 27th Apr

Sunny, rain, hail, 10º and a chilly wind.

Another visit to Lollingdon hill for a couple of hours today but very little passing over, a lone Lesser Blackback Gull was all. Twelve Wheatear (8♀ & 4♂) on the hill along with a Fieldfare and a Whitethroat in a nearby hedge, a pair of Linnet briefly and a couple of Swallow. A few showers of rain and hail made it decidedly cooler than of late.

A Lesser Whitethroat reported somewhere in Cholsey.

A couple of Hedgehog frequenting the garden this past week.

Another Redstart

Sunny spells, showers, 12º, moderate SW, cooler today.

Another visit to Lollingdon hill on the way home, as I arrived a ♀ Sparrowhawk was flying along the face of the hill and therefore initially nothing was seen. After around five minutes the first Wheatear appeared from a Rabbit dugout and eventually six were located. A little after I heard a familiar call from one of the Hawthorn bushes on the hill and located a ♀ Redstart. She tended to always sit on the leeward side of the bushes and was virtually always out of my line of sight but I could see her flitting around in the back of the bushes, I managed to get some distant shots when she was on the deck under a bush at around a hundred metres, I couldn’t even see it in the viewfinder and had to guess the location. A lone Swift drifted over (my first of the year), a single Lesser Blackback Gull flew north and around a dozen Swallow flew over.

A couple of Buzzard and Red Kite soaring over the hill and two Grey Partridge noted.

An email from another birder today who saw the Harris Hawk again along the river hunting Moorhens.

A Whitethroat in a garden in Church road.

There was a kayaker on the islands by the 4 Arches digging up Loddon Lillies and shouting and swearing at incubating Canada Geese and swinging his oar at them, both very dubious activities and at least one if not both are illegal. There is a photograph of this person and if I can get a copy I will publish it!

A few pics of the Redstart from a cropped close up to the original.

Yellow Wagtails

Sunny, 18º, light SW.

Another sunny day stuck inside but no worries, made a visit to Lollingdon hill on the way home and located ten Wheatear, two Yellow Wagtail and the Fieldfare again. 

 

 

Lollingdon hill

Sunny spells, 18º, light SW.

Another brief visit to Lollingdon hill and it hosted eight Wheatear (3♂ & 5♀) today, also a single Fieldfare present. One Buzzard flew along the hill calling and another settled briefly before flying off. Usual Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Skylark present.

The garden has quietened down lately the Chiffchaff and Blackcap still visiting the garden trees in song but the Blackcap not feeding on fruit now. Song Thrush and finches (Gold, Green and Chaffinch) still visiting the feeders.

A couple of Tawny Owl visited the garden tonight.

Fieldfare

 

Buzzard

Wheatear with a caterpillar

Work gets in the way doesn’t it?

Sunny, 20º, light wind, a lovely day.

Unfortunately I missed most of the day as I was working!!!

A quick visit to Lollingdon hill on the way home produced five Wheatear and a ♂ Redstart. If, which I think it is the same has been there for five days now which is unusual for a spring migrant. I went there yesterday and met another birder who had been along the hill and had not seen anything so I didn’t bother as the weather was pretty rubbish. The Redstart seems good at disappearing for long periods as I experienced on Sunday. At least three Corn Bunting in song.

To qualify my earlier statement, yes I’ve been volunteering for SOHA this week  and visiting various senior communities around South Oxfordshire and advising them on using technology and combining it with their particular interest, albeit natural history, collecting things, craft etc and has been very rewarding. However it does detract from my normal birding especially at this time of year but I’ll make up for it.

Hedgehog frequent in the garden recently.

 

 

 

Lollingdon hill, Cholsey

Sunny spells, 12º, light to moderate SW, a bit cooler.

The ♂ Redstart still present this morning but then not seen for approx forty minutes before I left so may have moved on?

Two Wheatear (2♀) on the hill and a single Fieldfare and a Raven over, a Blackcap heard singing several Linnet, two Swallow, five Corn Bunting and a few Yellowhammer around.

Up to five Buzzard overhead and a single Red Kite.

Lollingdon hill

Sunny, 16º, light SE, a pretty nice day!

Over four hours spent on Lollingdon hill today, few birds but good quality (for Cholsey).

A ♂ Redstart still present along with five Wheatear (2♂ & 3♀), three flyover Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit were the best of the bunch.

Two Meadow Pipit, a Great-spotted Woodpecker working the Hawthorn bushes (that are just coming in to leaf), a Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and four Yellowhammer and four Corn Bunting nearby and in song were the supporting cast.

Michael Pocock had two Fieldfare and three Whitethroat and five Wheatear (1♂ & 4♀), on the hill this morning.

Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies regular.

Bob Wyatt was on the downs not too far away and had twenty five plus Wheatear, a Whinchat, a Stonechat and several Whitethroat.

Tony Williams visited Cholsey marsh this morning and states there are a few more Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap that have turned up, also a flock of six Goldcrest and a few Long-tailed Tit near the 4-arches railway bridge.

The pair of Mallard still in the garden after dark - 21:30!

 

 

Wheatears & a Redstart

Cloudy, a few sunny spells, 12º, light to moderate NW.

Cholsey marsh still very wet and still draining in to the Thames and still a few Common Snipe there, they have not bred there for a few years so wait and see if any are drumming soon. A few more Sedge Warbler in with eight heard singing, three Whitethroat, four Blackcap, seven Willow Warbler, ten plus Chiffchaff and six Linnet and a pair of Bullfinch there.

Three Lesser Blackback Gull flew west, a Sparrowhawk over and a Kingfisher along the river.

Lollingdon hill hosted eight Wheatear (5♂ & 3♀) and a cracking ♂ Redstart, unfortunately the Redstart stuck to the hawthorns along the top fence line so was always fairly distant.

Also two Wheatear on Cholsey hill.

First Small White butterfly of the year seen today along with more Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.

The Eastender is still getting several Lesser Redpoll visiting his garden along with several Blackcap being of note. Also an impressive count of one hundred and fifteen Slow Worm and a few Grass Snake, pretty good considering the weather this year.

The ♂ Blackcap still visiting the garden along with a regular Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Moorhen and a pair of Mallard. The Mallard are quite amusing as they tap on my neighbours back door to let them know that they are there waiting to be fed and after they sit and chill out in the garden for a while!

 Both keeping and eye on a Buzzard passing over

5 of the Wheatear

 Redstart

 

A little less

Sunny, showers, 14º, still bloody windy!

Cholsey marsh was not as good as yesterday as presumably some birds had moved on!

However, three Willow Warbler, ten plus Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat, two Blackcap, four Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, two Common Sandpiper on the opposite bank of the river, a Cormorant flew down stream and three Lesser Blackback Gull flew south.

Lollingdon hill, although still very windy held six Wheatear (4♂ & 2♀) and a Buzzard flew over.

Again Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies seen.

♂ Blackcap still visiting the garden and feeding on apples.

Wheatears & Blackcaps

Sunny, 15º, light to fresh S, getting warmer.

Four Wheatear (3♂ and a ♀) on Lollingdon hill and two Swallow flew over, a couple of Meadow Pipit. A Kestrel, a pair of Great-spotted Woodpecker on the wooded side and the fields below held close on two hundred Fieldfare, five Redwing, four Mistle Thrush and a handful of Starling. Eight Stock Dove in the ploughed field to the north.

Four Blackcap (3♂ and a ♀, all unringed) in the garden today and feeding on both sultanas and apple, the males feeding quite voraciously on the apples. Now, are these winterers or summer visitors?

Four species of butterfly seen today, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma.

Four Mallards (3♂ and a ♀, seems to be an excess of avian males at the moment) turned up in the garden this evening and a neighbour had put some seed out for them, two that are obviously a pair fed and the male was very aggressive to the other two males and successfully defended her food and her honour.

Another Swallow flew over the meadow this evening.

First Hedgehog of the year seen in the garden tonight.

Not the usual garden day visitor

Overcast, rain, 10º, light wind.

Not much time for birding today and a brief visit to Lollingdon hill produced nothing except for the singing Corn Buntings.

A Wheatear on Cholsey hill and a couple of Corn Bunting again.

Singing Goldcrest and Coal Tit at the JR in Oxford.

A surprise daytime visit of a Muntjac Deer in the garden having a nibble of a favourite food, Tulips!

The two unringed Blackcap still visiting and a Carrion Crow hassling the Rookery by Marymead.

Don’t hold your breath but spring may be here.

Sunny, 10º, light N, still chilly out of the sun.

A couple of hours on Lollingdon hill produced at least one surprise of a Redshank that flew over calling. Where did that come from?

Five Wheatear (3♂, 2♀) present feeding on the hill with one of the ♀’s there flycatching (flycatcher style) quite frequently.

A single Fieldfare on the hill feeding with a small flock of seven Starling, three Meadow Pipit and a flock of twenty plus Starling flew west.

Two Yellowhammer and two Corn Bunting also present in the hedgerow and two Chiffchaff seen, one in either hedgerow (east and west).

A Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly both noted.

Great-spotted Woodpecker and Blackcap still visiting garden.

Lollingdon

Sunny, 8º, still a bitingly cold wind though.

Ventured out to Lollingdon today, two Wheatear on the hill (♂ & ♀), along with six Fieldfare and a single Starling, also a couple of Meadow Pipit and Yellowhammer, the Wheatear kept disappearing down Rabbit dugouts.

The fields below held around thirty Fieldfare and a couple of Redwing and a Little Owl but that was about all!

Blackcap again in garden and  ♂ Brambling in the Eastenders garden since Friday.

Lollingdon

Sunny spells, 4º, light NE, a little milder as a few insects in the air today.

Still at least two Wheatear on Lollingdon hill, if there was a third today it may have been over the top where there is no access, also a few Meadow Pipit around, fifty Fieldfare and three Redwing.

The flooded field is drying rapidly but still up to fifty Lapwing and a few Black-headed Gull there.

A ♀ Blackcap in the garden today to add to the two ♂,s, she must be new as she was feeding on the suet balls whereas the ♂’s although initially on suet balls discovered the sultanas and have fed exclusively on them ever since.

Wheatears

Overcast, 3º, light to moderate NE, at least the birdbath was liquid today!

A brief visit to Lollingdon hill today produced my first Wheatear with three present and struggling to find any insect food. One Wheatear was noted systematically dissecting some sheep droppings, presumably looking for insect larvae and seemed successful.

Tony Williams was on the hill this morning and no Wheatear present so they must have just arrived this afternoon!

A Buzzard present, eight Starling flew over and a distant flock of around one hundred and fifty Lapwing flew towards the downs.

A lot of gulls in the pig fields but too distant for ID.

Brian Wyatt had three Raven in Cholsey yesterday.

Wheatear: Cholsey hill, 14th Mar

Wheatear yesterday on Cholsey Hill also 3 Corn Bunting. (per Ian Burgess)

Wheatear is the 147^th species seen in Oxfordshire so far this year.

Soggy day.

Overcast, light to heavy rain, 14°, light SW.

Lollingdon hill

A rather soggy dull day, the Wheatear still around and a Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest in a hedgerow nearby several Meadow Pipit, Skylark and eight Yellowhammer in nearby fields also four Corn Bunting on the wires.

Cholsey, 18th Oct

Overcast, 16º, a few showers, light to fresh SW.

A milder day but still showery, a fair amount of rain this week has left streams and ditches running high and some partial flooding of some fields.

Quite a few Mistle Thrush around today, around sixteen seen but only in ones or twos and several Jay heard in a few locations.

Some decent Skylark flocks building up with one consisting of around one hundred birds, also some fair sized flocks of Meadow Pipit and an increase in Pied Wagtails with approximately twenty noted.

The Wheatear still present on Lollingdon hill and two Goldcrest on the north side.

A few Common Darter seen and one Red Admiral.

     Red Kite with what appears to be some remains of another bird?

Cholsey, 17th Oct

Sunny spells, 14º, showers, one thundery and a blustery SW wind.

A visit to Lollingdon hill again, the Wheatear still and two Chiffchaff present.

Twelve Buzzard seen, four were in the vicinity for a time but the other eight drifted over the hill and continued south towards the downs. Also several Red Kite, two Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk seen.

At one point, a Raven came over the hill pursuing a Red Kite and after a brief encounter the Red Kite was grounded by the Raven, the Raven then landed about five metres from the Kite and after around thirty seconds flew off towards the downs.

Also a Pied Wagtail visiting a manure heap there.

Cholsey marsh was quiet a few Reed Bunting and a Chiffchaff present, sixteen Siskin flew into an Alder tree and were joined by approximately twenty Goldfinch.

Three Jay flew across the Thames, as did seven Mistle Thrush. Caught the edge of a thundery shower so did not get too much rain and three Swallow flew down river keeping to the edge of the rain.

Further, upstream there were four Cormorant in their usual rest spot and a couple of Great-spotted Woodpecker nearby also a Kingfisher at Bow Bridge.

Six Common Lizard seen and a few Red Admiral, Small White and a Brimstone on the wing several Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.