Gone quiet

Cloudy with some sunny intervals, 10°, light NW.

A quiet afternoon along the Bunk area today, 12+ Swallow, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and several Meadow Pipit.

Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese present in the usual spot but little else around.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: a few Whites, a Red Admiral and a Comma.

AD & PC.

Yellow Field Cap

Aurora put on a brief show tonight

Cholsey

Overcast, 17°, breezy W.

Alan out today.

A lot of Hirundine movement this morning.

Several Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, a Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Raven and a Hobby over but little else.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald.

Butterflies: Red Admiral & Comma.

Willow Emerald courtesy Alan

River

Sunny, 29°, breezy SW.

Alan went out at a more sensible time of day.

Yellow Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff and most of the usual suspects present.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damsel, Azure Damsel, Small Red-eyed Damsel, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker and Willow Emerald.

Butterflies: Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Brown Argus, Common Blue and Peacock.

Arachnids: Wasp Spider.

Brown Hawker

Willow Emerald

Wasp Spider

Quietish

Sunny periods, 21°, breezy SW.

River area, per Alan: Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, House Martin, Swallow and Kingfisher.

Approx. 50 Swift moving over Westfield rd.

Lollingdon area fairly quiet. Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Swallow, House Martin etc.

Dragonflies: Emperor, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Willow Emerald, Red-eyed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle and Beautiful Demoiselle.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Comma, Speckled Wood and Small Skipper.

A series of Yellowhammer pics

 

River & Meadows

Mainly sunny, 15°, light SSW.

River/Meadows. Per Alan.

Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Usual Geese, Pied Wagtail, Redwing and Fieldfare.

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

Butterflies: Small White and Red Admiral.

Reed Bunting courtesy Alan

Willow Emerald

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

Autumnal

Mainly sunny, 16°, breezy W.

Lollingdon. 2 Wheatear, Little Egret, Stonechat, Corn Bunting, several Meadow Pipit and Chiffchaff. Per Alan.

Yesterday out at Lollingdon c300 Meadow Pipit, numbers of Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Skylark and Finches. Per Tony Williams and 2 Common Snipe. Per Andy King.

A Stonechat at the Winterbrook end of Bunk. Per John Taylor.

Dragonfly: Cholsey Meadows. 5 pair of Willow Emerald Damsel, a Migrant Hawker and many Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Willow Emeralds courtesy Alan

Wheatear courtesy Alan

A few migrants moving

A sunshiny day, 28°, light E.

Both along Bunk line in the morning/early afternoon. 3 Yellow Wagtail, a Redstart, a Willow Warbler, several Chiffchaff, and Blackcap and 2 Common Whitethroat.

A steady flow of Swallow passing thru plus a few House Martin. At least 2 Raven, 100+ Lesser Blackback Gull, several Black-headed Gull and 2 Herring Gull.

Alan also covered Bunk line and River later.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald, Emperor, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Small Heath.

Insects: Hornet Robberfly.

Photos courtesy Alan  

Raven

Migrant Hawker

Willow Emerald

Chiffchaff ↕

Hornet Robberfly

Willow Emerald

Another sunny day, 24°, light S.

Fortunately the Willow Emerald Damselfly population at Cholsey Meadows survived the drastic clear-out of the ponds by contractors over the winter.

Alan found a couple today. First for the year.

Alan managed the Bunk line today as well as the Marsh and Meadows. Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow and Lesser Blackback Gull.

I went out to Lollingdon but with little success: 3 Blackcap and 14 Chiffchaff and that was about it.

Although a Redstart was calling from somewhere in the school playing field area, presumably the one seen near the church the other day. Possibly a second one there?

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: all sites, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 1 Emerald Damselfly, 2 Willow Emerald Damselfly, Emperor, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter and Ruddy Darter.

Butterflies: all site, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Arachnids: 4 Wasp Spider.

all pics courtesy Alan.  

Willow Emerald

Emerald Damsel

Migrant Hawker

Small Red-eyed Damsel

Wasp Spider

A trickle of migrants

Mainly cloudy with minimal sunshine, 17°, light N.

Busy on the hill today, 3 Stonechat, a Wheatear, a Common Redstart, 10+ Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 3 Yellowhammer, a few Skylark, 2 Jay and a handful of Swallow and House Martin thru.

Alan along Bunk line: Stonechat still present plus several Chiffchaff and Meadow Pipit, Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Corn Bunting and a Raven over.

Dragonflies: Common Darter. Tony W found a Willow Emerald in his garden.

Butterflies: Small White, Green-veined White, Common Blue, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood.

Stonechat

Wheatear ↕

Stonechat ↕

Gone quiet

Mainly sunny, 25°, light SSW.

A rather quiet day all round with Lollingdon and Bunk line covered.

Very few migrants noted, a few Swallow and House Martin, several Chiffchaff and Yellow Wagtail and a single Common Whitethroat.

The regular Yellowhammer and Linnet ever present and the odd Kestrel.

Appears to be an increase in Buzzard numbers recently.

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

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, a Clouded Yellow, 2 Common Blue, a Peacock and a few Speckled Wood.

Paul & Alan.

Kestrel courtesy Alan

Willow Emerald courtesy Alan

Common Buzzard

Cooler?

Sunny at first then clouding up, 28°, light WSW.

Lollingdon Hill quite busy today at least 12 Red Kite and up to 4 Buzzard overhead and a flock of c 80 Corvids. Mainly Rook with c20 Jackdaw and 4 Raven put in an appearance.

Singles of Mistle Thrush, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat and 2 Blackcap.

Nearby, 2 Little Owl calling and several Yellow Wagtail, plus the usual Yellowhammer and Linnet.

Alan covered the Bunk and River: Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail and Yellowhammer.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald Damselfly, Common Emerald Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Emperor, Ruddy Darter & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper & Meadow Brown.

Arachnids: Wasp Spider.

Yellow Wagtail

Brown Hare ↕

Migrant Hawker courtesy Alan

Yellow Wagtail

Wasp Spider with Red-eyed Damsel as prey courtesy Alan

Common Emerald courtesy Alan