Brief visit.

Sunny, 24º, no wind.

Working at the Wallingford Bunkfest this week so managed to grab an hour on Lollingdon hill this evening............................3 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs and a single Redstart on the hill. 30+ Goldfinch dropped in to feed on the thistle heads on the hill and a flock of 100+ Corvids visiting.

A couple of photos from yesterday of Small Copper and Common Blues from Wittenham Clumps.

 Rooks & Jackdaws

 Young Goldfinch

 Small Copper

Common Blues

Moving through

Sunny spells, 22 º, a few showers, light winds.

A walk around Lollingdon hill this evening produced a Redstart, Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, A Green Woodpecker on the hill and another in the garden of the manor house, a Mistle Thrush, 2 Magpie, a Buzzard and 2 Kestrel, also several Swallow and House Martin moving south overhead and lots of Corvids on surrounding fields. A steady trickle of Lesser Blackback Gulls flying north presumably to roost sites.

2 Swifts over Wallingford yesterday.

 Green Woodpecker

Rooks and Jackdaws

 

Another Redstart

Sunny, 24º, breezy W.

A few visits to Lollingdon hill recently has proved rather quiet with just the odd Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler moving through, today was different with the addition of a Redstart present along a hedgerow to the south.

A Buzzard, 2 Red Kite and 3 Kestrel present on the hill but little else. The farmland between the village and the hill was relatively quiet, a few Chiffchaff around and the odd Yellowhammer and Linnet, a Yellow Wagtail flew over West End.

Several hundred Lesser Blackback Gulls and a handful of Black-headed Gulls in the area and up to 500 corvids (Rooks & Jackdaws) also.

A Peregrine Falcon seen on Cholsey hill yesterday.

Both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker in the garden lately and the Sparrowhawks still visiting!

A few butterflies seen today, mainly Large and Small White, also Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Red Admiral, a Clouded Yellow seen yesterday in the allotments near West End.

A Migrant Hawker found a little stunned by the road at Marymead and released in a safe place.

A single Swift seen over Cholsey Marsh (per MA)

Thanks to Loren Chaplin for most of todays pics.

 Bracket Fungus

 Red Admiral

 Migrant Hawker

 A few action shots

 

The land of Parakeets

Just back from several days in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, not a lot of birding done but could not help noticing the abundance of Ring-necked Parakeets with over 1000 seen in 3 days, many birds flying around especially near the Thames and they are also a rather noisy species. These birds are a rarity in Oxfordshire but are almost regarded as a pest species in parts of Surrey!

The only other bird seen in abundance were Starling with up to a thousand seen each evening flying in the same direction presumably to a roost site?

As we were close to the Thames and a reservoir there were the usual riparian species (Grey Heron, Kingfisher etc)Heron, KingfisherHHH, lots of Gulls going to roost on the res (that had no public access) and plenty of Hirundines and the odd Swift feeding over it on most days.

Sparrowhawks

This week has seen an increase in visits by both male and female Sparrowhawks to the garden and Wood Pigeon seems to be on the menu!

This morning the male visited for brunch.

Warblers and Hirundines on the move.

Sunny, 24º, fresh W.

Not much happening on the hill today, highlight of a juv Yellow Wagtail present, 2 Kestrel hunting the hill and a few Buzzard and Red Kite present.

The corvid flock was back in the pig fields along with ever increasing numbers of Lesser Blackback Gulls (200+).

A juv Wood Pigeon taken by a ♀ Sparrowhawk in the garden today, a good percentage eaten but most left as she could not carry it, a few Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and a Blackcap seen in the garden over the week end.

A good hirundine passage at the moment with mainly Swallows passing through the village with the biggest concentration flying downriver along the Thames.

Very few butterflies seen today but a Clouded Yellow noted close to the western edge of the parish at the week end (per TW).

Autumn movement begining

Sunny spells, 24º, light S.

A few hours on Lollingdon hill yesterday and most of the Rooks and Jackdaws must have been there also with a flock of up to 500 present feeding on a recently ploughed field on the top of the hill.

At least 3 Willow Warbler present in one of the hedgerows but very little movement noted, the odd Swift passing over but most have already left their breeding areas. A few Swallow feeding overhead, a Kestrel hunting on the hill and several Buzzard and Red Kite over the hill and a single Lesser Blackback Gull over.

A couple of Common Tern seen along the river near Bow Bridge earlier in the week and an increase in Black-headed Gull movement along the river and also over the village.

The garden still busy with the addition of a Willow Warbler present in the week and a Hedgehog visiting regularly and several Tawny Owls also regular including a young bird that frequents the garden.

Holly Blue and Common Blue butterflies around and a few Red Admirals also present now, also Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Large and Small White, Comma etc.

 

 Rooks and Jackdaws

 Rooks

Faint image of a young Tawny Owl perched on a garden feeder

Kite goes walkabout

Past week, showers some thundery, sunny,max 30º+, variable light winds.

At least some rain after the last few weeks of dry conditions, have not been out birding much these last few days due to circumstances but still noting a few things around.

Lots of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins around with numbers augmented by youngsters on the wing.

Some recent visitors to the garden have been the Nuthatches again with one on the nut feeder and another in one of the trees, also Coal Tits and Treecreepers present, these seem to be moving around the meadow area with a larger flock of Tits and warblers.

This Red Kite decided to go walkabout in the meadow.

Sun & Thunder

Sunny spells, 30º, thunder storms!

A couple of hours on Lollingdon hill between thunder storms, a Redstart heard calling from the hedgerow leading south towards the A417 and seen briefly, also at least two Chiffchaff along the western hedge and some young Linnet.

At one point there were 4 Buzzard, 5 Red Kite and a Kestrel over the hill.

A large flock of Rook with some Jackdaws feeding in the pig fields at the moment (c400) and approx 200 Lesser Blackback Gulls seen in the area.

A Nuthatch heard at the week end in the trees in the garden (new species for garden) but not seen and TW has had a family party of them visiting his garden recently over several days and they then move off in to the meadow that backs on to my garden so hopefully I could expect to see them soon.

Lots of butterflies around today also, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large, Small and Marbled White, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper, and Common Blue, TW also had a Holly Blue today in his garden and I had a Large Emerald moth roosting in the garden on Sunday.

Also a few Grass Snakes around in various places (per BH & TW).

A couple of Magpie managing to sneak in to the garden recently!

 Magpie

 Common Buzzard

 Common Blue

 Brimstone

Large Emerald

30º at last!

The last few days have been warm and sunny, with temps touching 30º at times and very little wind.

Lollingdon hill yesterday was quiet, only a Yellow Wagtail of note collecting food  amongst the Sheep, the usual Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers and Linnets present.

Today a Lesser Whitethroat singing north of Cholsey Marsh, a Garden Warbler seen and a couple of Kingfishers, also around twenty Swallows on wires near the end of Caps Lane, mainly young and still being fed by the adults, probably about three broods worth.

Unusually two Magpies in the garden this morning, the local Crow must have been otherwise engaged as he did not appear to chase them off! Also two Treecreeper present for a time on the Lime Trees, two Mallards, four Moorhens and a Great-spotted Woodpecker still regular visitors.

Lots of butterflies around today with Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper being the most numerous, Small Tortoiseshell, Large and Small Skipper, Marbled, Large and Small White, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Banded Demoiselle and Brown Hawker Dragonfly noted.

 Yellow Wagtail

  Gatekeeper

 

Young Swallows

Moorhens and sunny days

Sunny, 24º, light breeze.

Spent a few hours enjoying the sunshine on Lollingdon hill today, just watching and listening.

A meadow being cut for hay was attended by several quartering Red Kite and a Buzzard that just sat at the field edge waiting for anything to appear that maybe edible and a Kestrel hunting Grasshoppers on the hill.

At least one adult and two young Chiffchaff seen, they maybe on the move! Still the odd song from Linnet, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer going on and some young Corn Bunting seen, also a couple of Yellow Wagtail flew over.

Butterflies today were – Small White, Large White, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Skipper, Speckled Wood and Ringlet.

Two young Robins in the garden this week and all four Moorhens around, they are certainly characters and have been spending a lot of time in the garden as some sort of sanctuary as they rarely get disturbed and can rest, preen and feed at ease.

Only one House Martins nest at Marymead again this year and two Tawny Owls in the garden tonight.
 

The Moorhens in the garden

 

Crows bonding session in the meadow

Hot and Sunny

Sunny, 26º, a nice cooling NNE breeze.

A walk out around the farm land and Lollingdon hill today, nothing unexpected and little of note.

Around half dozen Corn Bunting still in song, two Yellow Wagtail seen and a Hobby.

I was alerted to the presence of the Hobby by a Swallow alarm call, I looked around and eventually saw the Hobby coming towards me in the distance, and how the Swallow saw it I do not know as it must have been well over a kilometre away when it gave the alarm.

The garden has been quite active recently with a visit of a Green Woodpecker, both male and female Great-spotted Woodpecker and four Moorhen (2 adults and 2 young) and plenty of visiting finches.

Young Green Woodpecker

Young Moorhens

 

Red Kite

Summers arrived? Maybe!

Sunny, 22º, light wind.

A fair old walk today in brilliant sunshine to Wallingford then back along the river, bird wise fairly quiet. A couple of Nuthatch on the other bank of the river heard calling and two Jay near Bow Bridge, a couple of Kingfisher seen and Cholsey Marsh was rather quiet also. Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff all seen and heard, a couple of Cormorant flying down river and three Black-headed Gull feeding along the river.

Plenty of butterflies around today, Marbled White, Large White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Skipper and a couple of Common Blue, only dragons seen were Banded Demoiselle.

A nest of Tree Bumblebees in the garden in an old bird nest box and have been collecting pollen from the Foxgloves in the garden.

An anticipated visitor

Cloudy, few sunny spells, 20º, light winds

I wondered when this one would turn up, the young Moorhen finally arrived up in the garden today, initially with one of the adults but then has been around by him/her self. Also some young Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch being fed in the garden today.

Moorhen Jnr

Young Goldfinch being fed by adult 

 Greenfinches and Chaffinch

One of the garden Wrens

A pleasant walk

Sunny spells, 20º, breezy WNW.

A pleasant walk out west today but quiet, Chiffchaff and Blackcap still singing well but otherwise fairly quiet, the “acros” along the reedy stream were generally quiet but a few seen carrying food so hopefully quite a few young soon to be seen and three sites with singing Goldcrest.

Three young Song Thrush seen near Lollingdon hill and a flock of around a dozen Long-tailed Tit.

Other species noted were Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Grey Partridge, Yellow Wagtail (2 areas), Mistle Thrush, Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker and the three Bunting species.

Around twenty five Swift feeding over Cholsey Church area.

A lot of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies today and Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown but only one White (large).

Mistle Thrush collecting food

Red-legged Partridge and Yellowhammer

Long-tailed Tit

 Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell

Meadow Brown