Lollingdon hill, 20th Jan

Sunny spells, 8º, very still.

Lollingdon hill very quiet today a couple of Red Kite, a Buzzard and a Kestrel over and a few Blackbird and 3 Robins on the hill.

The fields to the north of the hill by contrast were quite noisy with a flock of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling all perched in the trees and making a constant chattering that was audible from a fair distance also a couple of Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush present.

A couple of distant Grey Partridge, a Pheasant on the north side and a Grey Heron at the pond.

Another flock of winter thrush on the village side of Cholsey hill and a small flock of c20 Linnet.

Jelly Ear Fungus

WET!

Sunny spells, 8º, light SSE.

A soggy walk out to Lollingdon hill and after last night’s downpour the flooding in the fields has grown and subsequently there were over 200 Gulls on the local playing fields enjoying the overly damp conditions.

At least 3 Bullfinch in the millennium wood and a Coal Tit and a Nuthatch around the Bullshole area with a Tit flock.

A thrush flock of around 200 birds (mainly Redwing) on the way out to Lollingdon and another of a similar size (mainly Fieldfare) and with accompanying Starlings (c60) in fields next to the hill.

The Stonechat seen briefly again and a Corn Bunting there also, 4 Buzzard (2 pairs patrolling their ariel border), 2 Red Kite and a Kestrel taking advantage of the bright skies. A Grey Heron and a couple of Yellowhammer also noted.

A Sparrowhawk later in the day over Marymead.

 Corn Bunting

 Buzzard

 Kestrel

 Buzzard

 Fieldfare & Starling

Out East

Cloudy, frequent showers, 8º, light SW.

East of the village, Bunk line, Green Lane, Caps Lane & Bow Bridge, very wet everywhere and visibility poor.

A flock of c120 Lapwing and c200 Golden Plover in flooded fields near the Bunk line along with c80 Starling, 20+ Pied Wagtail around Cholsey SF and approx another 30 scattered around.

2 Green Woodpecker seen and a Great-spotted Woodpecker heard drumming.

Several Tit flocks, a single Goldcrest and Yellowhammer also noted along Green Lane.

Good numbers of thrushes around with 400+ Fieldfare, 200+ Redwing, c60 Blackbird, 20+ Song Thrush and 2 Mistle Thrush feeding in open fields and along the hedgerows.

100+ Chaffinch, 60+ Goldfinch, 30 Siskin, 20+ Greenfinch, 6 House Sparrow  and a single Lesser Redpoll.

5 Cormorant along the river, 2 Jay, 3 Buzzard & 7 Red Kite.

Treecreeper in the garden again.

 Siskin

 Siskin

 Siskin

 Siskin

 Redwing

 Redwing

 Golden Plover & Lapwing

 Golden Plover

 Golden Plover & Lapwing

Blackcaps & Sparrowhawk

Cloudy, 10º, light SW.

A few pics from the garden today as a ♂ Blackcap turned up to accompany the ♀ that has been present since the end of last year.

Also a Sparrowhawk flew through the garden and settled for a time on the fence before flying off across the meadow.

 ♀ Blackcap

 

 ♂ Blackcap

 Sparrowhawk

A beak full of berry.

Sunny, 8º, light SW.

Bullfinch

A nice bright day but still very soggy underfoot so a walk out west was in order.

 2 very smart Bullfinch seen in the millennium wood feeding on berries and a tit flock consisting of around 20 birds (Great, Blue & Long-tailed) seen around the Bullshole area and a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by some Rooks and then bumped in to Tony Williams who was just walking back from Lollingdon.

The Stonechat was still present on Lollingdon hill but seen only briefly by myself and seen earlier by TW, also around a dozen Meadow Pipit on the hill and a couple of Pied Wagtail.

A Kestrel noted catching worms and good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing in all areas probably around 3-400 birds in total, 30+ Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush, 2 Buzzard, 5 Red Kite, several Skylark a Yellowhammer, several more Meadow Pipit, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Green Woodpecker.

Could not find the Stonechat around the Lees area but may still be around however 2 Jay seen and another Buzzard.

A Treecreeper in the garden again today along with the Blackcap and a Song Thrush singing for the last few days nearby just after dawn, also the Tawny Owls still vocal in the garden overnight.

TW mentioned he saw a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly in his garden on Saturday 11^th Jan and I saw another near Cholsey church today!

 Great Tit

 Sparrowhawk

 Meadow Pipit