Fieldfares

Hazy sunshine, high cloud, 15º, light NE.

The hill again...............................5 Wheatear today and a Skylark feeding along the south face and a Corn Bunting singing from the Hawthorns, 7 Corn Bunting seen in total on the hill.

6 Common Whitethroat noted around the hill today along with the usual couple of Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and several Yellowhammer and a Willow Warbler.

5 Song Thrush seen including 2 in song and surprisingly 2 Fieldfare present in one of the paddocks probably the latest I’ve seen Fieldfare in Oxon.

2 Swallow flew north.

Butterflies evident today with Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock relatively common, 3 Green-veined White, 2 Orange Tip and a Small White.

 

 Skylark

 Skylark

 Corn Bunting

 One of the Fieldfare

 The other Fieldfare

 The grass is greener? (courtesy Loren)

 Guess who (courtesy Loren)

Blackbird 1 Sparrowhawk 0

Yesterday evening there was a commotion in the garden and looking out of the living room window we saw a ♂ Sparrowhawk that had one of the young Blackbirds pinned to the ground.

The ♂ Blackbird and the other youngster were dive bombing the Sparrowhawk in an attempt to drive him away.

At that point I raced to the other room to get my camera. When I got back all the birds had gone so we were at a loss to explain what had further transpired.

Had we lost one of the Blackbirds or not?

Fortunately this morning both young Blackbirds were still present feeding in the garden with Dad so presumably the parent and siblings actions saved the day.

Mum was busy collecting nesting material today! 2^nd brood on the way, maybe?

 

Cholsey & Churn

Cloudy, light rain (heavier later), 14º, breezy from the SW.

A visit to the hill again today located 3 Wheatear (2♀ & 1♂), a single Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Red Kite around the south face, 4 Swallows flew over and a single Yellow Wagtail.

Approximately 20 Linnet in the vicinity today, the usual Corn Buntings and Yellowhammer, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 4 Common Whitethroat and 2 Willow Warbler.

A visit to Churn after found 2 Shelduck initially then flew off, up to 8 Lapwing, 4+ Yellow Wagtail and several Corn Bunting and Common Whitethroat and a couple of Curlew heard in the distance (30 Sand Martin flew through yesterday (per TW).

And a scarce garden bird turned up today in the form of a Starling that spent a couple of minutes foraging in the garden before flying off, have seen a few flying over the garden recently so am assuming they are breeding nearby.

 Yellow Wagtail

 Corn Bunting

 Shelduck leaving

 Yellow Wagtail

 Skylark descending

 Starling in garden

 Buff-tail (courtesy Loren)

 Cowslips (courtesy Loren)

A wet one.

Thunderstorms, 15º, light variable.

We arrived on the hill this afternoon just prior to a thunderstorm moving overhead so we sat in the car for around 30 minutes until it passed.

A relatively quiet hill today, 2 Wheatear still present, 12 Swallow flew through, 5 Corn Bunting in song, a couple of Yellowhammer and Skylark, 3 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, a Grey Heron, and a Mistle Thrush.

A Red Kite and 2 Buzzard also flew over. 

Around an hour later another thunderstorm came through so we decided to make tracks and get home before the rain became too heavy.

 Wheatear

 Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesli) (Courtesy Loren)

Brown-lipped Snail (courtesy Loren)

 After the Storm (courtesy Loren)

Rainy days and Holidays

Rain, 12º, light to moderate ESE.

The Easter holidays and typical weather!

A visit to the hill this afternoon in rather wet conditions, however, at least 2 Wheatear sat on the hill and not very active given the weather conditions.

A couple of Corn Bunting and Skylark in song believe it or not in the rain! 

2 Yellowhammer, a Common Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler in the hedgerow to the west and another Common Whitethroat at the bottom of the north side and 4 Swallow overhead, also a Yellow Wagtail near the large dung heap.

As the rain got heavier we decided to head back home and around 90 minutes.

 

 Whitethroat doing it's best to avoid the camera!

Yellowhammer