Dance of the Insects

Cloudy, sunny spells, 20°, very light NW.

Another quiet and warm day on the hill, a single Swift feeding overhead and a single Lesser Blackback Gull flew west.

A Lesser Whitethroat still singing nearby.

A myriad of insects around today, lots of Bees, Hoverflies, day flying moths, assorted bugs and flies, most of which I had no idea what they were.

Dragonflies: An Emperor and 4-spot Chaser on the pond and a ♀ 4-spot Chaser on the hill.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown.

Cinnabar Moth

4-spot Chaser

Brimstone feeding on Lesser Bindweed

Blowin' Free

Mainly cloudy with sunshine and light rain showers, 14°, breezy westerly.

Another windy day on the hill and still relatively quiet, c 20 Swift feeding over the hill on and off and 13 Lesser Blackback Gull flew west.

Grey Heron, Kestrel, Buzzard, Red Kite, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Linnet, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer all noted.
A ♀ Sparrowhawk earlier (per TW).

Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpeckerand Green Woodpecker in the garden.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and 4-spot Chaser seen.

Butterflies: few present in the windy conditions, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Red Admiral.

Dragons and Butter

Sunny, 22°, light SW.

Little of note other than the usual, bird wise, 2 Stock Dove on the hill and 9 Swift drifted north.

A young Crow turned up in the meadow today along with the 2 adult birds!

More about the insects today!

Dragonflies: 2 mating Emperors again plus another male, 2 4-spot Chasers and several of each Common Blue and Azure Damselflies on the pond. In addition a Southern Hawker on the north side of the hill.

Butterflies: fewer around today, Large White, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown.

Southern Hawker

Meadow Brown

Garden in June

Sunny, 20°, light NW.

Time in the garden today with Swifts, Swallows and House Martins almost constantly overhead and the odd Buzzard and Red Kite.

Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch and a couple of House Sparrow all regular on the feeders along with both Blue and Great Tits.

A Great-spotted Woodpecker dropped in a few times along with 2 Moorhen, a single Stock Dove and several Blackbirds with young.

At least 3 Treecreeper this evening working the trees and a Blackcap still singing around the periphery of the garden.

The local pair of Crows have taken exception to the Wood Pigeons that visit the garden and will regularly chase them off.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell.

Lots of Bees visiting the Foxgloves flowering in the garden.

 This Mayfly seen resting up, I think its Ephemera vulgata.

Treecreeper

The song remains the same

Sunny, 21°, moderate NW.

A warm but breezy day on the hill with the usual present and in song.

In addition a Sparrowhawk drifted north, Grey Heron, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 House Martin feeding overhead and a flyover Yellow Wagtail.

Dragonflies: a mating pair of Blue Emperor, several Common Blue Damselfly and Azure Damselfly, also a Four-spotted Chaser.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and another Painted Lady.

Four-spotted Chaser

Great-spotted Woodpecker in the garden

Same but different

Sunny, 21°, light SW.

Much the same as yesterday on the hill, a Grey Wagtail seen down by the pond and a Raven and then a Hobby flew overhead (should have hung about Andy :)).

The Nuthatch in the garden a few times this morning and a couple of Goldcrest.

Cuckoo heard on Cholsey Marsh this afternoon (per HW).

At least 2 Hedgehog frequenting the garden recently.

Dragonflies: Blue Emperor and some blue damsels, probably Azure Damselfly. (Unable to get close).

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell.

A Common Spotted Orchid has flowered in the garden again this year.

The Hill and the Garden

Mainly cloudy with some sunny spells, 18°, light NE.

Fairly quiet on the hill, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff still in song and a couple of young Robins present. An unexpected Cuckoo that flew in settled on a distant fence post for a short time and then flew in to the trees and not seen again, possibly an adult bird on its way back south?

A Nuthatch appeared in the garden this evening (2nd record) and hung around for about 20 minutes before moving off and a family group of 6 Wrens spent the afternoon in the garden, also a young Robin present and a Great-spotted Woodpecker on the feeders.

Mammals: Brown Hare, Grey Squirrel.

Amphibians: a dead Common Frog on the north side of the hill.

Dragonflies: a Blue Emperor patrolling the pond.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Common Blue.

Nuthatch

Cuckoo

Young Wren

Brown Hare

Another new one for the year

 Mostly cloudy with a few sunny spells, 16°, light NE.

Another walk out to Lollingdon hill today, very little “en route” other than the usual.


A Quail heard a couple of times calling from the hill side with its distinctive call but unable to track it down (a new species for the year) also a Raven flew high south towards the downs and Great-spotted Woodpecker working the Hawthorn bushes on the hill.

A singing Lesser Whitethroat in the vicinity of the hill and another closer to the village.

12 Red Kite over a field that was being cut for hay and up to 4 Buzzard in the air over the hill.

A singing Reed Bunting still present near the hill and 4 Swift and a single Yellow Wagtail also seen.

3 Mistle Thrush on the playing field.

Dragonflies: a small unidentified hawker (possibly Hairy Dragonfly) flew across the hill.

Butterflies: not many around, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue.

Playful but trying!

 A rather playful but annoying Grey Squirrel in the garden, has been emptying neighbours and some of my bird feeders and attempting to dig up a rose bush.

 

 

 

Uneventful

Sunny, 16°, light N.

Rather repetitious birding on the hill lately, just the usual summer visitors and residents’ busy breeding and holding territory.

7 Swift flew overhead feeding and a Grey Heron and Yellow Wagtail of note.

On the walk out and around the hill 9 Yellowhammer noted in song.

Butterflies: few around, Large White, Small White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood and Common Blue, also 2 more Painted Lady.

Cholsey to Wallingford

Sunny, 17°, light to mod SSW.

A walk alongside the Bunk line to Wallingford today.

A few Swallow and House Martin feeding over the fields near the church, also Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer and Linnet noted.

A field that was being cut for hay had 24 Red Kite and a single Buzzard overhead and a Lesser Blackback Gull over.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Orange Tip, Large Skipper, Brown Argus and Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell and a Painted Lady in the garden.

Weather improving......at last!

Sunny, 19°, light S.

A walk out to the Lees and beyond today, several Goldcrest in the school wood and quite a few Swallow and House Martin between Marymead and Manor Farm.

A singing Corn Bunting and a pair of Reed Bunting out towards the Lees and a Mistle Thrush flew over.

The “Long Dyke” had a couple of species of Damselfly present and a Demoiselle also.

A pair of Yellow Wagtail, several Skylark and another Corn Bunting and a Grey Heron along one of the field edges.

The “Reedy Ditch” had at least 3 Reed Warbler and 5 Sedge Warbler present along with 2 pair of Reed Bunting.

A Peregrine seen on the way back resting up on a pylon and the Indian Peafowl still present in the area.

Dragonflies: Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly and Banded Demoiselle.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.

All manner of flying things.

Sunny, 19°, light to mod SE.

A sunny and warm day with a mild south easterly wind.

Almost an air show today on the hill but alas not of birds, initially there was a paraglider on the hill but he was unable to catch a thermal so spent around 30 minutes gliding backwards and forwards over the hill before departing on foot.

Then after that a Hurricane flew over and proceeded to do a series of aerobatics, loop the loops, rolls etc: just to the south of the hill and then shortly after that a Wildcat? military helicopter flew low over the hill heading south.

Anyway back to the birds etc: On the walk out and around the hill I counted 12 singing Whitethroat making it the most abundant warbler locally. A Reed Bunting singing from a field of oil seed rape, several Blackcap, Chiffchaff and a Lesser Whitethroat also noted.

The usual Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Skylark around the hill.

A single Lesser Blackback Gull flew north and closer to the village a Greenfinch in display flight and a Bullfinch seen.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, Common Blue and the first Painted Lady of the year.

East End News

Per Tony Rayner

Today's butterflies in our meadow - Common Blue (20) mostly males; Brown Argus (2); Small Copper (3), Brimstone (2); Large White (1); Small White (1); Orange Tip female (1), Speckled Wood (2); Holly Blue(2).

Burnet Companion moth (3). Azure Damselflies (10).

Green & Great-Spotted Woodpeckers; Hobby; Buzzard & Red Kite among today's birds.

A Muntjac was calling continuously through the night and seen today.

Also I have an unsubstantiated report of a Spotted Flycatcher near the village centre - will follow this up.

Another windy one!

Sunny intervals and rain showers, 16°, fresh westerly.

Another breezy day on the hill but a little milder than of late.

Still not much on the hill but a wander around to the north produced a Hobby, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 5 Red Kite, 2 Buzzard, Blackcap (5, with several gathering food), Whitethroat (6), Chiffchaff (3 singing), 3 Swift, 3 House Martin, 6 Swallow, Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker and 2 Lesser Blackback Gull flying west.

Butterflies: 2 Large White and 2 Orange Tip.