Stonechat

Mainly cloudy with a few sunny spells and a few light rain showers, 5°, light W.

The first Stonechat of the year on Lollingdon hill today along with a few Pied Wagtail. Hopefully the start of some movement.

Little else noted other than approximately 100 of each Fieldfare and Redwing and a flock of 80+ Linnet and 12+ Yellowhammer.

Spearhafoc

A showery day with a blustery westerly, 5°.

Managed to get a few shots of a couple of today's garden visitors.

The Sparrowhawk came in a spent a few minutes looking around and a pair of Mallard dropped in. Whilst the female fed the male stood watch.

Nuthatch still visiting and the Blackcap still present.

The extra day

Cloudy with a few sunny periods, 7°, very little wind SSW.

Pretty quiet again on the hill. The recently ploughed field hosted 28 Pied Wagtail and the south face of the hill had 4 Fieldfare and 21 Starling feeding there but that was about it.

100+ Redwing flew over heading north and a few Fieldfare around the fields to the north and a couple of Yellowhammer.

A Treecreeper in the garden today and giving a few bursts of song, the male Blackcap still feeding up on apples and a Nuthatch, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Coal Tit, Green Woodpecker, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Sparrowhawk amongst other visitors.

A Tawny Owl flew over the meadow at dusk yesterday.

Siberian Chiffchaff

Earlier this month Roger Wyatt was fortunate to find a first for Cholsey.

The species in question was a Siberian Chiffchaff with not just one but two together at a private site in the village.

A Firecrest also seen at the same site and a Common Chiffchaff.

(Some authorities regard Siberian Chiffchaff as a sub-species of Common Chiffchaff and others a full species in its own right. However that debate is for another time.)

Photos courtesy Roger Wyatt

Gulls Galore

Cloudy with some sunshine, 5°, light SSE.

A walk out to Lollingdon hill, several Redwing and Song Thrush feeding in the playing field and a Coal Tit along the hedgerow adjacent to the brook.

A couple of Siskin flew overhead with a small flock of Goldfinch.

The other side of the Bullshole was a sizable flock of small birds comprising c150 Linnet, 18 Yellowhammer, 9 Greenfinch and several Chaffinch at least.

A Sparrowhawk flew through to the north of the hill.

A small field to the south of the hill had been half ploughed and was frequented by a single Lesser Blackback Gull. Around 10 minutes later a tractor arrived to complete the ploughing and within 15 minutes had attracted 1000+ Gulls, 16 Red Kite and a flock of c50 Starling.

The gull flock was predominately Black-headed Gull with well over 700, the rest made up by Lesser Blackback Gull, at least 12 Common Gull and 2 Herring Gull.

Quiet times

Sunny, 5°, light N.

A walk along the Bunk line this afternoon with very little noted.

A Chiffchaff was about all worth reporting and the odd Redwing and Fieldfare present.

A Grey Heron flew over the garden at dusk followed shortly after by a Tawny Owl and a Sparrowhawk took a Blackbird from the garden earlier in the day.

This Wren was the only bird that posed for a pic.

Cholsey Marsh roost

Sunny, 6°, light NNE.

Close on 200 Corn Bunting in this evenings roost at Cholsey Marsh, also 80+ Meadow Pipit and 20 Starling.

A couple of Reed Bunting in song on the marsh and 2 Treecreeper in the riverside Alders and a couple of Siskin also present.

2 Great Crested Grebe on the river along with several Canada Geese and Greylag Geese and at least 3 Kingfisher along the same stretch of river.

A Grey Heron on the opposite bank and 3 Cormorant overhead.

A couple of Water Rail quite vocal on the marsh at dusk.

Lollingdon

Cloudy with a few sunny spells, 7°, light WNW.

Another quiet time out at Lollingdon, c200 Fieldfare and a handful of Redwing, a Kingfisher, 1 Chiffchaff with a Tit flock and a few Yellowhammer.

Close on 1000 Gulls seen distantly on a recently ploughed field and a few Skylark in song and a few small Starling flocks around.

A female Shoveler seen on the Thames at Cholsey Marsh yesterday (per Bob Wyatt).

Siskin

Mild and wet, 11°, breezy W.

The first Siskin of the winter on the feeders today.

A Sparrowhawk flew through the garden late afternoon and a Red Kite touched down briefly.

The male Blackcap still present and Nuthatch, Great-spotted and Green Woodpecker visiting the garden today.

A Merlin seen to fly through the EastEnder’s garden today and the Redpolls still present on the feeders.

Still quiet

Sunny but clouding over, 8°, breezy SSW.

Still pretty quiet out at Lollingdon, the most notable was a Woodcock flushed from a ditch almost the same spot as last winter.

Fewer thrushes around than earlier in the week but still 5 species noted.

A Kingfisher, 9 Yellowhammer, 30+ Linnet and a couple of Bullfinch, 6 Buzzard also noted.

A Barn Owl still present along the Bunk line and a Peregrine took a Song Thrush in the same area (per TW).

Garden Time

Sunny, 5°, light S.

A cold and frosty start to the day and a few things to catch up with in the garden.

A couple of Mistle Thrush and a small flock of Redwing in the meadow and a Sparrowhawk flew over mid-afternoon.

The Rooks nearby are repairing nests at the moment flying backwards and forwards with new nesting material.

The Moorhens seem to spending a fair amount of time in the garden these days and a pair of Mallard arrived and spent around 15 minutes there.

Other visitors were: Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker, male Blackcap, and 3 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Stock Dove plus the other regulars.

Not a lot happening

Sunny spells, 5°, light NNW.

Lollingdon:

Little change from Friday, lots of Thrushes (5 species) scattered around feeding in the fields.

Several Yellowhammer and 2 Reed Bunting and a number of Lesser Blackback Gull on the partial floods.

Several Roe Deer.

 

Lollingdon & Garden

Cloudy, 6°, light E.

Lollingdon visited today and 2 Raven seen flying south over the hill was the most notable.

Quite a few Thrushes around scattered in the fields between Lollingdon and Cholsey village, 250+ Fieldfare, 120+ Redwing, 20+ Blackbird, 12 Song Thrush and 5 Mistle Thrush.

Also several small flocks of Siskin overhead, around 30 birds in total.

Both male and female Blackcap feeding in the garden today with the male being somewhat belligerent and chasing the female off on several occasions.

The female has a standard ring on her right leg.

The Lees

Sunny skies, 5°, light SSE.

A walk out to the farm land by the Lees today.

Relatively quiet, a Peregrine seen resting up on one of the pylons and around 20 Skylark and a small flock of Lesser Blackback Gull out on the partial floods in the fields.

A small flock of finches at the Lees of several Goldfinch, Siskin and at least one Lesser Redpoll and a Chiffchaff with a Tit flock.

Several Buzzard and Red Kite around and a flock of c30 Fieldfare and a couple of Redwing in trees by the railway bridge.

A Kingfisher seen flying along one of the brooks out by the Lees (per Phil & Mary).

A Hedgehog feeding in the garden last night.

Cholsey Marsh

Sunny at first then clouding over with a breezy WSW wind, 6°.

120+ Corn Bunting in the roost this evening and a handful of Meadow Pipit.

Little else of note other than a few Redwing and Fieldfare, plus a Chiffchaff, 2 Water Rail and a Sparrowhawk.