A busy Hill but not with birds

Cloudy with sunny spells later, 22°, fresh S.

The south side of the Hill was fairly dire for birds today as there was a stiff southerly breeze blowing on to the face of the hill plus a paraglider was coasting along the hill and a tractor was rolling the field immediately south of the hill. Subsequently very little to be seen except for a few Kestrel that did not seem bothered by the glider.

I stayed on the hill for about an hour afterwards but only had a handful of House Martin over.

A few Chiffchaff and the Bullfinch family present on the north side of the hill.

I then went down to check out the area around the paddocks which was more sheltered and managed to locate 2 pos 3 Common Redstart, at least 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Willow Warbler and several Chiffchaff.

Mammals: A Brown Hare flushed off the hill.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma & Speckled Wood.

There and back again

Cloudy day with little sunshine and frequent rain showers, 20°, breezy SSW.

A quietish day with a walk out to the Hill and very little on the way other than a few Yellowhammer.

Hirundines moving through again with 150+ House Martin and 120+ Swallow over.

2 Wheatear on the south side of the hill that then flew in to the ploughed field was about it today and a few Chiffchaff and the Bullfinch family on the north side.

2 Spotted Flycatcher and a Common Redstart still around the paddocks.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown.

A short visit

Sunny with variable cloud, 20°, fresh W.

A shorter visit to the hill this afternoon.

At least 8 Wheatear scattered around the south side of the hill and a single Whinchat present.

The Bullfinch family still present on the north side of the hill feeding on Elder berries.

2 Spotted Flycatcher and a Common Redstart still around the paddock area.

Around 150 Swallow over in 1.5 hours on the hill, also Swallows over Cholsey Hill all moving roughly south west.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell & Speckled Wood.

Blackberry Way

Overcast and occasional light rain, muggy, 23°, light SW.

A little quieter on the hill this morning, however, 3 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 3 Common Redstart, 1 Common Whitethroat, a Green Woodpecker, 1 Yellow Wagtail over, 1 Mistle Thrush over, 1 Sparrowhawk and 5 Bullfinch still present.

Elsewhere in Lollingdon: 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Spotted Flycatcher and 14 Yellow Wagtail.

One of the Wheatear was feeding on Blackberries, have only noted this on a few occasions before and a couple of the fence posts had droppings on that were clearly blackberry laden.

2 Treecreeper & a Song Thrush in the garden today and at least 1 Goldcrest along Church road.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker.

Butterflies: very few around, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown.

Movin through

Overcast with a few light rain showers, 17°, light SSE.

Several hours on the hill this morning with migrants still passing through.

6 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 3 Common Redstart (1 by the paddock), 1 Common Whitethroat, 3 Yellow Wagtail over, 4 Willow Warbler (3 by the paddock), 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, 3+ Spotted Flycatcher (all paddock), c40 Swallow over and 2 Skylark.

The field below the hill was being ploughed and within a few minutes there were around 100 Lesser Blackback Gull, 40 Rook, 6 Jackdaw and a couple of Red Kite following.

The remains of a Buzzard found under some power lines so maybe that’s how it met its demise?

5 Yellowhammer, 5 Bullfinch, a Green Woodpecker and Great-spotted Woodpecker also noted.

2 Peregrine Falcon and 2 Spotted Flycatcher seen near the Bunk line over the weekend (Brian Wyatt).

A flock of 80+ House Martin feeding over the trees in the garden and meadow on Saturday between rain showers.

Also a passage of Swallow and House Martin over the garden late afternoon to early evening with several hundred of both drifting south.

Dragonflies: a single Migrant Hawker.

Butterflies: a few Small White and a single Speckled Wood.

You guessed it

Broken cloud and sunshine, 22°, light WSW.

You guessed it another sunny day on the hill with a few more migrants passing through. Fascinating time of year with birds turning up and moving on most of the time through August and September.

9 Wheatear, 3 Common Redstart (1 on the hill and 2 near the paddock),

5 Spotted Flycatcher (2 near the paddock and 3 in the orchard), 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, a single Whinchat, a Blackcap and 20+ Swallow overhead.

5 Bullfinch on the north side of the hill and 2 Jay.

Tawny Owls back in the meadow, a Green Woodpecker still present and a Kingfisher heard regularly along the brook, also a Sparrowhawk around the meadow today.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady (in garden), Red Admiral, Comma & Speckled Wood.

Other: Several Hornets.

The Hill: Again

Sunny, 24°, light SSW.

A quieter day on the hill today and another Clouded Yellow butterfly seen just the other side of the Bullshole.

Singles of Common Redstart, Wheatear and Common Whitethroat on the hill, another Whitethroat nearby, 2 Blackcap and at least 3 Bullfinch (2 juv) still present on the wooded side, 2 Yellow Wagtail over.

There must be some good thermals around the hill today as up to 6 Buzzard and 14 Red Kite in the air at varying altitudes at one point, also 5 Kestrel around the hill.

Lesser Blackback Gull, Black-headed Gull, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting also noted.

Dragonflies: Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Fewer species than of late: Large White, Small White, Clouded Yellow, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

Buzzard

 Bullfinch

Wheatear

Moving through

A sunny day, 24°, light W.

Another good day on the hill with a few more migrants passing through and a good number of butterflies.

3 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, 4 Common Redstart, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff and a min of 5 Yellow Wagtail.

2 Kestrel on the hill, 1 Green Woodpecker and a flyover Hobby.

2 Willow Warbler and several Chiffchaff in a hedgerow near the paddock.

A Reed Bunting and several Yellowhammer on the way out in the bean field.

A Sedge Warbler (per The Wickster) in the bean field.

A Common Redstart in Cholsey Church yard today (per Tony Rayner).

At least 30 Yellow Wagtail in the cattle field by the school (per Richard Broughton).

Reptiles: Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Whinchat

Wheatear

Whinchat, Common Whitethroat & Wheatear

And Again!

Another sunny day, 25°, light N.

A little less action on the hill today, however 2 Common Redstart still present, a Green Woodpecker on the top and a Yellow Wagtail over.

A single Kestrel hunting and several Buzzard and Red Kite in the air.

A Common Whitethroat along the hedgerow and a couple of Blackcap nearby.

2 more Common Redstart along a hedge by a paddock along with several Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper & Meadow Brown.

Chiffchaff

Happenings on the Hill

Sunny, 26°, breezy SSE.

Another visit to the hill this morning in warm and sunny conditions, thought I should get out a bit earlier before it got too warm.

A Clouded Yellow butterfly and a Ruddy Darter dragonfly new for the year.

2 Common Redstart and a Whinchat still present on the hill and a Wheatear close by.

A handful of Swallows overhead.

3 Kestrel hunting on the hill and joined by a Sparrowhawk that spent around 5 minutes sparring with the Kestrels then last seen chasing a Green Woodpecker over the top of the hill. Judging by the Sparrowhawks flight mode it was not hunting but practising?

A Yellow Wagtail over, a Common Whitethroat in the hedgerow and a Blackcap feeding on Elder berries on the north side and the 3 Bullfinch still present.

Mammals: Roe Deer and 2 Pipistrelle bats and a Hedgehog in the garden tonight.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Clouded Yellow, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Roe Deer

 Whinchat

 Buzzard

 Sparrowhawk chasing a Kestrel

Common Darter

The Sparrowhawk is upside down in this pic. They were moving too fast to get a good pic of them.

A little quieter

Mainly cloudy, 23°, breezy SSW.

A warm and muggy afternoon with little sunshine and little in the way of migrants today.

2 Common Redstart and a Whinchat on the hill and a few Chiffchaff around, a single Swallow flew south.

2 Kestrel, 5 Buzzard, 3 Bullfinch and a Green Woodpecker were the only other birds of note in the vicinity of the hill. The Corn Buntings have not been seen for a week now and only 2 Yellowhammer about.

20+ Red Kite noted in the area and a good number of (100+) Lesser Blackback Gull moving around.

Fewer Swallow and House Martin around the village now.

Mammals: a brief sighting of a Weasel on the Hill and a Hedgehog active in the garden tonight.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Emperor and Common Darter.

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

 Whinchat

Redstart

 Common Darter

Buzzard

Another day on the Hill

Sunny, 25°, light E.

Another day on the hill……………well not quite a day but 4 hours on a lovely sunny day.

2 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 2 Common Redstart and 1 Lesser Whitethroat on the south side and 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 4 Spotted Flycatcher on the north side.

Also 2 Kingfisher, 3 Buzzard and around 20 Red Kite in the area and a few Swallow overhead.

Nearly forgot............... heard at least 2 Whimbrel fly over the garden just after midday.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Emperor and Common Darter.

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

 Wheatear

 2 Wheatear & 1 Whinchat

 Spotted Flycatcher

 Spotted Flycatcher

 Spotted Flycatcher

Yellow Wagtail

Every day is different

Hazy sunshine with high, thin cloud, 23°, light ESE.

Every day is different on the hill at this time of year with birds passing through.

2 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat, 2 Common Redstart, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 5 Common Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler and 7+ Chiffchaff.

A Sparrowhawk attempted to take a Magpie but was unsuccessful and a Kestrel present on the hill and a handful of Swallows flew over.

A Kingfisher flew up the brook this evening and Nuthatch and Great-spotted Woodpecker in the garden today.

Dragonflies: Brown Hawker, Emperor, Common Darter.

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

Juv Whinchat

Juv Stonechat and Juv Whinchat

Thank you to Ian Lewington who contacted me today regarding the out of focus chat in the foreground and identified it as a juvenile Stonechat..................Cheers Lew

First Wheatear of the Autumn

Sunshine, 23°, breezy E.

A bit quieter on the hill today apart from a noisy combine harvester in the field adjacent to the hill.

However the first Wheatear of the autumn near the hill in one of the recently harvested fields, also a juv Whinchat (a different bird to last week), a Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Blackcap and 2 Common Whitethroat and another Spotted Flycatcher nearby.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker (incl 1 in garden), Brown Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Fewer than of late: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Holly Blue (in garden), Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

A Swift on Saturday (13th) overhead with a small flock of House Martin.

Garden stuff

Sunny, 22°, breezy W.

A Curlew flew over the garden this afternoon calling.

Whinchat still present on Lollingdon Hill today (per Gerry Quin).

A Holly Blue in the garden this morning along with Large White, Red Admiral and Meadow Brown.

Several Oak Bush Cricket around at the moment in the garden and indoors.

Stock Dove relaxing in the garden