More of an Insect day

Variable cloud with sunshine, 20°, light WSW.

Fairly quiet bird wise at the moment and, more about the insects.

2 Common Redstart still present on the hill with one in the usual hedge area and the other in a hedge around 100m west.

A Common Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff and a Kestrel present.

Nearby were 2 Bullfinch and several Swift and House Martin overhead and 21 Lesser Blackback Gull.

Yesterday a Raven over the garden, 2 Swift over and a Treecreeper in the garden.

A Sparrowhawk over the garden this afternoon and 2 successful House Martin nests at Marymead this year.

Yellow Wagtail near Silly Bridge today (per MA) and a Wheatear reported from the same location last week (per KP).

Mammals: Roe Deer and Bank Vole.

Dragonflies: 1 Emperor Dragonfly, 3 Southern Hawker, 1 Migrant Hawker (garden), 2 Brown Hawker and 6 Common Darter.

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

Moths: Hummingbird Hawk-Moth in the garden again.

Common Darter

Southern Hawker

Painted Lady

 Peacock

 Comma

 Gatekeeper

Holly Blue

 Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Redstart

Rain and more Rain

Rain and more rain, 15°. Light N.

Not a particularly good day for going out so most of what seen today was in the garden.

Goldfinch and Chaffinch dominating the seed feeders at the moment with the occasional Greenfinch visit.

Great and Blue Tit also frequent in the garden and the roaming Long-tailed Tit flock of c8 birds visiting several times per day and accompanied today with 2 Treecreeper, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and a Coal Tit.

Several House Sparrow have taken a liking to the suet balls and are frequently seen in the garden now.

A Chiffchaff seen working the Holly hedge this morning and a fly through visit from a Sparrowhawk.

Only a few Swallow and House Martin feeding overhead.

Come Out & Play

Cloudy with a few light showers, 18°, light WSW.

Despite the rainy weather there was a good turnout for the Cholsey-Earth Trust “Come Out & Play” event in the rec. the initial count of visitors were at least 84 adults and 166 children so thank you for coming.

A guided walk around the playing field to the Millennium Wood went well with the youngsters finding all sorts of creepies with Spiders, Wood Louse, Millipedes and various Beetles.

Very few birds present with a few Swallow hunting low over the playing field and several House Martin and Swift overhead and a single Chiffchaff heard calling.

Tony Rayner brought along his overnight Moth catch and enlightened both young and old with a good variety of moths. Nothing spectacular but interesting none the less with August Thorn, Canary Shouldered Thorn, and Brimstone to name a few.

The Earth Trust team provided various activities for the youngsters which included a bug hunt, a nature detective trail, wild art and also materials to make their own cardboard binoculars.

2 notable finds were one initially thought to be a Lizard but later confirmed as a Smooth Newt (found by Ben) and a female Stag Beetle (unfortunately the latter was deceased). The former was released back where it was found.

Only one butterfly and one dragonfly seen: a Small White and a Southern Hawker.

A lady from the Hereford Rescue centre was also present and showed the assembled audience a couple of Polecat, a Barn Owl, a Tawny Owl and a Hedgehog all of which had been rescued.

Thank you the Earth Trust Team, The Happy Hub team, Poppy Hunt, Tony Rayner and Mark Gray and all who took part in the organisation and running of the event and especially all the enthusiastic visitors both young and older.

Cholsey Marsh

Sunny with variable cloud, 20°, light WSW.

A walk along the river at Cholsey Marsh.

A fairly quiet marsh today, a Cetti’s Warbler heard and a couple of Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff present.

A flock of c20 House Martin and a few Swallow feeding overhead and Kestrel, Hobby and 2 Sparrowhawk around.

Grey Heron and Mute Swan also seen and several Black-headed Gull present.

Dragonflies: Brown hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: very few, Large White, Small Copper, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth still visiting the garden.

Sparrowhawk

Sirex juvencus ? or Pimpla hypochondriaca ?

Harlequin Ladybird

Common Darter

Black-headed Gull

Earth Trust - Come Out & Play

Monday 7th August in Cholsey Rec

Hummer

Sunny periods, showers and thunderstorms, 19°, light to fresh NW.

A day in the garden today and a mixed bag.

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden visiting some Buddleia, presumably the same one I saw yesterday evening.

An amazingly agile moth with wing beats up to 80 per second moving from flower spike to flower spike and then disappearing only to return approx. an hour later. It did this several times through the day.

2 Chiffchaff, 2 Nuthatch, a Coal Tit and several Long-tailed Tit amongst the bird visitors today. A Hobby and Sparrowhawk overhead and 60+ Swift flew south and 30+ House Martin and 20+ Swallow over.

Mammals: Bank Vole.

Dragonflies: 1 Southern Hawker and 2 female Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Also a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly.

A selection of photos from the garden today (mainly the Hummer).

Sunshine & Showers

A mix of sunny spells and showers, 20°, breezy W.

A relatively quiet time out on the hill today, both Redstart still present a couple of Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, a Common Whitethroat, 2 Bullfinch, a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker, a Yellow Wagtail overhead.

A Grey Heron nearby and on the way back I came face to face with 2 Roe Deer.

Approx. 30 House Martin over the Church end of the village and a few Swallow and looks as if all our local Swift have departed.

Mammals: Bank Vole, Short-tailed Vole, Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

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

Moths: a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden this evening feeding on a Buddleia.

Quiet start to August

Mostly cloudy with a few sunny spells, 19°, blustery WSW.

A breezy day out on the hill today, 2 Common Redstart still present and a few Chiffchaff heard calling from the hedge but little else.

c100 Swift, 20+ Swallow and 30+ House Martin overhead.

Butterflies: very few again, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Redstarts still present

Mainly cloudy, 21°. Breezy SW.

A quiet time on the hill today, at least 2 Common Redstart present and a Raven flew south west.

A few Swallow overhead and 6 Lesser Blackback Gull flew west.

Apart from that there was little else of note.

Mammals: Roe Deer and Short-tailed Vole.

Dragonflies: a single Southern Hawker (in the garden).

Butterflies: very few, Small Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Redstarts & Mistle Thrushes

Bright at first then clouding over, 18°, breezy SSW.

A breezy time on the hill today with 3 Common Redstart present and the flock of 18 Mistle Thrush feeding on the hill.

A few Swift, House Martin and Swallow overhead.

Another 7 Mistle Thrush in a field to the north of the hill.

A few Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcap also present.

Up to 50 Stock Dove in fields around the hill with 28 in one flock.

2 Grey Heron, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, several Yellowhammer and a single Reed Bunting nearby.

Dragonflies: a single Common Darter.

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