Ruddy Darter

Sunny, 24°, light NE.

A steady walk out to the Lees and beyond this afternoon and another warm day. The dyke and several ditches out there have dried up which does not bode well for aquatic life that resides there.

Several Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting present and a few Sedge and Reed Warbler.

2 Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and 2 Grey Heron seen and Swift and Swallow feeding overhead.

Nuthatch heard nearby from the garden and a Blackbird pinching gooseberries from our garden bush, Great-spotted Woodpecker still visiting.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Emperor, Common Darter & a Ruddy Darter (first for the year).

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White (in abundance), Small White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell (far fewer), Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Ruddy Darter

Blackbird and Gooseberry

 Ruddy Darter

Corn Bunting

This dyke usually full of water is now dry!

Rain needed

A sunny day, 26°, light NE.

Birdwise rather a quiet day. The usual stuff out around the Hill.

Harvest is a little earlier this year due to the weather with a few combines out cutting the crops and subsequently one field had 12 Red Kite and 4 Buzzard circling overhead looking for scraps.

One farmer has said they last harvested this early back in the summer of ’76 for those who remember. We need rain and lots of it!

10 Mistle Thrush out at Lollingdon, a Kingfisher, 2 Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and a Little Owl all seen in the area and 4 Black-headed Gull (2ad & 2yng) on the playing fields.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Emperor and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady (a couple recently, per TW), Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

 Common Darter

Little Owl

Common Darter

Swallows & Crossbills

Have a guess………………….sunny again, 28°, light NNW.

6 Crossbill were a surprise today out at Lollingdon seen and heard flying south west just prior to midday.

Crossbills are an irruptive species that can turn up anywhere at this time of year and usually breed and feed in coniferous woodland.

In excess of 50 Swallow out at Lollingdon today feeding around the dwellings and fields and often perching up on wires or trees. The majority were young birds.

A young Chiffchaff on the hill for a time working the hedgerow and getting chased off by a Whitethroat.

A Reed Bunting still on the hill and singing and several Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer present.

A Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Little Owl seen.

A Kingfisher regular out there also. Per TW.

“RB has been working in the crops around Manor Farm this week. There are nesting Yellow Wagtail, Skylark and Corn Bunting.

There are 3 broods of “Mallards” on the Brook – a wild female has fledged 3, the (*”Molly”) type still has 7 (feathered but flightless), and one of her sisters (looks like a wild type but darker/smaller) has 4 of the same age.

A Kingfisher around this week occasionally fly along the brook in the meadow.”

*A “Molly” type duck is an all dark duck with a white breast. The name was coined by Loren a couple of years back for a female duck that spent a lot of time in the garden and made a nest and raised young in the car park at Marymead. There are several offspring with the same or similar plumage in the vicinity still.

Reptiles: a couple of Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker and Emperor.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

 Swallows

Swallows

 Chiffchaff

 Corn Bunting

Corn Buntings

 Meadow Brown

Peacock

Meadow Grasshopper (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Water & Bits

Sunny, 28°, maybe 31°, light NNW.

A few bits and pieces today.

Don’t forget to put water out for birds and other creatures if safe to do so especially in this current heat wave. They need it as much as we do.

A Yellow Wagtail seen towards Silly Bridge. Per MA.

6 House Martin, 20’ish Swallow and 14 Swift feeding over the garden on and off today. And a recently fledged Blackbird in the garden.

Essex Skipper Butterfly (courtesy Alan Dawson)

4 water features in the garden. Even an old dustbin lid will do.

White Plume Moth (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar (courtesy Alan Dawson)

possibly a Buff Ermine Moth?

Butterfly day

Sunny….again, 25°, light SE.

Another warm one and a trek up to the Hill and plenty of butterflies around.

An unusual sighting of a singing Sedge Warbler on the hill today in one of the hedgerows. Not the usual habitat for a Sedge Warbler, maybe a bird on the way back?

Several Jay still being seen and heard with a couple in the meadow and a couple more the other side of the Bullshole.

More young Swallow on the wing with a flock of around 20 out at Lollingdon today, probably 3 family groups.

Apart from that all the usual stuff around.

A Barn Owl seen recently out at Lollingdon. Per TW.

Reptiles: several Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly and Black-tailed Skimmer. Also Common Darter recently. Per GS.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Silver-washed Fritillary (per TW, first for a few years), Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Moths: Scarlet Tiger.

Silver-washed Fritillary (library Pic)

Comma

Heat still on

Another warm one, 29°, breezy ENE.

A warm walk out to Lollingdon today with the prospect of this weather lasting for another couple of weeks.

First Gatekeeper butterflies of the year today and another colony of Common Lizard found.

The usual around the Hill with Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Corn Bunting still in song and Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff singing.

Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Grey Heron, Lesser Whitethroat, Yellow Wagtail and a distant Peregrine noted.

Reptiles: Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Southern Hawker & Emperor Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Southern Hawker

 Gatekeeper (courtesy Alan Dawson)

These might seem like fun but are a major danger to wildlife and the environment. (found and photographed by Alan Dawson)

Bats & Moths..........!

Another warm day with some high cloud, 29°, light ENE.

A catch up with some gardening today. A Sparrowhawk flew over the garden hotly pursued by 3 Swallow and a Green Woodpecker heard calling from the meadow and a Chiffchaff singing.

Several Jay heard calling from the meadow, probably the family group from yesterday along Church road.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Common Blue, Comma, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Moths: Small Emerald & Willow Beauty.

I understand that since the demolition of East End farm there has been an increase in Bat activity in the local area.

4 species have so far been recorded Noctule, Leisler’s Bat, Common Pipistrelle and Soprano Pipistrelle using a bat detector.

As far as I am aware this is the first confirmed record of Leisler’s Bat in Cholsey and the first confirmed record of Soprano Pipistrelle.

These bats have been displaced as their summer roost site has been demolished along with some Swallow nest sites that may well have had eggs or young in!

Why the huge blue barrier along the front of East End farm? Is there something the developers do not want seen?

Not 100% on my Moths but I believe the 2 below are:

 Willow Beauty

Small Emerald

Last of the Month

A sunny day, 24°, light NNE.

A family of Jays seen near Church road today and also reported from the Wallingford road area close to the village. per RB.

a White-legged Damselfly courtesy Alan Dawson.

Flaming June

Sunny, 24°, breezy NE.

A walk out to the Lees and beyond today, warm but with a nice breeze blowing. June bows out with some record breaking weather.

80+ Swift feeding over the area for an hour or more must have been a fair few insects in the area and around 20 Swallow on and off.

A male Peregrine harrying the Swallows for a time but did not catch anything and eventually drifted off west.

Several Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting present and a couple of Corn Bunting and a single Yellow Wagtail.

A Kestrel soaring out towards Aston and a Sparrowhawk flew through.

I seem to have had a block recently on seeing and reporting both Jay and Bullfinch, however have seen both at least twice this week and last week!

A Treecreeper in the garden today, first time for a few months.

The "Tail-less" Red Kite still being seen recently around the village.

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

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell (50+ in a small area), Comma, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Large Red Damselfly

 Brimstone

 Yellow Wagtail

 Reed Bunting

Treecreeper (courtesy Loren)

Next Generation

A cloudy start and then warming up, 24°, light NE.

Another sunny day after the initial cloud cleared.

A family of Swallows still around to the south of the railway with the next generation perched up and waiting to be fed.

Little Owl, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk seen and a Lesser Whitethroat heard again.

No change around the Hill with all the regulars still present and a few more young birds being noted.

A Song Thrush back visiting the garden after a brief absence and a young Moorhen in the garden accompanied by a parent bird.

Reptiles: several Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Southern Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly.

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

Moths: Scarlet Tiger.

Young Swallows

Common Whitethroat

Small Tortoiseshell

Scarlet Tiger

Common Whitethroat

Moorhen (adult and young) plus Stock Dove

Song Thrush

Warm days

another hot day, sunny, 27°, light E.

A couple of photos from Alan Dawson from yesterday.

 Banded Demoiselle

Marbled White

Dragons & Butterflies

Sunny, 27°, light ENE.

Another warm day out there, plenty of Dragonflies & Butterflies on the wing and the other wildlife tending to stay in the shade.

The usual Warblers present on the Marsh and the Cetti’s Warbler still giving the occasional burst of song.

Swift, Swallow and House Martin all feeding over the Marsh and several Black-headed Gull and a Cormorant along the river.

A Kestrel in the area and 2 Yellow Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail on one of the rapidly drying ponds at Cholsey Meadows.

6 House Martin have been present for the last couple of days around Marymead and there maybe more than 1 active nest site………………..better late than never?

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spot Chaser and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Butterflies: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown & Ringlet.

Banded Demoiselle on Water Lily

 Green-veined White

 Azure Damselfly (above & below)

 Four-spot Chaser

Female Emperor egg laying (ovipositing)

Yellow Wagtail