Garden bits

12-16 Sep.

A busy time at home this week so not been out. The garden however has still been somewhat busy with good numbers of Goldfinch and Greenfinch visiting.

A roaming flock of Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit and Blue Tit visit at least once per day and have had the odd Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker and Chiffchaff accompanying them.

Overhead there are still a few Swallow and House Martin in the area and a Hobby went through on Saturday and a regular Sparrowhawk around.

2 adult and 2 well grown young Moorhen visiting daily and the usual pair of Stock Dove.

During the hours of darkness a Grey Heron and a couple of Tawny Owl heard regularly.

A Southern Hawker and Common Darter in the garden almost daily and Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

 Young Moorhen

Goldfinch

Flycatchers

Mainly cloudy with the occasional sunny spell, 21°, breezy SW.

The hill was being blasted by a breezy south west wind today so I didn’t expect to find much. Just about the only birds was a single Mistle Thrush and 2 Kestrel.

c250 House Martin over the hill in 1.5 hours, including a flock of around 60 birds that were harried briefly by a Hobby. Unusually no Swallows just exclusively House Martins.

Down around the cow field was a different story and a nice surprise of a Pied Flycatcher.

I had been watching a few warblers when I noticed a Spotted Flycatcher low on one of the Oak trees in the cow field. Higher up in the tree I kept catching glimpses of another bird fly catching and very active. It took about 30 minutes before I got a good view and realised it was a Pied Flycatcher. I watched it for about 30 seconds before it flew out of sight. I then caught sight of it about 5 minutes later in the back of one of the Oaks only to disappear again. The Pied Fly tended to stay in the Oak canopy whereas the Spot Flys were fly catching from exposed perches.

Impossible to get a photo as I wanted to ID it first. I then phoned Tony W and Alan D who both arrived in around 30 minutes but unfortunately it was not seen again.

On what I saw I think the bird was a 1st winter!

Whilst watching the Flycatcher there were also other birds in the vicinity.

At least 3 Spotted Flycatcher (maybe more), 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2-3 Willow Warbler and 10+ Chiffchaff.

Reptiles: 5 Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: 1 Southern Hawker and 6 Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, 1 Small Copper and 5 Speckled Wood.

Spotted Flycatcher

Lesser Whitethroat

Spotted Flycatcher

 Common Lizard (above & below)

Small Copper

Toadflax Brocade & Boris the Spider

A communication from Cholsey's foremost moth expert.

A first for Cholsey.

"At the weekend I caught a moth that I had never seen before.

The Toadflax Brocade is a moth until recently as only been recorded in Britain along the south coast. Therefore a suspected immigrant.

The county recorder has never seen one and the foremost expert in Berkshire has never seen one in Britain.

Even more amazing is that by pure chance I have discovered that a woman with the surname Charley also caught one at the weekend, and she apparently lives in Cholsey!"

Toadflax Brocade - A resident species colonizing Englands south-east and central southern coasts, first found around 1950 and it frequents mainly shingle beaches. (courtesy Tony Raynor)

Boris the Spider. Not ID'd yet (probably female). (courtesy Loren)

A short visit

Sunny spells, 17°, breezy W.

A Willow Warbler at the Bullshole this morning giving a few bursts of song and a Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap nearby.

Not a lot on the hill today, just a single Chiffchaff and 2 Kestrel hunting and a Peregrine soaring overhead eating its prey item that appeared to be a small bird. I was not out as long as usual so fewer birds noted.

Elsewhere out at Lollingdon, another Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, a single Common Whitethroat and a good number of Chiffchaff.

Swallow and House Martin more obvious today with several flocks passing over, 100+ birds in total and a single Yellow Wagtail overhead.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Reptiles: 3 Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, 1 Common Blue and Speckled Wood.

 Peregrine

 Buzzard

Southern Hawker

A few migrants still

Sunny at first then clouding over, 18°, light to breezy W.

2 Whinchat and a Garden Warbler on the hill today. The Whinchats were well down towards the farm and the warbler was in the hedge. A small trickle of Meadow Pipit overhead, about a dozen birds in all.

The central hedge in the cow field was lively again with 5 Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler and 10+ Chiffchaff and a brief glimpse of a Common Redstart but unable to relocate it.

2 Kestrel and 5+ Jay seen and a Coal Tit heard.

Another Whinchat on the hill this afternoon. Per AD

Forgot to mention a Barn Owl seen out in Lollingdon yesterday. Per TW.

A few Swallow and House Martin still around the Church road area and may still be feeding young.

Reptiles: 3 Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: a single Clouded Yellow flew through, Large White, Small White, 5 Common Blue, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood.

Migrant Hawker (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Spotted Flycatcher

Well worn Brown Argus (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Warblers & Flycatchers

Mainly sunny, 20°, light to breezy N.

A single Whinchat on the hill today along with a Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and a Reed Bunting.

The area around the 2 Oak trees and the central hedge in the cow field was rather lively, with up to 5 Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler 10+ Chiffchaff and a Treecreeper.

Again a few Swallow and House Martin moving through but most at a higher altitude and just picked up by hearing them calling.

Also noted were 2 Kestrel, 3-4 Jay and a Raven heard calling.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Reptiles: 1 Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

 Whinchat

 Spotted Flycatcher (above & below)

The day after

Sunny intervals, 21°, light NNW.

A quieter day than yesterday’s flurry of migrant activity, I’m assuming that with a relatively clear sky and a tail wind most of them lifted off overnight to continue their migration south.

7 Mistle Thrush on the hill and 11 Corn Bunting and a Yellow Wagtail over.

Off the hill there were 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 5 Common Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler and a lot of Chiffchaff.

A couple of Kestrel in the area and a Raven and a Grey Heron heard calling but not seen.

Reptiles: 3 Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, 2 Common Blue, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and several Speckled Wood.

Chiffchaff 

 Common Blue

Common Darter

A Good Day

Sunny with hazy cloud, 22°, light N.

A good day by any standards out at Lollingdon today.

The walk out was reasonably quiet with the Bunting flock present around the Little Lollingdon area with 20ish Yellowhammer and a handful of Reed Bunting, plus a few Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the hedgerows.

All the action on the hill today was in a relatively short area of hedge with 2 Whinchat, a Wheatear, a Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a couple of Common Whitethroat and Blackcap and a few Chiffchaff.

The north side of the hill had 2 Jay and Great-spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker present.

Off the hill there were 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, one of which was a cracking male, a couple more Blackcap and Common Whitethroat and several more Chiffchaff and a Hobby flew over.

A few Hirundines overhead today but were all flying over quite high.

On the return walk, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Raven flew over, 2 Kestrel and 2 Bullfinch near the Bullshole.

Also watched a Buzzard have a tentative strike at a Hare but the Hare retaliated and put the Buzzard off the attack.

A visit by TW & AD later turned up 2 more Spotted Flycatcher (5 total), another Willow Warbler and a Garden Warbler.

Try as we might we could not get a pic of the Redstarts, one went off along the lane and the male was very active and had a tendency to stay in cover!

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Reptiles: 5 Common Lizard.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, 1 Common Blue, 1 Brown Argus, 1 Red Admiral and several Speckled Wood.

 Whinchats (above & below courtesy Alan Dawson)

 Lesser Whitethroat

 Willow Warbler

 Whinchat

 Brown Argus

Spotted Flycatcher

Just a couple

At Bunkfest yesterday but at least one of our wildlife watchers was out and about.

A Hobby over the garden yesterday morning and a Chiffchaff in the garden today.

Photos courtesy Alan Dawson.

 Wheatear

Brown Hawker

WWW

A sunny day with light cloud, 20°, light NE veering SE.

A Whinchat and a Wheatear on the hill today along with a Willow Warbler along the hedge.

A couple of Blackcap and several more Chiffchaff off the hill.

A few flocks of Swallow and House Martin overhead, around 100 birds in total.

The Bunting flock still around Little Lollingdon and a few Chiffchaff in the hedgerow nearby.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker & Common Darter.

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

 Whinchat

Wheatear

 Chiffchaff

Yellow Dung Fly

Not a lot

Sunny spells, 19°, light NNW.

A disappointing visit out to the Lees this morning as the long ditch has had all the vegetation cut and looked quite bare and desolate except for some Bullrushes along the centre. Subsequently nothing present there apart from a couple of Wren.

Only other bird of note was a Peregrine distantly on one of the pylons.

A single Wheatear on Lollingdon hill today. per AD.

Peregrine

A Ring-necked Parakeet in a Wallingford garden (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Whinchats again

Cloudy with occasional sunshine, 19°, light NW.

A surprise find of a Grasshopper Warbler today out at Lollingdon. A small streaky warbler flying ahead of me in to vegetation and eventually got a good look to confirm it.

On the hill, 3 Whinchat and a Wheatear still present with the Wheatear eventually fling to one of the stubble fields.

100+ Swallow overhead all moving roughly south west.

At one point watching the Whinchats, one of them flew up after an insect, only for the insect to be taken by a passing Swallow!

The stubble fields out at Little Lollingdon held at least 18 Yellowhammer and 5 Reed Bunting.

2 Kestrel, 2 Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat and several Jay also noted.

Dragonflies: 1 Emperor Dragonfly, 2 Southern Hawker and several Common Darter. In addition Brown Hawker and a possible Migrant Hawker at Cholsey Marsh. Per TW.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White and Speckled Wood. Again Comma and Red Admiral on Cholsey Marsh. Per TW.

 Whinchats

 Wheatear

Red-legged Shieldbug (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Whinchats

Cloudy, 19°, light W.

3 Whinchat and a single Wheatear on the hill today and 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler in the hedgerow.

A Sparrowhawk flew across the hill and everything disappeared for a time.

Elsewhere in Lollingdon, several more Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat, 4 Jay and several small flocks of Swallow and House Martin moving through.

The pair of Swallow that nested out at Lollingdon have now departed. They raised 2 broods of young, about 10 in total.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: 2 Large White, several Small White, 1 Holly Blue and 3 Speckled Wood.

 Whinchats

Common Whitethroat

Sparrowhawk