A bit of a wet one!

Mainly showers with some sunshine, 12°, light WNW.

A bit of a damp squib today, although we need the rain!

Approx. 20 Swift, 6 Swallow and 4 House Martin feeding over the Church road area this morning during one of the brighter spells then moved off as the rain came.

Not a lot on the hill today but only spent around 15 minutes up there as I moved to some cover as a heavy rain shower came through.

As far as the birds go little change from Tuesday!

Yellowhammer

A little quiet out there

Sunny spells, 13°, light S.

A little quiet out there today with very little noted. The only saving grace was a Cuckoo heard to the south of the hill and then again near Amwell Spring.

Having said that there were 6+ Yellowhammer in song plus a Reed Bunting and 4 Corn Bunting. The usual Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff present.

26 Swift flew south over Church road 16:20.

1+ Whimbrel heard overhead just after midnight.

Reps: 3 Common Lizard.

Butterflies: a few out in the sunny spells, Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.

Corn Bunting

Whinchat

Cloudy with a few sunny spells, 11°, light WNW.

4 Swift over Church road today but pales into insignificance with 600+ reported at Farmoor today. Finding it hard to find food in the cold weather.

2 Grasshopper Warbler on Cholsey Marsh this morning. Per John Taylor.

And the first Whinchat of the year seen by Phil Dyson.

Whinchat courtesy Phil Dyson

Cockchafer

Dawn Chorus

A bitterly cold morning with a heavy frost and clear skies, 0°. Eventually clouding up and reaching 8°.

Around 30 people made up the group this morning for the Dawn Chorus and included Tony Rayners group that joined us on the marsh.

A somewhat subdued marsh this morning with mainly Sedge Warbler in song and a single Grasshopper Warbler reeling away.

Later good numbers of Reed Warbler singing with approx. 8, and several Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and 2 Cetti’s Warbler making up the numbers.

A rather showy Song Thrush singing for some time enabling a few to take photos.

A fly through Kingfisher, a single Swallow, Kestrel, 2 Stock Dove, a Tawny Owl and Grey Heron were all seen/heard but the Cuckoo was conspicuous in its absence!

By around 07:30 most had decided to call it a day so Alan and myself decided to do another circuit added a few more to the morning’s list with Great-crested Grebe, Green Woodpecker, Jackdaw and Swift taking the total up to 47.

Song Thrush (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Photos courtesy Ed Munday

"4 Arches" railway bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Starlings fledging

Overcast with a few rain showers, 13°, light NW.

A bit of a dreary and cool day and have not been out birding. However keeping eyes out on the garden has seen a glut of young Starling today with several visiting the garden and meadow.

The young Robin still around and looking more grown up and feeding for itself.

Blue and Great Tit young being fed regularly in their respective nest boxes and a couple of young Blackbird in the garden.

Nuthatch and both male & female Great-spotted Woodpecker regular. 

Both Swallow and House Martin feeding overhead but have not seen the Swift again so I guess it was just moving through.

Hopefully our regulars should be back in a few days as soon as this cold spells shifts.

Cholsey Marsh

Overcast with a few rain showers, 13°, light NW.

Alan Dawson down at Cholsey Marsh today with the Cuckoo and a flyover Oystercatcher.

A Common Tern seen a few days back flying along the river.

Also our first dragonfly of the season: a Banded Demoiselle.

Nothing moving!

A bright start the cloudy (rain later), 14°, breezy WNW.

A disappointing day out at Lollingdon today with very little seen or heard.

4 Raven overhead (2 ad & 2 yng) and a Yellow Wagtail heard.

Apart from the above there was just the usual out there.

Mammals: Bank Vole, Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Reps: 2 Grass Snake seen earlier in the week swim across the river and on to Cholsey Marsh. Per unknown.

Butterflies: just a few, Brimstone, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

Brown Hare & Yellow Wagtail courtesy Alan Dawson

Demise of a Grey Wagtail

Cloudy, 15°. Light WSW.

In a tweet from Richard Broughton "@woodlandbirder" today. One of the Church road Grey Wagtail found floating dead in Cholsey Brook. It was ringed so we can figure out some of its life.

Pretty sure it was breeding along the brook somewhere.

Turns out it was ringed as a juvenile last August by Matthew Sparrow near a water works near Marlborough.

It had therefore moved c43 km to be near another water works in Cholsey where unfortunately it died before it got its chance to breed.

Butterflies

Green Hairstreak and Small Copper butterflies today. Courtesy Alan Dawson.

Quiet again

Mainly cloudy with sunny spells, 13°, light ESE.

Fairly quiet on the hill and surrounds today, 2 Lesser Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler. The usual Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer present and a couple of Raven again in the area.

A Yellow Wagtail near Westfield road. Per Alan Dawson.

Mammals: Roe Deer and Muntjac Deer.

Reps: Common Lizard.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Common Lizard

Yellow Wagtail (courtesy Alan Dawson)

Muntjac Deer

Blackcap

Tufted Ducks

Light cloud and sunny spells, 14°, light NNW.

2 pair of Tufted Duck at Cholsey Meadows. Per Alan Dawson. A scarce bird in Cholsey.

A Swallow alarm call heard over the garden this afternoon and within around 10 seconds a female Sparrowhawk flew over.

First 3 photos courtesy Alan Dawson.

 Tufted Duck

 Linnet

Red Admiral

Robin bath time

First Swift

Mainly cloudy with a few sunny spells, 13°, fresh W.

The first Swift of the year over the village this afternoon and 2 House Martin over Church road.

Firecrest, Merlin & Cuckoo

Sunny periods, 14°, moderate SSW, rain mid PM.

The Firecrest seen again in Whitehead meadow this morning and heard in song. Per Michael Pocock & PC. Not seen this afternoon!

A Merlin flew through Cholsey Churchyard this morning. Per Tony Rayner.

2 Cuckoo in the Cholsey Marsh area. Per Alan Dawson.

Firecrest

After a quiet morning out at Lollingdon today I was resigned to writing up a minimal blog.

Sitting at the laptop when an email came through from Richard Broughton saying that he found a Firecrest in Whitehead Meadow……………………….Grab the bins and camera and rushed out. Found Richard and then the Firecrest.

It was less than 50m from the garden flitting around the trees and bushes on the east side of Whitehead Meadow.

I quickly called Loren, Tony W and Alan and all managed to get to see it.

A real beauty that performed for us and a little later I was watching it from the garden.

This is the 6th record of this species for Cholsey.

All gone quiet!

Sunshine and showers, 15°, moderate S.

Very quiet out there today with very little birdsong and no influx or movement of migrants detected.

A Raven and a Little Owl were the only species of note.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

Butterflies: a few around in sheltered spots in the sun, Brimstone, Orange Tip, Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

 Orange Tip upperwing & underwing