An interesting recovery

On the 3rd February Alan found a dead adult Lesser Blackback Gull that had presumably died after a collision with some power cables out near Lollingdon.

Details were sent to both the BTO and to the Natural History Museum in Brussels, Belgium as it had a Belgian ring.

We received some information back from Belgium today:

The bird was ringed as an adult at Zeebrugge, Belgium on the 20th June 2007 so the bird was at least 16 years old when it died, 304 Km west of where it was ringed.

Sunshiny Day

Sunshine, 12°, light SW.

A lovely sunny day but not a lot to see.

Alan and I have been out locally over the last 2 days along with Brian Wyatt yesterday.

Seem to be going thru one of those quiet periods with not a great deal happening.

A brief respite from the overcast weather of late brought a bit of sunshine today and several butterflies around despite being a tad chilly still.

As for birds, fairly quiet! Still good numbers of “Winter Thrushes” around with most sat in treetops chattering away as if trying to decide when or if to move north.

No summer migrants noted yet although the odd Chiffchaff may be newly arrived.

3 Buzzard and 5 Red Kite picking up on thermals over Lollingdon hill with one Buzzard performing a high altitude display for several minutes.

Several Little Owl seen/heard over the last 2 days and the occasional Chiffchaff in song along with several Skylark, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.

Both Teal and Kingfisher seen along the river and a Barn Owl hunting over the Marsh. Nuthatch and Treecreeper at Bow Bridge and a good scattering of Meadow Pipit on farmland around the parish.

Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush and Sparrowhawk in the garden today and the over wintering Blackcap with occasional bouts of song, as if practising prior to flying back to his breeding area in north east Europe.

Mammals: Brown Hare & Roe Deer.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.

Treecreeper & Kestrel courtesy Alan.

Shelduck

Sunny intervals, 5°, light N.

“Walked yesterday along the footpath of the Lees to the Astons, usual flocks of gulls and farmland birds but and on the last of the pools closest to the Astons were two Shelduck. First time I have seen this species here so a lovely new species for list! Coltsfoot in flower along the main ditch bank too.

In the Astons this week I also had a Rugged Oil Beetle on the lawn, second year I have seen this red listed invertebrates here. They are nocturnal so went out with a head torch to look and found one in tussock grass nibbling leaf blades. I made a solitary bee box last year and will be encouraging wild flowers in the lawn this year again in the hope I can encourage more of this nationally scarce invert. I haven't yet seen triungulins (larvae) so will be looking on flower heads for these in spring. Something to watch out for.” Per Vicky Gilson.

The 2 Shelduck were still present today until a rampaging, out of control dog chased everything off the floods. Per Alan.

Shelduck are annual transient visitors on spring floods in the local area with just a few records per year.

Shelduck & Lesser Blackback Gull courtesy Vicky Gilson

Coltsfoot courtesy Vicky Gilson

Rugged Oil Beetle ↕ courtesy VG

Yellowhammer courtesy Alan

Shelduck courtesy Alan

Garden Blackcap

Overcast, 5°, light NNW.

A couple of highlights from the garden today.

Mid-afternoon the male Sparrowhawk swept thru, narrowly missing in grabbing a Chaffinch.

Late afternoon the male Blackcap was seen feeding on Holly berries and the Song Thrush hunting worms in the garden. They hung about long enough for me to grab the camera.

Alan out today and noting – Little Owl, Little Egret, Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, Teal, Grey Wagtail plus 3 species of Geese.

A series of photos of the Blackcap feeding on Holly berries in the garden and a couple of the Song Thrush.

Chiffchaff courtesy Alan

Catchup

A bit of a catchup as I have been unable to get out recently due to eye surgery so have been relying on others. My vision will be limited for another month or so but I still have one good eye and hope to be getting out from next week.

Thanks to, Alan, Tony W, Richard B and others for their observations.

The mild weather at the turn of the month brought out a flurry of butterflies with Brimstone in the ascendency. Also noted in much fewer numbers were Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma.

Buff-tailed Bumble Bee also made an appearance joining the worker Honey Bees on available flowers.

The first Merlin of the year noted by RB on the 28th Feb.

Alan has been out and about most days and Tony W less frequently.

They have recorded a Cetti’s Warbler in good voice at Cholsey Marsh and the odd wintering Chiffchaff in song.

Also, Water Rail, Grey Wagtail, Siskin, Little Owl, Treecreeper, Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Raven, Herring Gull, Little Egret and Teal along with all the usual suspects. Still good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing present.

And a regular female Brambling being seen in a garden. Per MA.

The first Oxfordshire Sand Martin was seen at Farmoor on the 3rd March.

We can probably expect the first Swallow by the end of the month and House Martin by the middle of April. The first Swift usually arrives around the 5th May.

All this does depend on weather conditions and they are sometimes early sometimes late!

The first fall of Warblers (Chiffchaff) have been noted on the south coast today and numbers of local birds are becoming territorial with Rook, Mistle Thrush, Collared Dove and Tawny Owl in the midst of their breeding cycle, a Robin nest building and a Blue Tit collecting nesting material.

Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wren and Treecreeper in song, to name a few and Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming out their territories.

All photos courtesy Alan Dawson.

Brimstone

Siskin

Little Grebe

Herring Gull

Staying Mild

Cloudy, brightening up later, 9°, light NW.

4 Stonechat present around Lollingdon Hill today and a Little Egret along the brook near Little Lollingdon.

Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing with some flocks sat in the tree tops chattering away as if deciding to start moving north!

4 Yellowhammer in song with several more feeding in fields and at least 2 Reed Bunting present and a singing Corn Bunting.

Alan along the river from Bow Bridge to the Marsh. A singing Chiffchaff and a very vocal Cetti’s Warbler, plus a Sparrowhawk and a Little Egret.

Once the sun came out this afternoon both Alan and myself noticed quite a few Buzzard in the air with at least one displaying out at Lollingdon.

Sparrowhawk courtesy Alan.

Is Spring on its way?

Cloudy with the odd light rain shower, 12°, light SSE.

Approximately 500 Lapwing in the Cholsey Hill area yesterday. Per Alan. Presumably passing thru after a brief stop as not seen today and a female Brambling in a garden today. Per MA.

First Swallow of the year in Dorset today and a Sand Martin a few days ago and Wheatear in Wales and Kent. So is spring is on its way?

Lapwing courtesy Alan.

Wet and Windy

Overcast with light rain showers, 10°, breezy S.

Pretty quiet along the Bunk Line today.

6 Lapwing still present and 3 Stonechat inside the perimeter fence of CSW.

2 Herring Gull, 8 Lesser Blackback Gull and 100+ Black-headed Gull scattered around.

Several Yellowhammer, a single Reed Bunting and the usual flocks of Starling, Fieldfare and Redwing.

Tony Williams had a Barn Owl hunting there (Bunk line) mid-week and 4 Stonechat around Lollingdon Hill yesterday.

Another sighting of a Little Egret out near Lollingdon, again mid-week.

Alan was out by the river: 2 Stonechat, Teal, Reed Bunting, Treecreeper, a Chiffchaff, 2 Lapwing, the usual Fieldfare and Redwing and a Little Egret on the opposite bank and of course the pair of Blackcap in his garden.

Photos courtesy Alan.

Some Black-headed Gulls beginning to attain their summer plumage.

Blackbird

Tony Williams found a dead Blackbird near West End back in 2019 with a ring on. I forwarded the information to the BTO and we have just received a reply.

“Ringing Scheme: Wilhelmshaven (Helgoland) Ring Number: 7983628 Species of bird: Blackbird (Turdus merula)

This bird was ringed by Wilhelmshaven (Helgoland) as age at least 2 years, sex unknown on 30-Mar-2018 08:00:00 at Spiekeroog, Ostfriesische Inseln, Germany

OS Map reference - accuracy 0, - co-ordinates 53deg 46min N 7deg 40min E accuracy 0.

It was found on 27-Nov-2019 time unknown at Cholsey, Oxfordshire, UK

OS Map reference SU5886 accuracy 0, - co-ordinates 51deg 34min N -1deg -9min W accuracy 0.

Finding condition: Freshly dead - within about a Week

Finding circumstances: Cat predation.

Extra Information: - It was found 607 days after it was ringed, 645 km from the ringing site, direction WSW.”

Some interesting facts discovered from ringing data....

Oldest bird – Manx shearwater, 50 yrs 11 months

Furthest travelled – Arctic Tern from Wales to Australia 18,000 km

Strangest recovery – Osprey ring found in stomach of a crocodile in The Gambia!

 

(not the dead one) 😊

Cholsey Marsh

Mainly cloudy with a few rain showers, 11°, light SSW.

Both Alan and I overlapping on the marsh today.

2 Chiffchaff present and several Teal and Mallard in the wooded area.

2 Raven flew overhead and a Grey Heron, Water Rail, several Reed Bunting and a Treecreeper noted along with other regulars.

3 Goose species heard from downstream towards the 4-Arches.

On the way back there were 2 Mute Swan (4 yesterday) on the floods between Cholsey Hill and Mackney along with c100 Black-headed Gull and c20 Lesser Blackback Gull and a singing Yellowhammer.

Chiffchaff & Teal courtesy Alan and the Reed Bunting & Redwing courtesy Dann Turner.

Birds, Mammals & an Insect!

Sunny spells, 12°, light SSW.

A Spring like day with a fair bit of bird song heard, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer, Greenfinch and Great Tit to name a few.

A number of small bees (10+) feeding on Mahonia flowers in the garden today. Worker Honey Bee?

The 2 Stonechat still present on Lollingdon Hill and 2 Raven overhead.

A flock of c30 Yellowhammer out at Little Lollingdon and a couple of Reed Bunting present.

An interesting Song Thrush on the hill today with warm brown upper parts and a yellowish wash to the under parts. Made it look quite different to our local birds.

Alan was out along the river today: The Teal are back in numbers on the marsh with 50+, a couple of Kingfisher and Little Grebe, several Reed Bunting, a Nuthatch and a Treecreeper, 50-60 Lapwing overhead, a single Common Snipe, Grey Wagtail, several Cormorant, a couple of Grey Heron and Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese. Over the weekend there were several Wigeon on the river and a Peregrine seen. Per Alan.

There were a lot of Lapwing sightings in Oxfordshire over the weekend of birds moving south west escaping the snow and freezing conditions in the east.

A good sighting of 2 Water Vole by Vicky Gilson today along one of the brooks in Cholsey and a Little Egret also noted.

Also an Otter seen on the river this morning by Sasha Norton.

Mammals: Water Vole, Brown Hare, Otter & Roe Deer.

Teal photos courtesy Alan.  

Worker Honey Bee

Teal (m)

Teal (f)

Roll on Spring

Sunny intervals, 0°, breezy E.

Alan out along the river today with the flock of Teal, a couple of Kingfisher and up to 20 Common Snipe between Bow Bridge and Ferry Lane.

I took in the Bunk Line. A large flock of Fieldfare (c200) feeding in one of the larger fields and a scattering of Fieldfare and Redwing elsewhere.

Up to 40 Lapwing distributed around, 2 Herring Gull and approx 200 Black-headed Gull.

The odd Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Skylark also noted.

Lapwing

Common Snipe courtesy Alan

Frozen

Mainly cloudy, -2°, moderate E.

Alan doing the Marsh again today with 3 Stonechat, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Kingfisher and the Teal arriving a little later, possibly had been somewhere on the river as the Marsh is frozen over.

Loren and I took a mid-afternoon walk out to the Lees. Initially 2 Raven flew overhead and the area between Aston and the Lees held around a 1000 Gulls. With some loafing in the fields and some following a plough.

Most were quite distant with the majority being Lesser Blackback Gull but managed to find 2 Herring Gull, 3 Common Gull, 8 Black-headed Gull and a single adult Yellow-legged Gull. There may well have been others out there but too distant for an ID.

Very little else in the area. A small flock of Fieldfare at the Lees and Loren found a Stonechat on the walk back between the railway and Manor Farm.

If you look hard enough you can see some of the Gulls, Courtesy Loren ↕

Stonechat, courtesy Alan

Song Thrush in the garden ↕

The Bunk & The Marsh

Cloudy with sunny periods, 2°, light NNE.

The Bunk Line and Cholsey Marsh covered today.

Teal numbers have increased to 50+ on the marsh today, probably a record count. 5 Stonechat in the vicinity, a Grey Wagtail, Water Rail and a number of Common Snipe.

The Bunk Line was more quantity rather than quality today. 2 Stonechat near the gravel pit and adjacent fields held, 30+ Lapwing, 200+ Rook, 150+ Jackdaw, 500+ Fieldfare, 200+ Redwing, 250+ Black-headed Gull, 100+ Skylark, several Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, 40+ Blackbird, 20+ Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, a Grey Wagtail and a Sparrowhawk on the hunt.

Mammals: Brown Hare & Roe Deer.

Teal photos courtesy Alan.

Brown Hare

Church sentinel

Redwing