Wheatear

Sunny, 18°, light SW.

A Wheatear on Lollingdon Hill today but little else other than a couple of Corn Bunting and a couple of Swallow and House Martin flew thru.

Nearby a couple of singing Reed Bunting and several Yellowhammer. The now regular Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff in song and the Lesser Whitethroat still present.

A couple of Yellow Wagtail and a single Raven over.

No change along the Marsh/River apart from a Garden Warbler found by Alan and a Grey Wagtail and Lesser Whitethroat.

And a Cuckoo heard yesterday from near the 4-Arches. Per MA.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Club-tailed Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Wheatear

Brimstone

Yellowhammer

A pair of foraging Starling

Drinker Moth caterpillar? courtesy Alan

Ermine Moth nursery

Dragons

Sunny intervals, 17°, light NW.

Generally, rather quiet birdwise today but made up by several insects appearing.

Alan managed to find our first Club-tailed Dragonfly of the year and a few Banded Demoiselle along the river. The birdy side was a Lesser Whitethroat present in the area also.

The Bunk line/Gravel pit area was very samey, a few more Swallow and Common Whitethroat around and a Sedge Warbler singing in CSW.

This is the first year for many that I have not seen Swifts over the village on this date. Hopefully still to arrive.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly & Club-tailed Dragonfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Peacock & Speckled Wood.

Club-tail and Demoiselle courtesy Alan

Cholsey

Cloudy at first with some light rain (heavy rain & thundery later), 15°, light W.

Lollingdon was fairly subdued today. A single Black-headed Gull flew over the hill and a couple of Corn Bunting singing and a handful of Swallow passing thru.

Nearby a Willow Warbler singing, the Little Owl was showing well, 2 Reed Bunting in song plus a couple of Yellow Wagtail flew across the path.

A Lesser Whitethroat singing out at Little Lollingdon and several Common Whitethroat and Yellowhammer in song.

A Hobby flew south heading over Cholsey Hill.

Alan visited just about everywhere else. The river area had very little change.

Cholsey Hill hosted 2 Wheatear and 6 Lapwing and a Raven overhead.

3 Little Ringed Plover, a couple of Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, the usual Tufted Duck and several Swallow and House Martin.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Red Fox.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Comma, Peacock and Speckled Wood.

Orange Tip

Common Whitethroat

Brown Hare courtesy Alan

Lesser Whitethroat, brief song sequence

Roundup

Cloudy, 13°, light E.

A roundup of today:

Gravel pit early morning, 4 Little Ringed Plover, several Swallow, House Martin and a Sand Martin. Later in the day added 2 Cormorant (flyovers), 2 Lapwing, 10 Tufted Duck, 2 Herring Gull, a Black-headed Gull and a Yellow Wagtail.

Lollingdon, nothing out of the ordinary but the Little Owl present and 2 Raven over.

River/Marsh, several Swallow, a Kingfisher, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler plus.

Butterflies: a single Small White again.

Alan & Paul

Tufted Duck (M & F)

  Lapwing

LRP

Cormorant

Cold & Damp start to May

Overcast with light rain showers, 11°, light SW.

4 Little Ringed Plover at the gravel pit today along with c50 Swallow, c10 House Martin and 6+ Sand Martin.

2 Egyptian Geese, Canada Geese, 4 Tufted Duck, a Grey Wagtail and several Pied Wagtail.

Nearby. A few Blackcap, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Kestrel and a couple of Yellow Wagtail.

River/Marsh area, somewhat quiet.

Butterflies: only a single Small White noted today.

Paul & Alan.

Little Ringed Plover ↕ courtesy Alan

A cold end to April

Mainly cloudy again, 11°, light NE.

Both out today in various spots around Cholsey.

Gravel Pit and Bunk line: 2 Little Ringed Plover, c20 Swallow, 8+ House Martin, 2+ Yellow Wagtail, a Lesser Blackback Gull (has a dodgy wing, can fly but not too far), 6 Pied Wagtail and 6 Tufted Duck.

Nearby, several Blackcap, 2 Common Whitethroat.

River/Marsh: no change, Reed and Sedge Warbler all present.

Both Ring Ouzel and a Redwing still present.

Butterflies: despite the cool weather: 2 Small White, a Red Admiral and a Peacock.

First Swifts

Mainly cloudy, 14°, light NE.

Bunk line to the Gravel pit today. A trickle of Hirundines passing thru, c50 Swallow, 9 House Martin and my first Swift of the year.

2 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Canada Geese, a Greylag Goose, 2 Black-headed Gull. 2 Herring Gull, a Lesser Blackback Gull, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 6 Pied Wagtail.

Several Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Common Whitethroat.

A pair of Kestrel seen mating so will presumably breed nearby and scanning the 360° horizon I counted over 50 Red Kite in the air at various altitudes plus a handful of Buzzard.

Alan covered the River/Marsh area in the morning with the usual and then had another Swift over Cholsey Meadows this afternoon along with some Swallow and House Martin and a Lapwing.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Butterflies: singles of Small White & Peacock.

Linnet

Church Road Swallows ↕

Cooler

Cloudy, 11°, light NE.

The colder weather seems to have put the brakes on migration locally at the moment.

The 2 Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare and Redwing all still present out at Lollingdon probably waiting for better weather to continue their northward journey.

Lollingdon Hill still relatively quiet, Corn Bunting, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat in the vicinity and a Little Owl seen nearby. Plus 2 Raven overhead.

The River and Marsh area produced the usual Sedge and Reed Warbler, a Nuthatch, 2 Kingfisher and a couple of Swallow.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Paul & Alan.

Reed Bunting

Corn Bunting

Yellowhammer

Ring Ouzel courtesy Alan

Large Red Damselfly (from yesterday) courtesy Alan

Ouzels still present

Sunshine, 14°, light NNE.

The 2 Ring Ouzel still present out at Lollingdon along with the Fieldfare and Redwing.

The Gravel pit today, 3 Little Ringed Plover, a couple of Egyptian Geese, 4 Canada Geese, 6 Tufted Duck, 3 Mallard plus Hirundines passing thru, c10 Swallow, 4 House Martin and a Sand Martin.

2 Lapwing over and a couple of Yellow Wagtail and 5-6 Pied Wagtail.

Little Owl nearby and the regular Warblers and Yellowhammer present.

A couple of Swallow back in the Church Road area.

The river from the 4-Arches to Bow produced the regular that has been noted over the last week.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Peacock & Speckled Wood.

Alan & Paul.

Photos courtesy Alan

Ring Ouzel (M)  

Sedge Warbler

Ring Ouzels

Sunny periods, 14°, light NNE.

A nice find by Tony Williams of a pair of Ring Ouzel out at Lollingdon today and singles of Fieldfare and Redwing associating with them.

6 species of Thrush in one field with Blackbird, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush added to the mix.

Alan got there shortly after and also had 2 Raven over Lollingdon Hill and I made it mid-afternoon.

Earlier in the day Alan was out along the river, with Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff etc.

I made it out earlier along the Bunk to the Gravel pit, 2 Sand Martin, up to 5 House Martin, c10 Swallow, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Tufted Duck, a Grey Wagtail, 2-3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Pied Wagtail, a Kestrel, several Yellowhammer, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler.

Sparrowhawk visiting garden again.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

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

Ring Ouzel pics (M & F) last 3 courtesy Alan

A cool one

Cloudy, 11°, breezy NE.

Another breezy day and cooler than of late and no butterflies noted.

Alan had an early walk along the river and just the usual stuff present.

Later we both ventured out along the Bunk line where Alan found 2 Lesser Whitethroat that disappeared before I arrived.

2 Little Ringed Plover at the Gravel pit still and up to 20 Swallow on and off and at least a couple of House Martin feeding over the area.

The ever present Tufted Duck and Canada Geese plus 3 Black-headed Gull and a single Lesser Blackback Gull.

A second visit later in the by Alan added Yellow Wagtail to the tally.

Completely forgot about this! This afternoon while driving back from Wallingford I heard a Cuckoo near the brook on the other side of Cholsey Hill.  

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Chiffchaff courtesy Alan

A bit of a lull

Sunny intervals, 18°, breezy ENE.

Nothing much on Lollingdon Hill this morning with a fresh breeze blowing across the hill.

A single Raven flew south and the usual Corvids, Red Kite and the odd Buzzard present.

Elsewhere, a Little Owl, good numbers of Blackcap now in and approx. 50% of Common Whitethroat so far.

Alan visited the River/Marsh: Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler (nos up), Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler Etc.

Tony Rayner had a lone Swallow a few days ago and a Sedge Warbler near the Caps Lane and Wallingford junction.

9 butterfly species in the garden today including my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year.

Am putting the moth trap out tonight. Have had some good species already including Oak Beauty and Dotted Chestnut and Brindled Beauty.

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

Buzzard courtesy Alan

Unknown grub/caterpillar courtesy Ben (awaiting ID)

Summer visitors arriving

Cloudy with sunny intervals, 18°, breezy NE.

Bunk line/ Gravel pit today: up to 5 House Martin, 2 Swallow, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Lapwing flew north, singles of Herring Gull, Lesser Blackback Gull and Black-headed Gull, a couple of Yellow Wagtail, 4 Canada Geese, 6 Tufted Duck and 3 Mallard.

Elsewhere, 4 Lapwing, several Yellowhammer, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat.

Alan out briefly later in the day along the river, a Willow Warbler of note and all the usuals in the area.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

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

Thames/Marsh/Bunk Line

Mainly sunny again, 16°, light W.

Alan out along the River/Marsh this morning and the first Reed Warbler of the year. Other warblers were Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler.

Plus, Water Rail.

I took a walk along the Bunk line to the Gravel pit: 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Lesser Blackback Gull, a single Black-headed Gull, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Canada Geese and 2 Mallard and 3 House Martin over.

Green Lane had several Blackcap and Common Whitethroat and heard and saw an Oystercatcher flying over the gravel pit heading south east and whilst watching that caught sight of a bird in a hedgerow that turned out to be a Common Redstart.

Elsewhere a Little Owl, a Kestrel, several Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff and 2 Swallow over CSW.

Alan did the Bunk line later in the day and added 3 Swallow and 4-5 more Yellow Wagtail to todays tally.

Mammals: Brown Hare & Roe Deer.

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

Grasshopper Warbler courtesy Alan (Benson)

Grebes and a touch of the Tropical

Mainly sunny, 18°, light S.

Not a lot to report today. Just a pair of Great Crested Grebe on the river that appeared to be moving through.

And quite bizarrely a report of 2 Blue and Yellow Macaw flying over Station Road by a colleague of Richard Broughton’s.

Apparently seen the following day in Ewelme then Lewknor.  

Must have been quite a sight to see. A native of tropical South America popular with aviculturists.

A few butterflies in the garden today, Brimstone, Small White & Holly Blue and a Green-veined White seen by Alan.

Green-veined courtesy Alan

Great Crested Grebe courtesy Alan

Common Whitethroat courtesy Alan