Today featuring: George and the Wagtails

Another sunny and warm day, 16°, light SW.

A quieter day on the hill today with a few Meadow Pipit and 2 Yellow Wagtail.

3 Blackcap noted and another Yellow Wagtail in the paddock making 3 in total feeding alongside a Pied Wagtail.

Both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Grey Heron noted, a Jay heard calling.

A Willow Warbler singing near the garden this evening, also a Blackcap and a Mistle Thrush in song, a Green Woodpecker calling and a Grey Heron flew over.

3 pairs of Mallard visiting the garden along with a Moorhen and 2 Stock Dove.

 Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.

                                             George and the Wagtails

                                        Jackdaw wearing a disguise!

 Pair of Mallard resting in the garden

Brimstone

Swallows, Cuckoo and more.

Sunny, 16°, breezy SSW, quite a mild wind.

Lollingdon Hill and Cholsey Marsh today, Tony W visited the marsh this morning and I visited Lollingdon and the Marsh this afternoon.

Between us on the Marsh, we had the following: 6+ Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 7 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 2 Water Rail and a Cuckoo calling down river towards the 4-arches.

In addition, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Great-crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swan flew down river, 2 Reed Bunting and 2 Bullfinch.

Lollingdon produced 2 Wheatear on the hill and 2 Yellow Wagtail still present in the paddock also a Swallow, 5 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming, 2 Green Woodpecker, 4 Yellowhammer and 2 Corn Bunting.

Garden today, a Chiffchaff passed through and a Willow Warbler singing.

Butterflies: First Large White noted, also Orange Tip, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

Dennis and the Wagtails

Cloudy with a few sunny spells, 12°, light SSW.

A little cooler than of recent but still mild.

The hill was reasonably quiet today, 2 Willow Warbler on the north side, a Blackcap and several Chiffchaff.

Another Willow Warbler and 2 Chiffchaff nearby and 2 Yellow Wagtail in the horse paddock again. The wagtails were quite flighty so I managed a few distant photos through a hedge.

A Sparrowhawk high overhead, several Red Kite and Buzzard and a single Kestrel.

Butterflies: far fewer today with Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell in small numbers, 2 Brimstone and a Speckled Wood.

The first Oil Beetle of the year on the hill today.

Dennis and a Yellow Wagtail

More arrivals

Sunny but a little cloudier today, 16°, light to moderate S.

Two visits to the hill today, the first was after a call from Tony W to say there is a drake Mandarin duck on a garden pond just north of the hill. Therefore, a quick visit to see that before shopping found the duck resting and preening by the side of the pond.

Then another more prolonged walk around the area this afternoon.

No sign of the Mandarin this afternoon, however 2 Yellow Wagtail in a horse paddock that flew off before I could get the camera on them (another seen over Cholsey Hill earlier when driving back home).

A Willow Warbler singing out by Amwell spring and a Swallow flew over.

Back by the paddock 2 Redwing flew in and then off almost as quick, a Little Owl heard calling, a single Goldcrest seen, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 4 Yellowhammer and 2 Grey Heron again.

Several Song Thrush noted in song along with a Mistle Thrush and the now  regular Chiffchaff.

The hill was relatively quiet with several Skylark and 2 Corn Bunting in song, both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk over and the usual Buzzard and Red Kite in the vicinity and several Linnet back on the hill.

Grey Wagtail seen frequently near the garden and another Chiffchaff in the garden today.

Butterflies: Frequent Brimstone, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell and the first Speckled Wood of the year.

Mammals: Muntjac Deer.

Slowly arriving

Sunny, 16°, light SE.

A fair old walk out to the Lees and Lollingdon skirting Aston Tirrold today with lots of butterflies evident.

Another Wheatear on Lollingdon Hill and a Swallow flew over also a Blackcap singing nearby was probably a newly arrived migrant and plenty of Chiffchaff around with at least 14 singing also 1 in the garden this evening.

A few Yellowhammer around and 3 Reed Bunting out by the Lees.

Butterflies: Peacock, Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell very common, in addition an Orange Tip and a couple of Green-veined White noted.

First Bee Fly of the spring noted.

A Muntjac Deer also seen.

Kestrel dust bathing.

Sunny, 16°, very little wind.

Again very quiet out at Lollingdon, the calm before the storm? (I hope).

2 Corn Bunting, a few Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker and 2 Grey Heron.

In addition, a Kestrel dust bathing.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell, all very common.

No sign of any Blackcap in the garden today, so assuming they left last night!

Nice weather, not much else.

Sunny, 15°, very light N.

A nice warm day however still very little around. The hill was quiet but probably due to several tractors either working the area spreading fertilizer and seed planting.

Quite a few Buzzard and Red Kite in the air today.

6 singing Chiffchaff, a single Goldcrest, 6 Meadow Pipit, 35 Fieldfare and 2 Grey Heron were all of note today.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.

 

This is more like it.

Sunny, 11°, light ESE.

First day out in a week and a very pleasant day and subsequently a brief visit to Lollingdon hill………………….the first Wheatear on the hill, about time!

Not a great deal else around though, 3 Chiffchaff, a single Goldcrest and a Great-spotted Woodpecker, a single Grey Heron, 5 Red Kite and 2 Buzzard.

A Flock of c50 Fieldfare present there this morning (per TW).

My first Swallow of the year seen today flying west over the garden, also a Sparrowhawk and a Chiffchaff in the garden and 8 Buzzard high in the air over the garden around 13:00.

A Ring Ouzel seen on the downs not too far away, 2 days ago and a good passage of Meadow Pipit noted (per TW).

A belated report of 2 Brambling in Cholsey churchyard back in March (per BH).

Many butterflies on the wing today, the majority were Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Peacock and 2 Comma noted.

Wheatear

Red Kite

Chiffchaff

Great-spotted Woodpecker

 

Small Tortoiseshell

 

Peacock

Birding from a window.

Cloudy, 11°, light to moderate rain, little wind (for a change).

Another day confined to barracks with this stupid bug so the only alternative was birding from the living room window!

The garden was reasonably active with both Blue and Great Tits carrying nesting materials into nest boxes.

Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch all visiting the feeders regularly, the pair of Stock Dove, 1 Moorhen, 2 Carrion Crow, 2 pair of Mallard also visiting the garden at least daily, along with Wood Pigeon and a single Collared Dove.

The Robin is the most noticeable of the garden residents being visible almost every time you look into the garden and a couple of Blackbird very frequent also occasionally a Wren or a Dunnock will appear.

The over wintering Blackcaps still present with 2 ♂’s and a ♀ today and with the weather being milder they were seen fly catching. By the way, the ♀ is certainly the boss and not intimidated by the ♂’s.

Most of the winter they have fed on sultanas, apple and less frequently suet balls so presumably the cuisine is to their liking. Depending on the weather, they should depart for Eastern Europe around mid-month.

A Grey Wagtail heard calling a couple of times, a Mistle Thrush heard singing, a Green Woodpecker calling and a Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming and the Rookery is in full swing now.

2 Lesser Blackback Gull seen soaring high overhead and the usual 2 Red Kite sailing around the meadow.

 

First Swallow

A report today by Tony Rayner of a Swallow around the east end, possibly a local breeder arriving.

Have been laid up for the last few days so have not been out, 3 Blackcap still feeding in the garden 2 ♂ and 1♀.