Portland: Yellow-browed Warbler, Day 3

Mostly cloudy, 18°, NW at first then ESE.

Another quietish day but with Portland’s first Yellow-browed Warbler of the year turning up in the garden at around midday. Caught, ringed and released.

Small numbers of other migrants present included 2 Wryneck, a couple of Grey Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail, 6+ Blackcap, 20+ Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 10+ Wheatear, a single Siskin and a Snipe.

Also a Peregrine and a Barn Owl.

The sea has been very quiet so far this week with a few Gannet and 28 Common Scoter in total and a Teal in with one of the flocks.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood and Gatekeeper.

Also another Convolvulus Hawk Moth and several Bush Crickets.

Yellow-browed Warbler photo courtesy Martin Cade

Cholsey News

Little Owl calling near Manor Farm/Bunk Line and a Teal on the flash in the cattle field. Per RB.

Portland: Convolvulus Hawk Moth, Day 2

A cloudy start and then rain from early afternoon to almost dusk, 15°, light N.

A slow day with low numbers of common migrants around.

The Wryneck still around the Obs quarry and garden and a second seen later in the day.

Apart from Meadow Pipit, Robin and Chiffchaff everything else was just one’s or two’s.

Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Redstart, Wheatear, Whinchat, Stonechat, Raven, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard to note but a few.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

Moths: A few interesting moths at the observatory today: Boxworm Moth, Scarce Bordered Straw and a Convolvulus Hawk Moth.

Portland: Wryneck, day 1

Sunny, 18°, light NW.

Arrived in Portland this afternoon to a nice sunny day, so after getting organised we went for a walk down to the bill.

Virtually the first bird we encountered was a Wryneck that has been present in the Obs quarry for a couple of days. First one I’ve seen this year, also the usual Little Owl present.

A walk around produced little else except for the odd Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.

Butterflies: Large White, Peacock, Painted Lady and Red Admiral.

Cholsey's "Slimbridge"

Overcast, 15°, light NNW.

16th Sep; 32 Mallards displaced from the brook onto the flash on the cattle field opposite the school today, including 7 'Molly types'. Then 80 Canada Geese piled in tonight, still present, noisy and active at midnight. Several Grey Heron heard also.

17th Sep: 68 Mallards on the flash today and 19 Egyptian Geese.

Thanks for the info Richard.
 

After the Storm

Cloudy with the odd sunny spell, 17°, fresh NW to W.

A fresher day and a soggy walk out to the hill today after several thunderstorms dumped almost half a month’s rain last night. Quite a few fields now have standing water on them.

A hedgerow on the way out had around 20 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting and a few Linnet present, also 2 Chiffchaff.

Only 2 migrants on the hill today with a single Wheatear and a Common Redstart. A Green Woodpecker and a Mistle Thrush were also present.

Bullfinches still present on the north side.

A steady passage of Swallow with approximately 100 per hour passing over and all heading west. Also a handful of Meadow Pipit over.

The paddock area had a Common Redstart, at least 1 Willow Warbler and several Chiffchaff and a Sparrowhawk over.

Mammals: several Roe Deer and a Wood Mouse.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: a few Large & Small White, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, 20+ Red Admiral (most were flying south) and a couple of Speckled Wood.

Short & Sweet

Mainly sunny, 27°, light SSW.

Another warm sunny day and quieter on the hill, albeit a shorter visit, 2 hours today.

5 Wheatear and 2 Common Redstart present on the hill and a handful of Meadow Pipit overhead and a Sparrowhawk passed through.

The Bullfinches still present and a few Chiffchaff on the north side,

1 Common Redstart and 3 Spotted Flycatcher still present around the paddock.

I heard what I thought were a couple of Siskin flyover but could not see them.

1 possibly 2 Cetti's Warbler on Cholsey Marsh this afternoon (per RB).

Cholsey Marsh has been fairly quiet recently with only Chiffchaff and Blackcap notable. (per TW).

Dragonflies: Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown.

Hare coursing........Police appeal

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following reports of people hare coursing on The Ridgeway at Chilton, Didcot.

At 4.52pm on Saturday (10/9) we received a report that people were driving over The Ridgeway hare coursing. Four offenders headed towards the A34 from Berrydown. They were in a Blue Shogan vehicle index L***VAF.

If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in these areas or have any information relating to this message please call the Police via the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101.

Hot on the Hill

Sunny to start with then clouding over from midday, 27°, light to fresh SSE.

A good morning on the hill today with nearly 5 hours out around Lollingdon this morning.

The Hill today hosted 2 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, a Common Redstart, 3 Common Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Yellow Wagtail over, 1 Pied Wagtail over and 5 Meadow Pipit over.

Also moving today were c200 Swallow and 150+ House Martin.

2 Kestrel, 5 Buzzard and 10+ Red Kite around the hill and the Bullfinches still present.

Down by the paddocks were 2 Common Redstart, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Jay, 4 Willow Warbler and 5 Yellowhammer and a Hobby overhead feeding on a dragonfly.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown.

A busy Hill but not with birds

Cloudy with sunny spells later, 22°, fresh S.

The south side of the Hill was fairly dire for birds today as there was a stiff southerly breeze blowing on to the face of the hill plus a paraglider was coasting along the hill and a tractor was rolling the field immediately south of the hill. Subsequently very little to be seen except for a few Kestrel that did not seem bothered by the glider.

I stayed on the hill for about an hour afterwards but only had a handful of House Martin over.

A few Chiffchaff and the Bullfinch family present on the north side of the hill.

I then went down to check out the area around the paddocks which was more sheltered and managed to locate 2 pos 3 Common Redstart, at least 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Willow Warbler and several Chiffchaff.

Mammals: A Brown Hare flushed off the hill.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma & Speckled Wood.

There and back again

Cloudy day with little sunshine and frequent rain showers, 20°, breezy SSW.

A quietish day with a walk out to the Hill and very little on the way other than a few Yellowhammer.

Hirundines moving through again with 150+ House Martin and 120+ Swallow over.

2 Wheatear on the south side of the hill that then flew in to the ploughed field was about it today and a few Chiffchaff and the Bullfinch family on the north side.

2 Spotted Flycatcher and a Common Redstart still around the paddocks.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood & Meadow Brown.

A short visit

Sunny with variable cloud, 20°, fresh W.

A shorter visit to the hill this afternoon.

At least 8 Wheatear scattered around the south side of the hill and a single Whinchat present.

The Bullfinch family still present on the north side of the hill feeding on Elder berries.

2 Spotted Flycatcher and a Common Redstart still around the paddock area.

Around 150 Swallow over in 1.5 hours on the hill, also Swallows over Cholsey Hill all moving roughly south west.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell & Speckled Wood.

Blackberry Way

Overcast and occasional light rain, muggy, 23°, light SW.

A little quieter on the hill this morning, however, 3 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat, 3 Common Redstart, 1 Common Whitethroat, a Green Woodpecker, 1 Yellow Wagtail over, 1 Mistle Thrush over, 1 Sparrowhawk and 5 Bullfinch still present.

Elsewhere in Lollingdon: 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Spotted Flycatcher and 14 Yellow Wagtail.

One of the Wheatear was feeding on Blackberries, have only noted this on a few occasions before and a couple of the fence posts had droppings on that were clearly blackberry laden.

2 Treecreeper & a Song Thrush in the garden today and at least 1 Goldcrest along Church road.

Dragonflies: Migrant Hawker.

Butterflies: very few around, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown.

Movin through

Overcast with a few light rain showers, 17°, light SSE.

Several hours on the hill this morning with migrants still passing through.

6 Wheatear, 3 Whinchat, 3 Common Redstart (1 by the paddock), 1 Common Whitethroat, 3 Yellow Wagtail over, 4 Willow Warbler (3 by the paddock), 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, 3+ Spotted Flycatcher (all paddock), c40 Swallow over and 2 Skylark.

The field below the hill was being ploughed and within a few minutes there were around 100 Lesser Blackback Gull, 40 Rook, 6 Jackdaw and a couple of Red Kite following.

The remains of a Buzzard found under some power lines so maybe that’s how it met its demise?

5 Yellowhammer, 5 Bullfinch, a Green Woodpecker and Great-spotted Woodpecker also noted.

2 Peregrine Falcon and 2 Spotted Flycatcher seen near the Bunk line over the weekend (Brian Wyatt).

A flock of 80+ House Martin feeding over the trees in the garden and meadow on Saturday between rain showers.

Also a passage of Swallow and House Martin over the garden late afternoon to early evening with several hundred of both drifting south.

Dragonflies: a single Migrant Hawker.

Butterflies: a few Small White and a single Speckled Wood.

You guessed it

Broken cloud and sunshine, 22°, light WSW.

You guessed it another sunny day on the hill with a few more migrants passing through. Fascinating time of year with birds turning up and moving on most of the time through August and September.

9 Wheatear, 3 Common Redstart (1 on the hill and 2 near the paddock),

5 Spotted Flycatcher (2 near the paddock and 3 in the orchard), 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, a single Whinchat, a Blackcap and 20+ Swallow overhead.

5 Bullfinch on the north side of the hill and 2 Jay.

Tawny Owls back in the meadow, a Green Woodpecker still present and a Kingfisher heard regularly along the brook, also a Sparrowhawk around the meadow today.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker & Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady (in garden), Red Admiral, Comma & Speckled Wood.

Other: Several Hornets.