After the rain

Sunny periods, 16°, light SW.

River, Bunk and Lollingdon covered today. A lot of soggy fields out there.

A scattering of Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush, a (f) Stonechat, 2 Corn Bunting, 16 Yellowhammer, a Kingfisher, a Treecreeper, good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, 2+ Jay, 3-4 Chiffchaff and 2 Little Egret.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White and Red Admiral.

Little Egret ↕

Fieldfare courtesy Alan

Yellowhammer courtesy Alan

Yellowhammer

Cattle Egret

Sunny spells and showers, 13°, light to breezy W.

Was not planning to go out today as it looked like more rain and didn’t fancy getting wet for a second day running.

At c10:30 I got a message from Alan to say he had found a Cattle Egret on a flood beside the Wallingford Road.

As I had not seen one before in Cholsey, I grabbed my kit and drove up there.

The bird had left the flood and had flipped over the road to a field with a herd of cattle next to Green Lane.

It stayed in the area for at least another hour and appeared then to have moved on.

Alan stayed on for a time and then found a Little Egret nearby plus c 40 Lapwing, a Goldcrest, Stonechat, Chiffchaff and Meadow Pipit.

All 3 Egret species have been seen in Cholsey this year. All have colonised the UK in the last few decades with breeding in Oxfordshire in the last few years.

They were all rarities in the UK 30-40 years ago hence trips to see Cattle Egret and Little Egret in Sussex in 1984 and 1987 respectively and Great Egret in Cornwall 1989.

Dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Common Darter.

6 photos from both Alan and me.  

 

A wet one

Overcast with constant light rain, heavier later, 14°, light to moderate E.

Alan along the river early but very little to speak of apart for a flock of 70+ Fieldfare and Redwing.

I ventured out to Lollingdon and waited in a sheltered spot just watch and listen.

100+ each of Fieldfare and Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush, an increased number of Blackbird, 4 Jay, 2 Raven, 3 Chiffchaff, several Siskin, 5 Yellowhammer, the odd Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, etc.

Alan out along the Bunk in the afternoon and I imagine getting a bit wet. c100 Fieldfare, c60 Redwing, (m) Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Raven etc.

Magpie in the garden

Bunk again

Sunny intervals, 13°, breezy E.

Alan along the Bunk today with Fieldfare, Redwing, Siskin, Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk and Chiffchaff.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Meadow Pipit courtesy Alan

Common Buzzard courtesy Alan

Bunk Line

Cloudy with the odd sunny spell, 10°, light E.

Bunk line: 50+ Fieldfare (2 flocks), 2 Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush, 2+ Siskin over, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipit, 14 Skylark, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 1 Jay, 2 Raven, 1 Common Snipe, 1 Jay, a Little Owl, 50 + Black-headed Gull, 23 Lesser Blackback Gull, etc.

Butterflies: 1 Red Admiral.

Dragonflies: Common Darter (Saturday).

8 Fieldfare, part of one of the flocks seen today

Black-headed Gull (above & below)

Grey Heron

Todays Red Admiral

Common Carder Bee

Speckled Bush Cricket

Bunk line

Overcast with light rain, 13°, light SSW.

Bunk Line: a Stonechat, 20+ Redwing, 9 Mistle Thrush, 16 Yellowhammer, 2 Reed Bunting, 7 Pied Wagtail, 15 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Raven and a Cormorant over. A scattering of Black-headed and Lesser Blackback Gull in the area and a Grey Wagtail Church Road.

Alan along the river later in the day with good numbers of Fieldfare.

No Dragons or Butterflies on the wing today.

Stonechat

Chiffchaff

Redwing

Yellowhammer

Cormorant

Lollingdon & Bunk

Overcast, 19°, light SW.

Both Alan and myself out at Lollingdon today with Alan on the earlier visit.

The hill was a little quiet but a lot of Skylark in the area with around 100+ scattered around and a flyover Ringed Plover.

Some movement going on with both Redwing and Fieldfare noted, plus 20+ Meadow Pipit, 6 Pied Wagtail, 2+ Siskin, 11 Yellowhammer and 8 Reed Bunting.

2 Tawny Owl heard, a Common Snipe, 9 Chiffchaff and 3 Jay noted.

Alan then out along Bunk Line: Redwing, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, Raven etc.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admirals still noted moving south but in fewer numbers. Large White, Small White and Speckled Wood also seen.

A Red Admiral resting up

Common Darter

Winter Thrushes arrive

Sunny, 23°, light SSW.

Some of our “Winter Thrushes” arrived today on an unseasonably warm day with c80 Redwing and a Fieldfare, out at Lollingdon and probably some (migrant) Blackbirds that were moving with the flock.

Alan also had 50+ Redwing along the Bunk line this afternoon. Plus a flock of c100 Lapwing.

Redwings heard passing overhead this evening. Per Michael Pocock.  

6 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellowhammer and 2 Corn Bunting on Lollingdon Hill and some overhead movement of Finches, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Skylark.

Nearby, at least 2 Siskin over, a Mistle Thrush, a Raven and 2 Jay.

3 Chiffchaff, including 1 in garden.

River & Cholsey Meadows, per Alan. Chiffchaff, Kingfisher and Cormorant.

Bunk: Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Black-headed and Lesser Blackback Gull.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: Willow Emerald, Migrant Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral, loads around and another day of most of them moving strongly south. Also a Brimstone, several Large and Small White, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Ruddy Darter courtesy Alan

Willow Emerald courtesy Alan

Lapwing courtesy Alan

Red Admiral courtesy Alan

Common Darter courtesy Alan

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Speckled Wood

Home to Lollingdon and back

Sunny, 20°, breezy WSW.

Lollingdon Hill pretty quiet, just 3 Kestrel hunting over.

Nearby, a flock of 25 Skylark plus a few more scattered around, 6 Yellowhammer, 8 Meadow Pipit. Nearer home, 2 Raven, a Jay, a Grey Heron, 2 Siskin, a Coal Tit, a Mistle Thrush and 6 Chiffchaff.

Dragonflies: a single Migrant Hawker and many Common Darter.

Butterflies: Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood. Red Admiral has been very common this year and interesting to see 30+ in approx an hour all flying strongly south over the hill heading towards the downs.

Raven

At least 50 Common Darter ovipositing and flying around this drying area of mud and water

Shaggy Inkcap

Peacock courtesy Bill Nicholls

Comma sharing some Ivy with plenty of Ivy Bee

Pretty quiet

Cloudy with minimal sunshine, 17°, light WSW.

Very quiet along the Bunk line this afternoon. 2 Swallow and 5 House Martin over, plus 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Yellowhammer and 2 Grey Heron.

Dragonflies: Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White, Large White, Comma and Red Admiral.

The 2 Herons

 

A good mix

Mainly cloudy with a few sunny spells, 17°, breezy WSW.

Lollingdon, The Lees and Long Ditch:

Common Snipe at 2 (1 & 5) locations, 1 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, 8 Reed Bunting, 2-3 Corn Bunting and 10+ Yellowhammer, several Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 6 Chiffchaff, a Peregrine and 14 Lapwing.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

Dragonflies: 2 Migrant Hawker and many Common Darter.

Butterflies: Small White and Red Admiral.

Arachnids: Garden Cross Spider.

P & A.

Garden Cross Spider

Stonechat courtesy Alan ↕

Pied Wagtail

Common Darter

Common Darter courtesy Alan

Red Admiral

Blue Tit

Grey Wagtail

Autumnal

Mainly sunny, 16°, breezy W.

Lollingdon. 2 Wheatear, Little Egret, Stonechat, Corn Bunting, several Meadow Pipit and Chiffchaff. Per Alan.

Yesterday out at Lollingdon c300 Meadow Pipit, numbers of Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Skylark and Finches. Per Tony Williams and 2 Common Snipe. Per Andy King.

A Stonechat at the Winterbrook end of Bunk. Per John Taylor.

Dragonfly: Cholsey Meadows. 5 pair of Willow Emerald Damsel, a Migrant Hawker and many Common Darter.

Butterflies: Red Admiral.

Willow Emeralds courtesy Alan

Wheatear courtesy Alan