Day 6: A slow day

Mainly cloudy, 10°, N, backing WSW.

A slow day with little on the sea and land.

Sea-watch: 17 Whimbrel, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Great Skua (Bonxie), 1 Great Northern Diver, 7 Manx Shearwater, 1 Puffin, 2 Sandwich Tern plus many Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet etc and c2000 Gulls feeding over the race.

Land: 1 Peregrine, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, good numbers of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, 1 Swift, several hundred Swallow, 30+ House Martin, 4 Sand Martin, 2 Wheatear, 2 Oystercatcher and 3-4 Purple Sandpiper.

Butterflies: Green-veined White and Orange Tip.

Purple Sandpiper 

Oystercatcher

Herring Gull

Day 5: A little quieter

Mainly cloudy, 10°, Light N.

A little chilly still.

Sea-watch: an on-off sea-watch today, 2 Shelduck, 1 Arctic Skua, 2 Arctic Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, 30+ Whimbrel and 10 Bar-tailed Godwit etc.

Land: a Brambling (f), 16 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Blackcap, 30+ Swallow, 3 Sand Martin, 2 House Martin and a high flying Hen Harrier in-off the sea.

A rather feisty Starling

Cholsey

Mainly cloudy, 10°, Light N.

River: Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, Kingfisher and Reed Bunting.

Lollingdon: Willow Warbler, Wheatear, Blackcap, Swallow, Lapwing and Yellow Wagtail.

Bunk: Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, Blackcap, Swallow, House Martin, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat and Yellow Wagtail over.

Per Alan.

Yellow Wagtail

Day 4: Rain stopped play

Cloudy then rain, 8°, light NNE.

Day started reasonably well then rain stopped play around 13:00.

Sea-watch: 67 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Knot, 2 Arctic Skua, 9 Whimbrel, 10 Common Scoter, 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, numbers of Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet and several Sandwich Tern and Oystercatcher.

Land: Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Common Redstart, Cuckoo, Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin.

Razorbill

Swallow

Guillemot

Great Blackback Gull

Guillemot and a Razorbill

Oystercatcher

Day 3 Portland

Mainly sunny, 12°, breezy NE.

A protracted sea-watch produced, 60+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Arctic Skua, 16 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Tern and a single Great Northern Diver.

The landward sightings became a little more diverse today with 5 Wheatear, a Stonechat, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Common Redstart, several Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtail, a Cuckoo, a Ring Ouzel, 40+ Swallow, 4 House Martin and a single Sand Martin.

Butterflies: a Small White, Green-veined White, Holly Blue and Peacock.

Pied Flycatcher (f)

Day 2

Sunny, 13°, light to breezy NE.

A bitty sea watch and a good day’s birding. Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, a couple of Manx Shearwater, 2 Canada Geese, a Fulmar plus usual Auk species, Shag and Gannet.

On land: 2 Common Redstart, a Black Redstart, 3 Wheatear, a Whinchat, a Stonechat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, several Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, 20+ Swallow, 2 Little Owl, 3+ Raven and a Whimbrel.

Butterflies: Small White, Holly Blue and Red Admiral.

Lesser Whitethroat

Stonechat

2 Little Owl

2 of a flock of 18 Carrion Crow

Angle Shades

River & Lollingdon

Sunny, 13°, light to breezy NE.

River: Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Kingfisher and Swallow.

Lollingdon: Greenshank, 4 Wheatear, 5 second viewing of a Whinchat before disappearing, unable to relocate. Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Swallow over. Per Alan.

Greenshank

Wheatear

Day 1:Arrival

Sunny spells and showers,13°, breezy NW.

Arrived a little later in the day so not much time for birding.

9 Common Scoter flying east and a few Gannet and Shag passing by. 800+ Gulls feeding offshore.

Butterflies: Holly Blue.

view from the observatory

Bunk & Lollingdon

Sunny spells and showers,13°, breezy NW.

Bunk: Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Treecreeper, 2 Common Sandpiper, Swallow, Common Whitethroat and Little Egret.

Lollingdon: 4 Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Blackcap.

photos courtesy Alan

Little Egret

Oystercatcher

Bunk & Lollingdon

Sunny spells, 12°, light WSW.

2 Oystercatcher, a Common Sandpiper and 2 Willow Warbler, Bunk area. Per Alan.

Greenshank, Lollingdon. Per Tony W.

Tree Pipit heard flying north over Cholsey Station. Per Richard Broughton.

Sunny but cool

Sunny periods, 11°, breezy NW.

Usual areas covered today: 4 Wheatear, a Yellow Wagtail, 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Common Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, several Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 10+ Swallow, 3 House Martin, 7 Sand Martin, a Bullfinch, 5 Yellowhammer, a Common Sandpiper, several Lapwing, 8 Lesser Blackback Gull, a Grey Heron, a Cormorant etc.

Mammals: Red Fox.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

Butterflies: Orange Tip, Red Admiral and Peacock.

AD & PC.

Photos courtesy Alan

Yellow Wagtail

Large Red Damsel

Wheatear

A blustery day

Rain at first then sunny, 10°, blustery SW.

Lollingdon and Bunk area:

3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Wheatear, a Common Redstart, Willow Warbler, several Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 10+ Swallow, c50 House Martin, 6 Lapwing, 3 Lesser Blackback Gull and a Sparrowhawk.

Whilst Alan was watching the Yellow Wagtails and Pied Wagtails, a Sparrowhawk appeared and went for one of the Yellow Wagtail. It missed but took a Pied Wagtail that was present.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

AD & PC.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy Alan

Sunday

Sunshine with cloudy spells, 13°, light SW.

Alan out today with 3 Common Sandpiper along the Bunk area plus Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting and Swallow.

A single Wheatear on Lollingdon Hill plus Corn Bunting, a Raven and Peregrine over, Chiffchaff and Blackcap.

River: Common Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler, Swallow etc.

Michael Pocock had a Redpoll in his garden this morning.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

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

All photos courtesy Alan  

Common Sandpiper

Common Whitethroat

Holly Blue

Wheatear

Small Tortoiseshell

A day for Butterflies and a Dragon

Hazy sunshine, 19°, breezy SSW.

A visit to Lollingdon the Bunk and River today: Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Grey Wagtail, Common Snipe, Lapwing, Sparrowhawk, and 6+1 Lesser Blackback Gull.

20-30 Hirundines noted, mainly Swallow and Sand Martin and a single House Martin.

Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer.

Dragonflies: Large Red Damselfly.

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

AD & PC.

Comma

Large Red Damselfly courtesy Alan

Wheatear courtesy Alan

Dark-edged Bee Fly courtesy Alan

Springs on its way

Sunny spells, 15°, light SSW.

River: very much the same as yesterday plus a Kingfisher and Swallow. Per Alan.

Butterflies: Brimstone, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.

Sparrowhawk

Sedge Warbler courtesy Alan

Swallow courtesy Alan