WonderfulWildlifeUK

Mainly cloudy with a few sunny spells, 21°, breezy SW. A little breezy on the hill today. The Common Redstart still present on the hill and appears to be going through a post juvenile moult. Probably the reason it’s still around. A male & a female Redstart reported on the hill by John Taylor @ 17:43. So possibly 3 now present. 3 Kestrel also present still hunting the hill. Little else noted today, a few Warblers around and the Mistle Thrush flock still around the Lollingdon area. Mammals: Short-tailed Vole , Brown Hare and Roe Deer . Dragonflies: Common Darter . Butterflies: Large White , Small White , Red Admiral , Peacock , Comma , Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown . from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2019/07/quiet-end-to-july.html

Following the success of our badger sett build at Yew View some years ago now, I have been keen to build something to try to attract the local otters. I have been filming the otters at the bottom of the site, on the Severn,  for almost 5 years and I have seen a selection of individuals, including several males and females and cubs. There is a basic artificial holt at this filming spot, although it is very close to the water level, so floods regularly. We are not sure what it consists of, but it has been used as a day holt in the past. We have males and females visiting this part of the bank just about every week to spraint. I have spent a lot of time researching different otter holt designs. I have contacted various organisations and individuals who have built holts and looked at lots of images and videos. Gathering all this information together, I designed my own holt / den space for Yew View. It is always hard when it comes to the design of such as space as I found I got lots...

Tony Rayner caught another new Moth for Cholsey recently. The 4th new Moth for Cholsey this year. The Moth in question is a Tree Lichen Beauty . A mostly migrant species with only a handful of records prior to 1991, since when it has become quite frequent in the southern and south-eastern counties. More recently it has arrived in sufficient numbers to breed and possibly establish small resident populations in certain localities. The species occurs in southern Europe, where the larvae feed on lichens growing on trees, and the adult moths fly between July and September. Most British records are during July and August. from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2019/07/another-new-moth.html

Sunny, 24°, light SSW. The hill was reasonable today, the Common Redstart still present and 3 Kestrel and a Paraglider ! A Spotted Flycatcher on the north side of the hill along with a couple of Blackcap . It seems like a few birds are on the move with small flocks of Swallow , House Martin and Swift passing through. The hedgerows by the paddocks and cow field had 2 Lesser Whitethroat , a Willow Warbler , several Chiffchaff and Blackcap and 5 Common Whitethroat nearby. 5 Mistle Thrush , a Grey Heron and Little Owl also seen. Several Yellow Wagtail seen by Alan Yesterday in fields beyond the Lees, maybe a couple of family groups! Mammals: Short-tailed Vole . Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle , Southern Hawker and Common Darter . Butterflies: Not that many around today: Small Skipper (1), Brimstone (2), Large White , Small White , Common Blue (1), Red Admiral (increase), Small Tortoiseshell (2), Peacock , Comma (2), Speckled Wood , Gatekeeper and Mead...

Recently we have had two members of the keeping team move on to pastures new. Jamie, above, left a couple of weeks ago having worked here for 18 months. Having enjoyed his time here, it was always the more handy man(y) and maintenance side of things he really liked. Of course there was not much of this available for a keeper with all the animal husbandry getting in the way, and so he has moved on to role that can offer him more experience with tools and a little close to home. We wish him all the best with his new career, and imagine he will be popping in with his new company often passing this way. Aaron has been with us for around 16 months, having moved down from the midlands to gain experience with wildlife. Having thoroughly enjoyed it, the call of education and to complete his Masters has always been there. Aaron's last day with us was this weekend, and he will be relocating back home for a year before starting his masters in Autumn of 2020. His main motivation (at le...

A sunny day with light cloud, 29°, light SW. A quietish day out there today, I think most were seeking shade and not being too active. 2 Raven on the hill today before flying off east and 7 Kestrel hunting on and around the hill. (No sign of the Redstart) . A few Warblers on the wooded north of the hill with several Chiffchaff , Common Whitethroat and Blackcap . 2 Green Woodpecker and 3 Great-spotted Woodpecker in the garden today and a Hobby over yesterday. Mammals: Brown Hare and Roe Deer . Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle , Azure Damselfly , Brown Hawker , Southern Hawker , Emperor and Common Darter . Butterflies: (fewer than of late) , Brimstone , Large White , Small White , Holly Blue , Small Tortoiseshell , Red Admiral , Painted Lady (1), Peacock , Comma , Speckled Wood , Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown . from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2019/07/black-green.html

Today is the first day of our summer opening, meaning we are open daily through out the week as well as our usual weekends, for the general public. This will continue through the summer until out local schools go back on the 4th of September... we will then be back to the usual weekends and bank holidays. So what's happening... To start with, there has been a few animals moved around. Our water vole island is taking longer than anticipated to renovate... don't ask... and so temporarily we have housed our display water voles in our grass snake enclosure so they can be seen by the public. Don't worry, our grass snakes won't mind, they have been temporarily moved off display in our holding pens ready for our new reptile enclosures next Spring... lets be honest, most of you never saw them anyway... Whitstable, our male polecat who sired the litter of kits with Oriel, was off display while the kits were growing. He has now been moved in to the hedgerow enclosure next...