WonderfulWildlifeUK

For a long time, I have read with envy the blog posts of others who have visited the Prudhoe Spetchells yet, shamefully, have never found the time to visit myself; though this all changed a fortnight past. The Spetchells are an interesting site in a great many regards. Created as a by-product of factory work […] from James Common https://commonbynature.co.uk/2020/05/31/investigating-the-prudhoe-spetchells/

Tony Rayner has caught 16 Small Elephant Hawk Moth in his trap over the last few days. A record number in such a short period. A Roesel's Bush Cricket found by Alan, a Cinnabar Moth found by Loren and a Large Skipper by Tony R. Small Elephant Hawk Moth (courtesy Tony Rayner) Roesel's Bush Cricket (courtesy Alan Dawson) Cinnabar Moth (courtesy Loren Chaplin) Cockchafer Large Skipper (courtesy Tony Rayner) from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2020/05/end-of-month-insects.html

Our new display family of water voles have been out on the island for about 2 months now, and have settled in extremely well. Some may think this is due to the lockdown we are currently in, and no visitors being here... and maybe that has helped a little, but to be honest our water voles normally settle fairly quickly once they are out on the island. It is a very large, natural enclosure for them and so plenty of space to hide if they so wish.  I took the photo at the top of Walter, one of our male voles, a few days a go. It was a quick snap and go while he was eating breakfast and I was doing routines, but it made me think I must spend a bit of time with them and my camera. Yesterday morning was that time!.. I had a few minutes, so spent ten of them in around the island with my camera. The voles are active on and off through out the day, but usually have a peak around 10am. That's when I was there.  I managed to see all five... Walt, Skyler, Saul, Gus and Jessie...

Another sunshiny day, 24°, light E. Lollingdon hill relatively quiet today albeit a light passage of Swift and House Martin. A mixed flock of c50 Swift and House Martin drifted over heading north at around 10:30 and then a thin trickle of Swift and a few House Martin over the next hour numbering around another 100 birds. All the usual suspects present. A pair of House Sparrow nesting in bushes and away from any buildings on the route out to Lollingdon. A little unusual? Farmers are cutting fields for hay at the moment and I wonder how many Skylark and Corn Bunting nests get destroyed along with anything else living there? Are Swallows and House Martins having a hard time of it at the moment as there is very little mud around for them to collect for their nest building process? Dragonflies: a female Emperor hunting on Lollingdon Hill and a male Emperor hunting over a bean field just south of the railway. Butterflies: Large Skipper , Brimstone , Large White , S...

A few photos from Cholsey in the last few days including a very scarce Lime Hawk Moth photographed by Katherine Ryecroft. Other photos by Alan Dawson. Lime Hawk Moth  Grey Wagtail  Roe Buck  Red Fox ↕ Common Whitethroat from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2020/05/wildlife-in-cholsey.html

Sunshine, 23°, light WNW. A female Sparrowhawk over Whitehead Meadow being mobbed by a Mistle Thrush , 2 Swallow and 2 House Martin . She eventually drifted off east. The walk out to Lollingdon was fairly uneventful with a single Yellow Wagtail overhead and the usual songsters still at it. And the hill was a little slow but for a Garden Warbler in song. I thought I heard one last week but was unsure but today it was in full song and visible albeit briefly. Common Whitethroat and Blackcap still singing well along with Chiffchaff , Reed Bunting , Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting and an immature Lesser Blackback Gull flew west overhead. 4 breeding pairs of Pied Wagtail established between Church road and Lollingdon and probably more around the village. Seem to be doing quite well this year. Not seen the Little owls recently and very few Swift noted locally! No mammals today, difficult to see them now the crops and grasses are high. Dragonflies: a male Banded Demois...

Spurred on by the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions in England, this weekend past saw us venture forty-five minutes inland to the wild reaches of Allen Banks. An ancient woodland site situated on the banks of the River Allen and maintained by the National Trust. Now, I visit Allen Banks at least once every year […] from James Common https://commonbynature.co.uk/2020/05/23/into-the-wild-woods-at-allen-banks/

Demoiselles are a group of fluttery dragonflies of which there are 2 British species. The one you are most likely to see in Cholsey is the Banded Demoiselle which is found in habitats of slow moving rivers and streams with muddy bottoms. The Beautiful Demoiselle is quite rare in Cholsey and its preferred habitat is rivers and streams with gravelly bottoms. This year both Alan and I have found female Demoiselles that resemble Beautiful. Some females appear to be difficult to identify to species and I have little experience of Beautiful Demoiselles.  Fortunately we have some photos. See below. Beautiful Demoiselle (f) ↕ top photo by Richard Lewington of one near Appleford and the bottom photo by Alan Dawson in Cholsey. Banded or Beautiful Demoiselle ? Cholsey from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2020/05/beautiful-or-banded.html

Sunny spells, 19°, breezy SW. A little cooler than of late and a stiff south westerly blowing as a low pressure system passes through. Still a few songsters in full flow out there so I thought I would count on the way out to Lollingdon Numbers as follows: 15 Common Whitethroat , 11 Yellowhammer , 7 Blackcap , 5 Chiffchaff , 4 Corn Bunting , 3 Reed Bunting and 1 Lesser Whitethroat . None were photogenic enough to allow a photo today unfortunately. The hill itself was somewhat quiet with just as few Buzzard and Red Kite soaring above and a steady flow of Rooks flying over to the pig fields. And a large unidentified Gull flew north over the hill. An adult Black-headed Gull (ringed) quartering the Millennium field on the walk out and a Goldcrest heard singing in the Millennium Wood. Mammals: Brown Hare & Roe Deer . Dragonflies: 1 female Banded Demoiselle near the Bullshole. Butterflies: again very few and poor diversity: 1 Brimstone , a handful of Large an...

Sunny, 24°, light S. A  Tufted Duck  on the river today and a scarce bird in Cholsey as they are usually present on lakes, reservoirs etc. Per Alan. Otherwise all the usual suspects present birdwise. Also Alan reports more butterflies on the wing today with:  Brimstone ,  Orange Tip ,  Small Blue ,  Common Blue ,  Marsh Fritillary  and  Speckled Wood .  Tufted Duck f (courtesy Alan) We have a pair of Stock Dove breeding in the garden this year and it has been interesting in observing the dynamics between the Doves and the Wood Pigeons. Up to about a month ago the Doves were quite subservient to the Pigeons and were often quite bullied. Since they started nesting the Doves have become more aggressive and are now chasing off the Wood Pigeons even though they are a smaller bird.  Stock Dove Wood Pigeon a few photos from yesterday by Alan.  Common Blue Damselfly  Swollen-thigh Beetle  Blu...

Wall to wall sunshine, 25°, light S. The first thing to start with is that 2 White Stork were seen drifting SW over Cholsey this morning at 09:45. Seen by a Benson birder who was at Cholsey Meadows. There has been a White Stork seen earlier in the year around the Day’s Lock/Dorchester/Wittenham area. So it may be that one teamed up with another as some of the Storks from the Sussex release scheme have been wandering quite widely. There is a lot of chatter on Wallingford Piper on FB regarding Storks being seen all over. Some of the reports refer to Egrets and Herons that are being misidentified as Storks. Although some reports are accurate. Anyway back to feet on the ground in Cholsey as I was on a walk out to Lollingdon today and Alan was along the river and Cholsey Marsh. A singing Sedge Warbler along Cholsey Brook at the millennium field,  a singing Willow Warbler on Lollingdon Hill and this evening Richard Broughton had a Reed Warbler singing by the Church road bri...

Sunshine, 23°, light W. A walk along the Bunk line expecting to seen some butterflies but was disappointed with very few being seen. The usual songsters present, Blackcap , Common Whitethroat , Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer . Also 2 Yellow Wagtail in the fields and 6-8 Swallow and a couple of House Martin feeding overhead.  an adult Herring Gull still frequenting CSW. Dragonflies: Banded Demoiselle . Butterflies: Brimstone , Orange Tip and Small White .  Yellowhammer  Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow but is actually an Accentor!  Banded Demoiselle Jackdaw from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2020/05/warmer-and-quieter.html