Another sunshiny day

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, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Moths: A couple of Cinnabar Moths.

Large Skipper
A female Emperor dragonfly hunting on the hill this morning. Could not get a photo with the long lens as flight too erratic. Tried phone camera and did not capture her either but to my surprise caught her shadow!
Meadow Grasshopper (courtesy Alan Dawson)
Just liked the pattern of the bark on this Downy Birch.


from Cholsey Wildlife https://cholseywildlife.blogspot.com/2020/05/another-sunshiny-day.html

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