Fall of Blackcaps

Saturday 14th April 2018

Caught up with the Green Woodpecker at Ewelme that has be yaffling away non stop for about a month. Looks like a fall of Blackcaps in the night with about 6 seen or heard on the cress beds. The family of Mallards first seen 3 days ago is doing remarkably well with still 12 ducklings - obviously the corvids and Kites have not got there eyes in yet.

Speceies 43 for the beds

Thursday 11 January 2018

43rd species for the cress beds at Ewelme with a male Blackcap. The shy Water Rail appeared very briefly.

It's back

Thursday 26 October 2017

Little Egret back on the Watercress Beds this afternoon.

New species for Ewelme Cress Beds this year

Friday 20 October 2017

I thought it was about time I put something on this blog as it has been so long. Species number 72 for the beds this year with a flypast Curlew. A few redwings and meadow pipits passed through earlier in the week but no water rail or little egret yet.

New arrivals

Monday 29 May 2017

At Ewelme Chiff chaffs and Great Tits have been very successful with 5 Great Tits and what looked like a family of 7 Chiff chaffs.
A pair of Linnets also turned up - not common on the cress beds.

More from Ewelme pond

Thursday 25 May 2017

At least three Broad Bodied Chasers emerged from the new pond judging by what they left on reed stems but I think the frog had had enough of the kids, crawling up the bank for a rest!

The damsels are here

Monday 22 May 2017

The new pond is looking a picture and, this afternoon, was graced by at least 5 Azures and a Large Red. Also spotted an unidentified Newt. Did it find the pond or did someone put it there?

Wet and windy here in Torcross

Sunday 30 April 2017

About the best of a rough old day were/

was a pair of Bullfinches eating Dandelion seeds on the grass a couple of metres from the window.

Light wasn't good and taken through double glazing - at least that's my excuse!

Fox looking for bird nests

Sunday 16 April 2017

Ewelme Cress beds. I assume this fox was looking for young birds or eggs but, on this occasion, appeared to fail and wandered off dripping to search elsewhere. Plenty of rabbits - surprised it didn't concentrate on them. First House martin over the site and the Green Sandpiper seems reluctant to leave.

Three firsts

Friday 7 April 2017

First Mallard ducklings on the Ewelme Cress beds followed by the first Swallow there and best of all the first Cettis Warbler for Benson Parish. Found by Alan Brampton within the parish.

Singing Blackcap and new butterfly for the year.

A singing Blackcap at last and a Green Veined White butterfly which nearly fooled me and appeared to completely fool a couple of male Orange Tips which chased it for several minutes. They could have been getting desperate as female Orange Tips seem to be in short supply.

No birds

Thursday 30 March 2017

At least none of note! However the butterfly species reached 5 with an Orange Tip and especially pleased to see a couple of Grass Snakes - unfortunately very nervous as I was restricted to seeing the ends of tails as they rushed for cover.

Still winter

Wednesday 22 March 2017

After going AWL for a couple of weeks the Green Sandpiper returned today.

My Mistake

Thursday 16 March 2017

Water Rail still present so perhaps winter is not yet over. A distant flypast Mute Swan counts as species number 56 for the year.

More signs of spring

Monday 13 March 2017

This time Butterflies -5 Brimstone, 3 Small Tortoiseshells and a Comma.

and, at last managed to fish out one of the newts from the Millbrook Mead pond which, as expected turned out to be a Common.

Winter over?

Sunday 12 March 2017

It looks like the Egret, Sandpiper and Rail have moved on and with 3 Chiffchaffs yesterday summer must be on the way!

No 50 for the cress beds

Friday 10 February 2017

Pair of Canada Geese flew over but apart from that all remains the same with Water Rail, Green Sandpiper and Little Egret still around.

Not much change

Sunday 5 February 2017

Most of the regulars still on the cress beds with Green Sandpiper, Water Rail and somewhere between 1 and 3 Little Egrets. Only real changes  - winter thrushes seem to have departed and a couple of Song Thrushes in full song.

Species 49 for cress beds

Friday 27 January 2017

Don't get too excited just a Blackcap of the male variety.

Two new for the year

Tuesday 10 January 2017

Most of the usual culprits with Green Sandpiper, Water Rail and Little Egret but enlivened by Green Woodpecker and Treecreeper to add to the years list.