The hill

21^st & 22^nd Jan both days a visit to Lollingdon hill, birdwise similar days, weather wise dissimilar. Yesterday was fairly overcast with a moderate southerly and 6º, heavy overnight rain and today was sunny, light SW and 10º.

Greeted today when we arrived with a Skylark in full song flight over the hill (1^st in song for the year) and a couple of Song Thrush singing in the hedge to the east.

Yesterday had my first Chiffchaff of the year in the parish with one along the hedgerow in fields to the north of the hill and 3 Herring Gull with the Lesser Blackback and Black-headed Gull flocks on the flooded fields.

Back to today and the sunny skies had brought out the Raptors with Buzzard, Red Kite, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine all seen around the hill.

Still plenty of Redwing, Fieldfare and Starling in the area with at least 2 large flocks also Blackbirds frequent and several Song Thrush and 11 Robins noted today with a couple in song.

A few Meadow Pipit noted today along with a couple more Skylark and a Grey Heron.

A flock of Long-tailed Tit and a couple of Bullfinch noted in a hedgerow between Cholsey hill and Hithercroft.

In the garden the ♀ Blackcap still visiting but the ♂ not seen for a couple of days, also the Moorhens have deserted the garden recently and my theory is that since the brook has risen they may feel more exposed as the vegetation in the brook is submerged so they have moved off temporarily to an area up or down stream to gain more cover as upstream has a hedgerow on both sides and downstream is along fields and does not have a footpath alongside? 

 Buzzard

 Fieldfare & Starling

 Blackcap

 Carrion Crow