Since Bulgaria, I’ve managed just a handful of brief visits
to the patch. Despite being June, ducks have taken much of the limelight, with Florence the Red-crested Pochard present again on Mill Pond on Friday, along with
the eclipse drake Gadwall. A bigger surprise today came via a male Shoveler at
the same site - a very out of season record, with no previous sightings of this
species in the period from March until late August! Presumably, this bird was a
failed breeder, and likely a second-year individual.
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| Florence at Mill Pond, 9/6/2017. |
The highlight of the past few days, however, was the finding
of a family party of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, which included 2 seemingly
very recently fledged birds. The group was feeding silently, high up in the
canopy, and only a vocal Great Spotted Woodpecker nearby brought them to my attention.
It’s pretty certain this was the pair noted from February to April, and I’m
delighted they were successful, particularly given how ridiculously elusive
they became during the last couple of months. Unfortunately, despite extensive
efforts by both myself and Gerry H, the actual nest was never found, and at one
stage it was feared the birds had abandoned. Coupled with the steep decline of
this bird nationally, it comes as a very pleasing record, and I can only hope
the success is repeated in 2018.
Spotted Flycatchers have been somewhat slow coming in this
year, but most pairs are now back on territory. The Selhurst Common birds have
moved from the ivy-clad wall of one house to another, (showing well today), and
the Phillimore site is occupied again. Elsewhere, it was very quiet, with the
feeling of a sleepy summer day. Indeed, if anything, the Shoveler record points
towards the arrival of autumn, and in a few weeks certain species will begin to
move south. July has seen a few good bits before, including a Marsh Harrier and
a flock of Whimbrel in 2015.
On Saturday, Matt P and I indulged in a thoroughly enjoyable
twitch of the Elegant Tern at Pagham Harbour. Positioned on Hayling Island in
the morning, we were quick to act when news broke of the birds reappearance at
Church Norton, and we ended up enjoying pretty good views of the individual
previously ringed at Banc d’Arguin, France (a site I visited last summer).
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| Red-footed Falcon, Frensham Common, 10/6/2017 |
Before we set off for the south coast we’d managed to
squeeze in a look at the mighty-fine 1st-summer male Red-footed
Falcon at Frensham Common, which somewhat surprisingly represented the first
twitchable Surrey record of this species, after brief birds at Ranmore Common,
Unstead Sewage Farm and Winterfold in the past 25 or so years. The individual
was the latest off the Shaun P conveyer belt of excellent finds, with the
long-staying Long-tailed Duck causing Surrey listers to twitch this far south-western
part of the county only a few months back. The bird was his 203rd at
Frensham, out of a historical total of around 230 (I can’t remember the exact
figure he told me!).
The bird drew a big crowd, and continues to do so up until
today at least, when it was present for its 3rd day. No doubt my
Rosefinch at the start of the month would have brought people to Thorncombe
Street – the all too fleeting nature of that bird still grates, and probably will
do so for some time, or until I can avenge it with a find that sticks.
