The arrival of spring

It’s been a busy and exciting past week, with quite a lot to talk about. The undoubted personal highlight was that nowadays rarest of things – a patch tick. On Friday, having done the dawn rounds, I was working at home when I got a message from Steve: “Do you know about this Goldeneye on Mill Pond?”. No was the short answer, and thankfully within about 40 minutes I was able to get down and add the bird to my Thorncombe Street list.

Goldeneye, Mill Pond, 22/3/2019.

Despite the absolute paucity of bird documentation on my patch prior to me regularly watching it in 2014, there are a small handful of mythical species that had been recorded in the area before, often many years ago. Goldeneye is one of them, with a bird at Winkworth on 26 January 1957 and a pair shot at ‘Thorncombe Street’ (probably Winkworth) pre-1884. So, while always on the verge of possibility in terms of another record occurring, this was a real mega and a huge hats off/thanks to Steve for finding it – there may not be any more for another 62 years!

The bird in question was a female, and presumably came in over night and was still roosting in the surrounding vegetation when I did my dawn check. Steve and I watched her merrily swimming around, though not diving, occasionally coming close to the north end, before scurrying off as soon as she saw us. A few other folks visited before sundown, with Abel the last to see her at around 18:15. There has been no further sign. A smart patch tick after my driest spell without one – number 140.

Goldeneye, Mill Pond, 22/3/2019.

Cormorant, Winkworth Arboretum, 24/3/2019.

The reason Steve was down was because he was after the Grey Partridge I’d heard earlier on. Following a tip off from the Wintershall gamekeeper, regarding as many as four on private land during the winter, I’d staked out the impossible to access spot a few times with no joy. However, on Friday morning one bird was singing from the ‘usual’ spot. Whatever the status of the apparent population here – which I first discovered in 2016 – they are really hard to pin down and the weekend ploughing of the main crop on which these birds were hanging about has almost certainly displaced them.

On Thursday, before the London bus year ticks were fully underway, I’d managed my first March addition of 2019 with a couple of Blackcaps in voice at Juniper Hill and Coldbourne Copse, following a fall of Chiffchaffs during drizzly south-westerlies. The weekend was quiet, save a few Brambling and Crossbills, a Great Black-backed Gull and the continuing Woodlarks at Brookwell. On Sunday, I met up with Janet, Russell and Sam and undertook some habitat management along the River Wey, noting a few Teal and a Water Rail in the process.

Brambling (below) and Chaffinch, New Barn, 25/3/2019.

Siskin, New Barn, 25/3/2019.

A fourth year tick in five days came yesterday morning when two Lapwings flew south over New Barn, a nice demonstration of the familiarity and rhythm watching a patch can bring: 25 March is the peak day for this species here. New Barn, as always neglected during winter, was actually on good form with two Bramblings, a few Lesser Redpolls and some singing Siskins also logged.

In the afternoon I was able to go for one of my absolute favourite species: Garganey. I love ducks as it is and – along with Smew – I struggle to think of a bird I prefer. I hadn’t seen a drake in the UK since Matt’s nice find in 2016, and seeing reports that a drake near Fleet, at Edenbrook CP, was showing well, I went along for a look. I wasn’t to be disappointed, with the bird allowing unbelievably close approach on a series of small pools. With a bit of patience, I was rewarded with crippling views as it swam past.

Garganey, Edenbrook CP, 25/3/2019.

To round off a thoroughly entertaining few days, a quick drop in at Unstead on the way back delivered an unexpected prize – a Little Ringed Plover on the Flooded Field! This was once a flagship species at this now derelict site, and it absolutely wasn’t on the radar. It seemed pretty knackered, but eventually started feeding.

Little Ringed Plover, Unstead SF, 25/3/2019.

However, after about 40 minutes, it was spooked by some Mallards and took off calling, departing west after a few loops. March never fails to deliver locally, going back years, and while it took a bit of time to get going it’s safe to say it’s worked it’s magic once again.