The title of my last post was a bad choice

Last week I foolishly suggested autumn was over locally. Many a wise Surrey head have told me that November often delivers a big one in our fine part of the world – this has certainly been the case over the last few of days.

Ferruginous Duck, Papercourt GPs, 11 November 2019.

Red Kite, Allden's Hill, 9 November 2019.

Bullfinch, Allden's Hill, 9 November 2019.

Maybe this bird had already reached traditional wintering grounds which were in a state, and just  I really dislike this time of year, when it seems constantly dark, wet and gloomy. I struggled to motivate myself to put in much of a patch shift on Saturday morning, and was already home when I saw pictures of the harrier. Indeed, patch has been very quiet. The highlight from the past few days has been a new site record count of Greylag Geese (a post-roost flock of 116 on Snowdenham Mill Pond on 7th), which says it all.

Red Kite, Allden's Hill, 8 November 2019.

Indeed, a Sunday skywatch on Allden’s Hill was so quiet I resorted to studying the local Red Kites, which were up in numbers. The age of one bird (the above photo) confused me – while showing almost entirely adult features, it also had white edges to the greater coverts on the underwing (very clear in the picture) and a thin black terminal band at the end of the tail (though the tail feathers are being replaced, from the middle out) – perhaps it’s a second-winter/sub-adult? Any comments are most welcome and this is not the first time the age of a Red Kite has confused me.

The sun came out later, and with that I decided to walk the Shackleford farmland, a site I’ve harped on about before this year but one that’s really become a favourite of mine. In glorious, wintry conditions there were birds everywhere on this nature-friendly patchwork of arable farms – there were flocks of thrushes, Skylarks and Starlings, four raptors species (with set aside that looks ripe for a Short-eared Owl or Hen Harrier) along with notable single counts of Ring-necked Parakeet, Snipe and Yellowhammer.

Mixed gull flock (mainly Black-headed), Shackleford farmland, 8/11/2019.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Shackleford farmland, 8 November 2019.

It’s a great, quiet spot and I thoroughly recommend a visit. It’d make a great patch too. The gull flock was most impressive, with some 400 (mainly Black-headed) feeding nervously in the fields. Two 2nd-winter Lesser Black-backed Gulls were good value, a species rare on the deck locally. Another notebook entry recently was the flock of 28 Greenfinches in Farncombe on 8th.

Sadly, the brief Richard’s Pipit at Staines Reservoir on Sunday didn’t decide to relocate in the vice-county. However, as it happened a Surrey tick was indeed in the offing, when a phone call from Jeremy G notified me of a drake Ferruginous Duck at Papercourt GPs, where he found one previously back in January 2002.

Ferruginous Duck, Papercourt GPs, 11 November 2019.

Unfortunately, I was in the office in London and, to make matters worse, it’s press week. I was particularly anxious about this bird, though, as I missed the Frensham Great Pond female in September 2015 which was, like every other Surrey Fudge Duck in my lifetime, a one-day only bird.

Thankfully my most understanding boss suggested I go for it, and I was able to get to the sailing lake not long before sundown. The bird, a smart drake, was showing quite nicely in the middle of the pit among a mixed Aythya flock (including a Ferruginous Duck x Pochard hybrid). Unfortunately, the light wasn’t great but I got some record shots.

Crucially, this bird had no rings, which tends to be the case almost always with Fudge Ducks these days (the Hedgecourt Lake bird last winter was ringed). A German reintroduction scheme has blurred the status of this attractive duck, which longer term has declined in western Europe and is thus back on the BBRC list of assessed species. Indeed, it’s thought there are more Pochard x Fudge hybrids in western Europe than pure Ferruginous …

Ferruginous Duck, Papercourt GPs, 11 November 2019.

So, November is indeed good in Surrey, lest I forget again. A scan through my notes shows a pattern of classy waterbird additions to my Surrey list, including Red-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck and Shag. Two-barred Crossbill isn’t a bad passerine entry from the November archives either. I’ll be sure to not write the month off again.