Northerlies and westerlies

The past week could be summed up in similar fashion to my last post – a wintry feel, but with some hints of spring. That said, it’s probably felt even less spring-like of late, with either chilly northerlies or strong westerlies predominating. Things have been steady thus, but with the odd bone of migration being chucked my way I’m not complaining, and the longer-term forecast suggests a welcome switch to southerlies. Bring on the migrants!

Peregrine action from this past week.

Thursday 11th

A blustery and showery day. Window observations from home revealed a steady east / north-east passage of gulls, including more than 50 Common Gulls and four Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

LBBG cruising over.

Friday 12th

Another very windy day with some heavy showers forecast. I figured I’d try and twitch the weather and opted for Frensham Great Pond. As I arrived, rain began to fall and it soon turned into a deluge. Scanning from the south side I noticed a swirling flock of gulls – about 60, which seemed a decent number for here for the time of year. There were mainly Black-headed Gulls, but I soon picked up an adult Mediterranean Gull – result!

A fine looking gull ...

I fired up my camera but upon getting back on the flock it was clear there were many more than one. In fact, there were no fewer than 16, after a lot of counting and checking in rather trying conditions. It was quite an encounter and made all the more evocative by the fact many of the birds were calling. Eight of them didn’t linger, powering away north with most of the Black-headed Gulls, but 11 dropped onto the water to rest, which was a novel sight. Med Gull is a tricky bird locally but this was quite a spectacle.

In this photo there are 13 of the Meds (plus two BHGs).

A rather recent phenomenon in the South-East has been the overland migration of Med Gulls in March and April. This is probably due to a burgeoning winter population in the south and west (Cornwall, Dorset, southern Ireland, Wales etc) which is swelled by birds from the continent (many British ringing recoveries are from the Low Countries and Poland).

Presumably, come the spring, many migrate back east over southern Britain and their broody feelings means they're especially vocal, rendering them detectable as they pass over at height. Last year several flocks were recorded over Surrey in April (including counts of 30 and 20) and presumably this trend will continue in the years to come. Black-headed Gulls move back to the continent at this time of year and indeed 45 or more were at Frensham.

Club Med at Frensham.

Four Pochard, two Chiffchaffs and a Common Gull made up the supporting cast. A quick check at Tuesley on the way back yielded no Meds, but 32 Black-headed Gulls had perhaps been pushed down by the same shower.

Pochard oblivious to the ongoing Med madness ...

Saturday 13th

A really windy morning, with gusts of up to 22 miles-per-hour, complete with a mix of squally, heavy showers and sunshine. Such weather isn’t much good for any form of birding around here so I decided to walk a couple of sites that I hadn’t yet visited this year. First up was Winkworth Arboretum, where a familiar line-up of species was encountered. This included two Grey Wagtails (singing males), a Kingfisher pair, five Mandarin and four Little Grebes, all of which brought a splash of colour to proceedings. I also noted a Red Kite and a juvenile female Sparrowhawk.

It was really breezy by the time I reached Painshill Farm, near Dunsfold. The usual fare here included Skylark, five Red-legged Partridges and two Bullfinches, plus a male Yellowhammer, which was presumably the bird that held territory in the exact same hedgerow last year. I always feel compelled to raise my camera to the latter species, which is a true favourite of mine. Flyover Crossbill and Lesser Redpoll were rather more unexpected, a Buzzard was carrying nesting material, a female Kestrel was around the farm buildings and a noisy Raven headed north-east, too.

Male Yellowhammer.

Bird of the walk, however, was an adult Peregrine that shot low east over the lane, spooking a big flock of Woodpigeons. I’ve mentioned it before on this blog, but the spate of Peg records in the Low Weald this winter is really notable – it’s normally a great scarcity here and, indeed, there are only two known nest sites in south-west Surrey (both at the north of the region). I’m unsure what’s going on – these could all just be wintering birds to be fair – but I have a feeling a pair has set up shop somewhere in the wider landscape. Where is anyone’s guess. A tree perhaps? Or maybe a building at the inaccessible Dunsfold Aerodrome? The below map accounts for my records in the Low Weald this winter …

Low Weald Peregrine sightings during December to March from 2020-2021 (top) & 2010-2019 (bottom).

I stuck my head in at Tuesley before heading home. This produced a fly through Sand Martin, which was very nice to see, along with a few Meadow Pipits, five Herring Gulls and a Chiffchaff. The morning concluded with 58 species seen, which wasn’t too bad given the conditions.

Mipit during a break in the weather.

A late afternoon circuit of Bonhurst Farm was quiet, though a male Little Owl sang to the north, a small flock of Fieldfares and Redwings were around the orchard and a male Kestrel hunted over Birtley Brook. 

Sunday 14th

A smart, summer-plumaged Little Egret was a surprise beside the entrance track to the Mellersh Farm shop at Compton. At Shackleford, my first Meadow Pipit push of the season was noted. This passage, which peaks in late March and early April, is a real favourite of mine and one of the first signs of 'spring proper' locally. I only tallied 22, all in ones or twos heading low north, but it was still nice to see.

Showy Little Egret.

I circuited the main fields in bright and cool conditions, with the westerly having abated a little overnight. A large flock of Fieldfares – 100 or more – were stocking up in the alfalfa, while a group of Linnets worked their way around the site, perhaps as many as 80. Two Red-legged Partridges seemed paired up, a Great Tit did a fine impression of a Nuthatch and a second-year male Peregrine shot low over the fields, spooking pretty much everything in its wake.

Peregrine, Fieldfares and Linnets.

Monday 15th

I was at Thursley first thing and headed out to Pudmore, where there was still no Curlew to be seen or heard. There has been increasing anxiety among the locals in recent days – this species has historically returned in mid-February but, for the last decade, it’s been early to mid-March. Last year the first male was back on 12th; three adults were present with a pair presumed to have nested. Hopefully one will be back soon ... Two Tufted Duck and a Snipe were on Pylon Pool but it was quiet in this area. Given the recent drop in numbers some five Dartford Warblers was an OK return. This included two singing males. 

The weirdest encounter came at the end of the session, right by Truxford Corner near Thursley Road – a ticking Little Bunting flying overhead. Of course, this will have been one of the wintering duo roving around, but I certainly haven’t seen either of them so far from Ockley (Truxford being a little under a mile away). I then relocated it in some gorse before it shot off north-east … I’m not sure what it was doing or why it was alone, but it was the duller bird – the one I found back in mid-October last year – and the entire encounter was similar to that day. Which was quite nice.

Tuesday 16th

Noc-mig during the small hours was quiet, save a light passage of Redwings.

Wednesday 17th

A splendid early spring session at Shackleford. In total I logged 50 species – a new personal best for me at this site. The moderate north-west wind, coupled with clear conditions overnight, had me anticipating Meadow Pipit movement and it was soon apparent this was the case, with small groups of threes and fours bombing over at sunrise. During the first hour I clocked 195 heading high north-west, with groups reaching up to eight and nine in size. It tailed off quite dramatically after that and I ended on 205. A silent, high-flying alba wagtail with one of the mipit groups was probably a White Wagtail. Lovely stuff.

High-flying mipit.

Mipits weren’t the only things moving. A few small flocks of Redwings, Fieldfares and Starlings headed high north-east, along with a scattering of Chaffinches and a Lesser Redpoll. Nine Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the same direction were undoubtedly on a long journey as well. A poke around the cover crops proved productive as the decent Chaffinch flock was still in situ and had reeled in at least one female Brambling – it’s been a very poor winter for the latter species around here and this was my first since 28 November. A Yellowhammer was also flying around this area, a Chiffchaff called by the wildfowling pond and a Redwing sang nearby.

Other bits included a Lapwing, which was initially on the set aside but clearly wasn’t settled, and eventually relocated to the alfalfa. This species could breed here but I fear the number of corvids means any prospective pair would be reluctant to try. Three Ring-necked Parakeets flew around to the north, four Red-legged Partridges were knocking about, a Kestrel pair noisily bonded with each other and two Teal were on the reedy pond.

Red-legged Partridge, Coot and Lapwing.

Thursday 18th

I decided to head to Crooksbury Common, following the interesting crossbill species that Jeremy trapped and ringed the previous day. Despite four-and-a-half hours of searching and staking out, joined intermittently by Kit and Gerry, I couldn’t locate it, even though at least 30 (and possibly as many as 70) Crossbills were loitering in the area. Interestingly, these included a striking wing-barred male; shades of the controversial Farnham Heath ‘Two-barred’ from 2014, complete with whopping white tertial crescents.

A 'two-barred' Crossbill at Crooksbury.

There are a lot of differing opinions about Jeremy’s bird. I have little experience with Two-barred Crossbill, having seen the species on just two occasions (and not since 2013), and many more folks have greater knowledge on crossbills than I. But I do find it curious that, in a winter that’s been awful for Two-barreds in Britain (none since early September, which was on Shetland!), one would turn up in Surrey at a site that evidently has some wing-barred Commons … that said, the individual from yesterday had some really striking features – not least the ideal-looking tertials, passable wing-bar size and short uppertail coverts with dark pattern – and to be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if the BBRC accept it, should it be submitted.

Crooksbury is a neat, compact little site and there was enough sideshow entertainment during the Crossbill stakeout. Dartford Warbler seemed to have done OK here compared to other local sites and I had at least five, along with four Woodlarks and three Stonechats. Finches were well represented with seven species, including a male and female Brambling. Three Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 25 Meadow Pipits went over, a Sparrowhawk pair engaged in full, stooping display, a male Kestrel flew through and a Magpie was knocking about (apparently a rare Crooksbury bird per Jeremy!).

Female Brambling.

Hawks and 'peckers

Barely anything to report here, with the largely wintry conditions. No Goshawks, and only one Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which pleasingly was a female at a site where only a male has been present so far in 2020 …