Bright colours

Blue skies and bright colours have been the theme during the last 10 days, as a prolonged spell of high pressure has rustled up a lively start to spring in south-west Surrey. It's been a time to enjoy the last dregs of winter and the calm before the storm, with the busy peak spring passage season on the verge of commencing.

Yellowhammer on one of the many sunny days of late.

Friday 11th

No birding today.

Saturday 12th

I managed a decent 41 species at the Lammas Lands early on, including a superb count of 17 Reed Buntings across both meadows. This species is thriving at this site and at least six different males were holding territory. Other bits included a Little Egret, three each of Stonechat and Snipe, a singing Chiffchaff and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Unstead Water Meadows was quiet, while the floods near Peasmarsh held a solitary Lapwing on the flash opposite the sewage farm. Miserably enough this was only my third local record of the year. Three Teal were also present.

Woodpigeon and Black-headed Gulls.

I then spent a couple of hours at Shackleford, which was rather quiet in the increasingly breezy southerly. A light easterly movement of Starlings was taking place, with a couple of hundred birds logged. Four Red-legged Partridges included two singing males, a Raven flew east carrying food, lots of Skylarks were in song and the female Coot was sitting on the nest at the farm pond.

From Shackleford I wandered over to Puttenham Common, by which time the sun was out. The best bits were a singing Marsh Tit, 10 Shoveler on the Cutt Mill house pond, a male Brambling, a flyover Raven, three singing Firecrests, a Kingfisher and a Lesser Redpoll.

Sunday 13th

No birding today.

Monday 14th

It was bright and a little chilly this morning as I wandered along the Wey from Eashing. Some 49 species was a personal best for me here (albeit from a thus far small sample set) and there was a notable change in birds since last week – no fewer than eight Chiffchaffs were in song, while two Firecrests and a Reed Bunting were also singing. Other bits included decent counts of 32 Mandarin and 120 Siskins, two pairs of Teal (maybe the same as last week?) and a Marsh Tit.

Male Siskin.

Later on three Stonechats, five Reed Buntings and a Linnet were noted during a productive meeting with Waverley Borough Council at the Lammas Lands.

Female Stonechat.

Tuesday 15th

For something a bit different I tried Witley and Milford Commons this bright and slightly wintry morning, noting 38 species in the process. Witley Common held a gorgeous male Yellowhammer that was in near-constant song. I'm pretty sure this is the only location within 5 km of my house that supports breeding 'yammers', which is a little sad. They are truly one of my favourite species …

Other bits here included singles of Woodlark, Stonechat and Reed Bunting, as well as two Bullfinches and seven Chiffchaffs. On the ARC reserve, Brambling, three Lesser Redpolls and a singing Firecrest were detected.

Matt visited in the afternoon and I showed him some of my 1 km sites. A Brambling over Eashing Fields was a first for me there, with the Stonechat pair and 20 or so Linnets also about. Along the river two pairs of Marsh Tits along the lower stretch was a real result – seemingly at least three pairs are along the Wey here. A flyover Raven was very notable too. 

After dark, a big surprise came at Peperharow – a three-owl checklist, as vocalising Barn, Little and Tawny Owls were all noted.

Wednesday 16th

No birding today

Thursday 17th

My first Shackleford Chiffchaff of the year was moving through the hedgerows this morning, which was sunny and clear – a forecast seemingly in position for a few days. A female Sparrowhawk, two Little Grebes, four Stonechats and 45 or more Linnets were also seen.

Buzzard.

Friday 18th

Two Kingfishers, a flock of 90 Siskins and a Firecrest highlighted during a pre-work walk along the Wey at Eashing.

Saturday 19th

An excellent early spring morning of local birding. It started well at Frensham Great Pond, with an Oystercatcher roosting on the sailing club jetty. Found by Shaun, the bird was settled and allowed for superb views in the early morning sunshine. Always tricky locally, one to three records a year is about usual in south-west Surrey and this bird could easily be the only one I see in 2022 …

Oystercatcher.

I then headed to Thursley, which was looking its absolute best under the blue skies. The male Curlew singing on Elstead Common was a good start (Doug and Penny had a pair last week) but things ramped up several gears when I headed up Shrike Hill for a sky watch. The familiar call of a Mediterranean Gull stopped me in my tracks – I heard it several times but just couldn't locate the bird. Eventually however I got onto the source – a flock of eight adults cruising high east-north-east over Parish Field. Mega!

Mediterranean Gulls.

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 which is swelled by birds from the continent. Presumably, come spring, many migrate back east over southern Britain and their broody feelings mean they're especially vocal, rendering them detectable as they pass over at height. This flock accounted for only the second-ever Thursley record (Dave had a flock of 20 in April 2020).

Things took an even crazier twist about half an hour later when I picked up an Osprey heading low south over Thursley Road. Occasionally lost below the treeline, the bird was being mobbed by corvids having presumably roosted nearby (as this species often does here). It seemed crazy early to me but, after looking into it, there's been quite the early arrival during the last week (some birds are even back on nests in Scotland!). This bird goes down of one of the earliest Surrey records and the second-earliest for Thursley (site legend Mick P had one on 17 March 2000). A bonkers 30 minutes on Shrike Hill …

Several other decent bits made the checklist, including four Crossbills (only my second locally since November and first here since 15 October), a male Peregrine over South Bog, a Brambling, eight Snipe flushed by a low-flying helicopter on Ockley, two Sparrowhawks and a Meadow Pipit in song near Pylon Pool. An extraordinary session – the type that Thursley can chuck the persistent visitor once in a blue moon.

Sparrowhawk.

Sunday 20th

It was another bright morning as I set out across the Lammas Lands. A rather quiet session peaked late on when I heard a single call from a Cetti's Warbler. Eventually the bird showed but it was typically elusive. Regardless, it was nice to log this species here again after a nine-month absence following the first-ever Lammas Lands records last year (when breeding was assumed). Other bits included a Little Egret, two Stonechat pairs and six Snipe.

Cetti's Warbler.

Later on I wandered down the river from home and was treated to a new-in Reed Bunting holding territory not far from Eashing Bridge. A sparring Red Kite pair provided entertainment, a Raven soared overhead and two Egyptian Geese marked a new species for me here.

Red Kites, Reed Bunting and Egyptian Goose.