The build up

As a birder, it's difficult to not enjoy March, especially the second half of it. After months of winter, things are finally springing into life – field sessions shift from repetition to anticipation. Yet March lacks the frenetic, expectant nature that April brings, allowing one to peacefully soak up the slow build-up of the year's most brilliant season. Despite some wet and windy weather, the past week has been just like that – not show-stopping or mega, but most enjoyable.

Wheatear.

Saturday 18th

A St Patrick's Day induced slightly later rise saw this morning off to a bit of a shocker – a missed White-fronted Goose at Pudmore, which was a brief but excellent find by Dave. With drizzly south-easterlies in play I thought I'd better go and try to salvage things, so headed to Tuesley.

Almost immediately after I arrived I picked up two adult Little Gulls on the water – result! They soon disappeared, however, so I was relieved when they returned overhead several minutes later. As the rain fell they bathed, foraged and flew around a bit, which was a lovely experience. After a while though they felt it was time to move on, and spiralled up mightily high before departing north. Epic migration in action.

Little Gull.

This was a new Tuesley bird for me and only the second site record after one in November 2002. Little Gull is barely annual in south-west Surrey and is virtually exclusive to Frensham, so I was highly chuffed with this find … Other bits of note during a soaking morning included a Green Sandpiper and one of the feral Goldeneye.

On the way home I checked Eashing Farm, where two pairs of Red-legged Partridges, 35 Linnets and six Skylarks highlighted. Later that morning Jeremy had a Shelduck over Broadwater – it had been quite the morning in south-west Surrey.

Red-legged Partridge.

Sunday 19th

The wind had switched to a fresh north-westerly today, with clear skies. A quick check of Tuesley first thing looked set to be quiet – until an adult Great Black-backed Gull flew north-west. This is a true local rarity (there was only one south-west Surrey record last year) and it was a site first for me, so I was very pleased. March is pretty much the best month for GBBG locally.

I then headed to the Lammas Lands, where 44 species were noted including plenty of common species in song. The standout stuff was typical fare, including five Stonechats, nine Reed Buntings, three Little Egrets and four singing Chiffchaffs.

Little Egrets.

From Godalming I moved on to the Bramley area and Snowdenham Mill Pond, where four Teal, two Gadwall, 15 Tufted Duck and the Mute Swan pair – including the female on their nest – were present.

I strolled from the pond to Bonhurst Farm, an old haunt of mine that I still like to check every now and again. The ever-reliable Little Owl pair were sunning themselves in a big oak, while singing Skylark and Chiffchaff and flocks of Common Gulls and Fieldfares were also seen.

Little Owl.

Monday 20th

A grey, gloomy and mild morning, which looks set to be the theme this week. A pre-work walk of the Wey produced a tidy 44 species, including six singing Chiffchaffs, a Siskin, 18 Mandarin and a displaying Sparrowhawk. There were notably fewer Chaffinches around. I also had prolonged views of a Mink …

Mink.

Shortly after writing about the remarkable influx of Alpine Swift in Britain I thought I should try and look for one, so headed to Frensham Great Pond mid-morning. Of course there was no swift, but two House Martins in with six Sand Martins were lovely to see. Easily my earliest House Martin in Britain (by 13 days!) and my first in March, an unusually early rush of this species has coincided with the swift influx.

Tuesday 21st

A drizzly, gloomy morning saw me back at Frensham Great Pond, where Sand Martin numbers were up to 40. One of the House Martins was still in tow as well. Better still was a drake Red-crested Pochard – a very tricky local bird (at least non-dodgy ones!) and only the third Frensham record in the last 15 years. Nice.

Red-crested Pochard.

Other bits included the Cetti's Warbler, which was in song in the eastern reedbed, three each of Firecrest and Chiffchaff, a Kingfisher and a Little Egret.

On the way back I popped into Waverley Abbey, a site I've not visited since November 2021. My brief visit was lively, not least around the marshy area by the Wey which held a drake Wigeon (only my second local record of 2023), a Gadwall pair, four Teal and, best of all, a Lapwing pair, complete with a displaying bird. This is a rare sight in south-west Surrey these days – indeed, with Dunsfold Aerodrome being developed and the boards back up at Pudmore, it'll probably become the last breeding site in the area …

Also noted were two Ravens, three Firecrests and several disorderly Egyptian Geese.

A jewel in the English Heritage crown (and Waverley Abbey ruins). 

I popped up to Eashing Fields late morning, by which point it was squally and breezy. A light north-westerly push of Meadow Pipits was underway, with an adult Peregrine loitering to the north. Two Sand Martins powering north was a nice treat – I only had three 1-km records last year, all in the autumn.

Peregrine.

After work I cycled to the Lammas Lands (Overgone Meadow). It was still a touch breezy but the sun was out and four Chiffchaffs foraging furiously along the Wey clearly had plans to move overnight. I also saw a female Stonechat bearing a metal ring (indecipherable, sadly) and the drake Tufted Duck.

Stonechat and Tufted Duck.

Wednesday 22nd

Following a long day working on the book, Matt and I nipped up to Eashing Fields late afternoon. It was grey and breezy, but we were both delighted to set eyes on a Swallow zipping south – a first of the year for both of us and, for me, an earliest ever in Britain. How bizarre to have seen all three British hirundines by 22 March …

It was a fairly lively little session in fact, with the adult Peregrine still around, two Greylags north-west, a Stonechat pair in Scrub Strip and a Sparrowhawk to the south.

Thursday 23rd

A brief lunchtime walk in and around the village produced my first Brimstone of the year, plus three singing Chiffchaffs and a Siskin.

Friday 24th

My first Shackleford visit in more than a week felt like a transitional one, with few signs of migration and a notable lack of winter flocks, especially around the Chalk Lane crop. There, the only Linnets were pairs prospecting hedgerows, there were no gatherings of Skylarks and – most tellingly – I only had one Reed Bunting. 

Shackleford.

There was no sign of the Corn Buntings either. Tom G had one on 19th, the last sighting, which would make it a fitting two-month visit if they have indeed moved on …

Bits of note were limited to a Raven, a Red-legged Partridge pair, three singing Chiffchaffs, a displaying Sparrowhawk and a pair of Stonechats.

After work I popped up to Eashing Farm, where one of the first birds on the checklist was a female Wheatear. She seemed rather tired – presumably after a long day of travel – and was motionless for the most part, before a sudden burst of energy saw her foraging along a fence line. Lovely stuff.

Wheatear.

A singing Red-legged Partridge, two Greylag Geese and a Mandarin pair attending a Pheasant feeder were also noted.