A cold break

My last two blog posts have waxed lyrical about pleasant spring weather and the migrants to go with it. However, the last week has seen this this fun run broken up by a cold spell, with a few really chilly mornings to boot. Migration has slowed down as a result and, to be honest, it's been a pretty quiet period for me.

Skylark.

Wednesday 17th

I had a lazy start today and didn't actually plan on any morning birding, but decided to pop my head in at Tuesley ahead of a day of meetings in London. It was chilly and clear, with the north-westerly still in place, so I was quite surprised to see a summer-plumaged Redshank on the shore.

Always notable locally, Redshank is really quite rare in the spring, being very much a July and August bird in south-west Surrey, and I've only seen a handful at this time of year (including only one at Tuesley). So I made sure to appreciate it. A Swallow zipped over, too.

Swallow.

Thursday 18th

It was another cold and clear morning, this time without the breeze, but it was still rather chilly in the north-westerly with the temperature about 4°C first thing. I teamed up with Dave for a Thursley walk and, after a run of good visits here for me, things were steadier today.

In migration terms, the highlight was two Wheatears – both smart males, one near Bunting Bushes and the other on Shrike Hill. A light trickle of late Meadow Pipit could be detected overhead as well. Lesser Repdoll numbers were down on recent trips, with only a handful noted.

Wheatear.

Redstart and Willow Warbler numbers seemed steady, but three more Tree Pipits were in compared with Saturday, with new males at Elstead Common, Spur Wood and Pine Alley. The male Curlew was knocking about around Pudmore, too, along with the Teal pair and a Water Rail. 

The Mute Swan was still present (today favouring Moat Pond), an unusually high count of 11 Tufted Duck was made and a male Cuckoo sang briefly, but it was otherwise a routine – but fun! – mid-April visit.

Red Kite and South Bog.

By late morning, when I popped up to Eashing Fields, it was mild and lovely. A Firecrest singing to the north along The Hollow was very notable – a veritable site mega, being only my second record! A Coal Tit calling nearby was also new for the year here. 

There was some nice Linnet nest-building action in The Meadow, too, plus a pair of Stonechats for the first time since 12 March – perhaps they too will try and breed here?

Stonechat.

Friday 19th

Despite a forecast of cloud and showers, it was bright and pleasant this morning – and far milder than yesterday. As a result it was nice conditions for a wander around the Lammas Lands, where I saw 46 species in a little under an hour and a half.

Pick of the bunch was my first local Sedge Warbler of the year – a male half-heartedly singing on Catteshall Meadow. This species 'recolonised' the Lammas Lands in 2022 after a run of nearly 50 years without breeding documentation here and, having arrived on 19 April 2022 and 20 April 2023, it's safe to say this bird was bang on time …

A nearby Meadow Pipit was notable and my latest record at the Lammas Lands. Also on Catteshall Meadow were two Whitethroats, a Swallow and two displaying Sparrowhawks, plus Cuckoo Flower and Meadow Saxifrage in bloom.

Great and Blue Tits, Sparrowhawks and Cuckoo Flower.

Overgone was quiet, though the Coots and Little Grebes continued on the pool. I fear the latter at least are trying to breed, which will surely end in failure when this seasonal waterbody inevitably dries out before long. A Little Egret flew upriver here, too.

By the time I'd finished, it had greyed over considerably and the wind had picked up. I stuck my head in at Tuesley on the way home – another Common Sandpiper was present, while a small gathering of hirundines included two House Martins. A Lesser Redpoll flew over as well.

Common Sandpiper.

Saturday 20th

It was back to being cold first thing, with the northerly wind-chill making it feel little above 0°C early on – indeed, there was even some light frost on the ground at Shackleford, which was my choice of venue today. Unsurprisingly in such conditions, which were reminiscent of April 2021, it was quiet, though 45 species wasn't bad going.

Migration action was limited, with a female Wheatear commuting between the recently ploughed main field and the hay barn of note, along with a singing male Willow Warbler that slowly made its way north along Wooded Way. 

Wheatear.

Late Lesser Redpolls are becoming a theme of this spring, perhaps not surprisingly given the bumper winter we had for them, and two flew over separately this morning. 

Other bits and pieces included five Red-legged Partridges, a male Sparrowhawk, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls north and only two Whitethroats – perhaps inconspicuous today because of the conditions, especially when compared with a count of five I had here on 24 April last year.

Stock Dove, Linnet, Cormorants and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

I had a look at Snowdenham Mill Pond before heading home. Here, I was quite surprised to see 19 Tufted Duck – amazingly my highest count here since 6 February 2016! This species does often peak here in April, though, as late passage birds move through. 

Tufted Duck.

The female Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid was among them, too.

Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid.

Sunday 21st

Another cold morning failed to inspire me much, so I plumped for a late start and a trip to the south coast for some birding at Pagham. A singing Firecrest along the road saw me off as I left Eashing.

I arrived at the North Wall a little after 8 am and it was truly uncomfortable in the north-easterly breeze, which was already moderate. The session got off to a disappointing start, too, when I learned I missed a Purple Heron – that's been here a few days – by a couple of minutes. This species is such a ridiculous bogey bird for me in Britain, with this essentially my seventh dip!

However, there were some bits and pieces to see despite the wind, including my first Swift of the year, two Greenshanks, four Whimbrels, a Yellow Wagtail and 20 or so Bar-tailed Godwits. Plenty of Sedge and Reed Warblers were in song, too, the former performing some display flights, and a male Marsh Harrier dropped into the reedbed.

Swift and White's Creek.

I headed to Medmerry after, where a two-hour walk didn't produce loads in the increasing breeze. Stilt Pool held a few Bar-tailed Godwits and Dunlin among the breeding Avocet, and a Red Kite blew over (still of some note around here), but generally it was an underwhelming visit to the Selsey Peninsula, not at all helped by the weather.

Medmerry.

On the way home I had a quick look at Tuesley. Here, two Common Terns knocking about in the wind were my first of the year – rather belated for me, especially compared with last year when my first was on 1 April.

Common Tern.

Three Swifts were in with a few hirundines, too, a group which included a Sand Martin – a species that's had a poor spring this year locally. Amazingly this only my ninth record (anywhere!) in 2024 and only the second site at which I've recorded the species … nuts, and a great contrast to spring 2023, which was really good for 'smartie' in south-west Surrey.

Monday 22nd

Yet another chilly morning was forecast and, with a long list of Monday work tasks, I planned for no birding today. But when Ed S rang me with news of a mystery crake at Papercourt Water Meadows that plan turned upside down, as he soon sent through photos of a female Little Crake!

I raced over, but despite nearly two hours on site – and with a few others looking – there was no sign of this insane Surrey mega. A shame – the last county record was in 1860! – but a massive hat's off to Ed, who has been a welcome addition to the decreasing number of Surrey patch-watchers/bird finders since he took up the hobby a few years ago. Read his account of the find here.

Papercourt Water Meadows.

Tuesday 23rd

After a run of clear mornings, it was damp, murky and cloudy today, with light drizzly showers and a cold north-westerly – wader conditions. I understood my first Tuesley stake out of the season as a result, and it was fairly decent, with 44 species a good haul for this, let's say, ecologically rudimentary site! 

The highlight was some Dunlin passage (passage in Surrey terms!), with three different birds through north, two of which came during a front of rain. As is often the case with the High Arctic breeders of this species in late April and early May, they circled plenty, considering dropping in, but ultimately decided not to …

A Whimbrel calling prior to any Dunlin action would have been the standout had I seen it! Annoyingly I couldn't pick out the bird, which must have been fairly high and was heading north. Although expected in a south-west Surrey birding year Whimbrel is never easy and I have missed them entirely before, such as in 2021.

Two Yellow Wagtails bombed north, too, and modest numbers of hirundines included 15 Sand Martins, with smaller numbers of Swallows and House Martins. The conditions felt good for a 'big one', but it wasn't to be today …

Sand Martins, Swallows and Yellow Wagtail.

Other bits of note included two Common Terns, three Mandarin (uncommon here, I only had four records last year), five Tufted Duck and four Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

In the evening I met Neil at the Lammas Lands for a catch up. It was still cloudy and cool in the northerly wind and, unsurprisingly, it was quiet, though we did hear a Cetti's Warbler in brief song along Hell Ditch at Almshouse Meadow. Neil first heard this bird here a few days ago, marking the first at the Lammas Lands after a run of records in 2021 and 2022.

The Little Grebes and Coots were still on the Overgone pool as well, but we only heard one Whitethroat – a species that doesn't seem to have properly arrived yet this spring.