Kathleen breathes life into April

April 2024 had a sluggish start, with the first five days quiet both locally and nationally as migration stalled in wet, westerly conditions. However, from Saturday 6th, Storm Kathleen produced huge, warm southerlies from southern Europe – and the summer migrants arrived, as the floodgates opened in southern England. While I've not necessarily been able to cash in fully, the last few days have been decent – and definitely made up for a slow beginning to the month.

Tree Pipit.

Monday 1st

April began fresh and cool, with a clear morning producing some light mist at Thursley Common, which felt atmospheric early on. An enjoyable four-hour session yielded a good tally of 62 species, most of which were enjoyed before the crowds descended mid-morning.

Pudmore.

An interesting theme of the morning was an unusual seasonal presence of Snipe, including no fewer than five dotted around Pudmore and a further two flushed from the path on Ockley Common. Migrants, perhaps? The Curlew pair were also at Pudmore, plus a squealing Water Rail.

Snipe.

At times cloud rolled in and filled up the sky and this, coupled with the cool temperature, meant birdsong wasn't as full throttle as you'd expect for the time of year. That said, a mobile Willow Warbler was singing near Will Reeds and a male Crossbill was display-flighting while chasing a female round. I counted no fewer than 15 singing Chiffchaffs, too.

An even better performance came from a Tree Pipit at Parish Field – my first of the year and a curiously tame bird that took no interest in me as he sang away, occasionally performing his parachute display. Awesome stuff. 

As I was watching the pipit, I was surprised to hear a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling in Will Reeds. Sadly they have become very tricky at Thursley and 2023 was the first known blank year for the species here. I couldn't get good visuals on the bird, which seemed to be having an altercation with a Great Spotted Woodpecker, but Will Reeds is a former haunt for LSW so perhaps there's some hope it'll stick around …

Other bits of note throughout the morning included a light trickly of northbound Meadow Pipits (it looks like we're not going to have a big spring mipit day in 2024 ... ), a late Redwing north-east over Ockley Common, 15 or so lingering Lesser Redpolls and a Greenfinch over High Ground.

Stonechat and Cormorants.

Tuesday 2nd

I popped out for a little 1-km session after work, as rain that would set in for the evening began to fall. At Peper Harow, two Skylarks were in song and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull flew north, while five Greenfinches, a Red-legged Partridge and a Blackcap were at Greenways.

Red-legged Partridge.

Wednesday 3rd

A drizzly, murky morning called for a waterbody check. I visited Tuesley first, where I was surprised to see a pair of Goldeneye – immediately putting last week's record of a drake back towards the dodgy pile. Maybe, after more than two years, the drake has risen again over the Easter period, with a female companion to boot ...

I then headed to Frensham Great Pond where, interestingly, Tufted Duck numbers were well down – and two pairs of Pochard were a notable April record. Perhaps there had been some considerable duck movement last night ...

Pochard.

Other bits included four Sand Martins – it's been a slow spring for them, this being only my fourth record, all of which have been at Frensham – plus a singing Blackcap and the Cetti's Warbler.

Thursday 4th

No birding.

Friday 5th

Another wet and windy morning – the start to April has been pretty dire, with migration on hold nationally – and I only just mustered the enthusiasm for a quick look at Frensham Great Pond before work. It was quiet, though there were now three Pochard on the south side. Some 15 Sand Martins and a singing Firecrest were also noted.

Frensham Great Pond.

The rain had cleared by lunchtime, by which point it was mild verging on warm but incredibly windy, as Storm Kathleen commenced her weekend ransack on Britain (though hopefully delivering some migrants, too). A half-hour watch at Eashing Fields produced four Swallows north-west – finally some hirundine action away from Frensham, and only my third Swallow record of the year.

Swallow.

Other bits included a Peregrine powerfully south (my first in the 1-km this year), two Red-legged Partridges, a single Siskin and some patch gold – my second Eashing Fields Moorhen, which was heard calling towards the Wey!

Red-legged Partridge.

Saturday 6th

The big southerly blast was in full flow this morning, making for an unseasonally mild day, despite the strong wind. All the recent rain meant it was something of a wellies and T-shirt juxtaposition as I undertook a walk along the Wey, which ultimately proved a little disappointing given the liveliness in Surrey and the wider South-East this morning.

The Lammas Lands produced 46 species but felt decidedly quiet. A single Swallow upriver was a sign of migration, and the Overgone pool still held the pairs of Coots and Little Grebes. A Kingfisher, two Sparrowhawks and seven Chiffchaffs were also noted, plus Mark the Tufted Duck …

Tufted Duck and Cormorant.

I headed on to Unstead Water Meadows which did one better, delivering 47 species. Again, though, quality was somewhat lacking, despite some tasty looking floods at Upper Unstead Farm. A Skylark singing towards Springfield Farm was notable however – a rare species along the Wey. Interestingly Kit had one over Unstead SF this morning as well.

Continuing Coots were also a theme here with at least five on the floods, along with four Mandarin (including an odd female with a pale face crescent). A single Little Egret was foraging in the meadows and a Lesser Black-backed Gull without a tail (looking like a giant bat!) flew upriver.

Grey Heron and Little Egret, Mandarin and Coot.

A Swallow at Bunkers Hill Farm was my first 'on territory' hirundine of 2024 and several common species were seen building nests, including Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tit.

Long-tailed Tit.

I checked a couple of spots in the Thorncombe Street area before heading home. Snowdenham Mill Pond was quiet, and I had a look at Slades Farm and The Ridge afterwards – the extensive paddocks here have always looked good for my spring find kryptonite, Ring Ouzel, of which I've only ever found one, nearly a decade ago to boot ...

There was no ouzel alas but a Skylark singing up on The Ridge was most notable – in fact I've never heard one there, in all my time intensively watching the site between 2014 and 2019. A rare plus for an area that's sadly gone downhill in recent times (mainly due to land ownership changes). A Firecrest was singing near Raggetts, too.

Slades Farm.

At lunchtime I undertook a short, mild and breezy walk around Eashing Farm. A Peregrine high overhead was very likely the same bird as at Eashing Fields yesterday, two Swallows were back on territory at the main farmhouse and my first Holly Blue of the year was on the wing, along with plenty of Brimstones.

Sunday 7th

The mildness of yesterday morning felt like a distant memory today, with Storm Kathleen's ferociously strong wind making for a rather uncomfortable morning visit to Shackleford, which felt like an unwise choice given the open nature of the site.

It was less than optimum birding conditions, but a surprise Woodlark south-east over the northern fields was welcome. Rare here, this was only my fourth record – and the date is particularly odd. The nearest breeding site is Puttenham Common – about 2.5km as the lark flies and surely too far for a foraging flight. I've heard that lots of Woodlark nests have been abandoned this year due to the wet, cold start to spring, so perhaps a failed bird roving around is a more likely answer.

A brief female Wheatear was also smart, even though she vanished seconds after I first saw her. Aside the busy breeding activity among resident species, other notable bits from a generally steady session included a Raven east with a full crop (likely to the Loseley nest site), four Lesser Black-backed Gulls north, a female Sparrowhawk and two Red-legged Partridges.

Stonechat.

I checked the excellent looking paddocks at Sandy Farm, Compton, afterwards, but there was no sign of the mythical spring Ring Ouzel. A singing Firecrest at Watts Gallery and three Skylarks were the best I managed.

Later in the morning I heard Willow Warbler, Marsh Tit and two Firecrests in Chiddingfold Forest while on a run. I never really like running at birding sites and generally try to avoid doing so – I worry one day I'll hear or see something mega and be without bins or camera! 

Post-run, sitting with a coffee at Mare Hill, I heard a singing Lesser Redpoll. I wonder how many (if any) will stay and try to breed after the bumper winter? A light northerly passage of Swallows was taking place here too.

Monday 8th

The wind had abated this morning, but the mild southerly was still blowing and looking promising, so I headed to Thursley Common for a pre-work session. It proved most enjoyable, with 58 species detected including several spring migrants.

The most standout of these was a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, which came as quite the surprise on Ockley Common. Incongruously perching atop some heather, the bird was occasionally showy but got more elusive and quieter during the 20 or so minutes I spent watching it. 

Always decent on passage locally, gropper is especially good value in spring and less than annual at Thursley these days – my only previous record here came last September, in pretty much the exact same area. It's also my earliest ever British Grasshopper Warbler, which seems to have had a strong start to spring (this is already the third Surrey record of 2024).

Also standing out this morning were my first Redstarts of the year – at least six males (probably seven) in song across the southern half of the site. Such good birds, and ones Surrey birders probably take for granted. I wrote about redstart ID in the April edition of Birdwatch.

Since my last visit on the first day of the month another Tree Pipit was back on territory, with one at Crossbill Corner, as well as the Will Reeds bird. Willow Warbler numbers were well up, too, with six singing males in total.

There was some decent breeding content to be had at Pudmore, too, where a Water Rail sang, the drake Teal performed to the female and the male of the Curlew pair was occasionally in song. It's amazing to have such species as breeding species locally ...

Curlew.

Other bits of note included continuing good numbers of Lesser Redpoll (about 35 today), a few more singing Woodlarks (perhaps tying in with the failed nest theory), Firecrest, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls south and the Mute Swan at Hammer Pond.

Mute Swan.

A short lunchtime stroll around the village was undertaken in warm, early spring sunshine and butterflies were loving it, with my first Orange-tips of the year among five species. A Little Egret at Greenways (being mobbed by Mistle Thrushes!) was notable, with three Swallows back at the paddocks and a Sparrowhawk pair displaying over the alder carr.

Tuesday 9th

I had a lazy start today, but there was still time for a quick check of Eashing Fields before work. It proved surprisingly lively, too, despite the brevity of the visit and the gusty, grey weather. A male Wheatear in Top Field was a site first for 2024 and was nice to see, as they always are.

Wheatear.

A House Martin dashing west was notable as well, being a first 1-km bird of 2024 (and only my second record anywhere this year). In 2022 and 2023 I didn't log this species in the Eashing area until much later in the spring, such is the uncommon nature of passage House Martins away from hot-spots.

The local Peregrine pair circling low overhead as I was leaving capped off a fun little doorstep birding session.

Peregrine.