Welcome warmth

We've had to wait for nice, settled weather this spring, but during the last week southern England has been treated to lovely conditions – warm temperatures, blue skies and general pleasantness. The breeding season is in full swing now and, even if migration is beginning to wind down a touch, there's still been plenty to see during any venture outdoors.

Garden Warbler.

Wednesday 8th

It was a beautiful, warm May day and, at lunchtime, a Little Egret flew high upriver over the garden. The Robin pair that have nested in the hedge were hopping around with at least one very recently fledged youngster.

Thursday 9th

It was a gorgeous early summer morning, with blue skies and some light haze. I headed to Shackleford where, in a couple of hours, I totalled 40 species, with the session having a slightly end of spring passage feel to it.

Shackleford.

The highlight was a singing Garden Warbler along the Lone Barn track – and a curiously showy bird to boot. This is really quite mega here and it was the first I've had around the main fields, though I've one previous record from a lesser visited part of the farm to the west (where I'm sure Garden Warbler is not so rare).

A Yellow Wagtail flew low north, too, likely rounding off a fine spring for the species locally. This was my 10th record of 2024, which have come from five different sites and totalled no fewer than 43 birds.

Otherwise, though, it was a rather slow session. The two male Stonechats were busily collecting food for their presumably sitting mates, a Red-legged Partridge flushed up from the main fields and a House Martin flew over – likely a bird from the village colony.

Dunnock, Stonechat and Whitethroat.

Towards the end of the day I visited Chiddingfold Forest for an amble around in perfect spring conditions. It was blissful to be out and stacks of birds were in song, including Cuckoo, Willow Warbler, two each of Nightingale and Garden Warbler, three Marsh Tits and five Firecrests. A few Wood Whites were on the wing as well.

A female Yellowhammer was along Plaistow Road and a Moorhen on a small pond at Oldlands was a site first for me. I also heard a hooting Tawny Owl – amazingly my first of the year! It had become a running joke with friends that I'd seen so many rarer species or later summer migrants than Tawny Owl, which for some bizarre reason had evaded me for the first four and a bit months of 2024 ...

Tugley Wood, Chiddingfold Forest.

Friday 10th

Another beautiful day, which began with a touch of mist at Thursley Common, but soon broke out to warm, pleasant blissfulness. In fact, I'll probably look back at this visit as my 'peak spring' session in the field in 2024, such was the level of breeding activity and general liveliness.

Pudmore, Thursley Common.

I totalled 58 species, which included two standouts. The first came at Pine Island early on, where a male Yellowhammer was calling away, acting rare as hell initially on the deck before flying to trees. This is a scarce visitor here now (or indeed to any south-west Surrey heath … ) and I just about average one a year at Thursley. Presumably a failed breeder or unpaired bird roving around ...

Yellowhammer.

A greater surprise came later on at Parish Field, when I was alerted to the sound of a Hawfinch – and soon clocked a bird bowling east, having apparently been perched. I managed some snaps before it disappeared. This is truly rare out here – Thursley mega lister and patch-watcher Dave B has never had one – and this is only my third for the site.

Hawfinch.

Breeding season was well and truly in full swing today. I counted no fewer than five separate recently fledged broods of Stonechats and the male Curlew was gathering food on Ockley Common. A family party of Crossbills at Shrike Hill was unexpected – they almost certainly bred off-site, and a male and female were feeding at least two hungry youngsters.

Stonechats, Curlew and Crossbills.

I also noted two year firsts – a Nightjar briefly churring near Francis Copse was unexpected in the full light of day and a male Spotted Flycatcher noisily sang from the Hobby Hanger/Hammer Pond area.

Spotted Flycatcher.

I had three Cuckoos, too, which included a 'bubbling' female. A late Lesser Redpoll was also noteworthy and three Teal involved a pair. Other bits included two Garden Warblers, Firecrest, Mute Swan and a curiously high count of 15 Tufted Duck.

Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Teal, Tufted Duck and Cuckoo.

I popped up to Eashing Fields late morning. It was truly warm now and two Ravens – my first of the year here – lazily soared over towards Peper Harow. A Collared Dove zipping south gave brief Turtle Dove vibes and, while not anywhere near as scarce, it was an Eashing Fields first for 2024!

In the evening I was out on the Lammas Lands for a walk organised by Neil for the Godalming Climate Forum. There are some silly plans to build a cycle path on Catteshall Meadow so here we were tonight, leading 50 or so people around – including local politicians – to highlight the wildlife. 

Two sparring male Reed Buntings performed well but better still was a male Peregrine over carrying Feral Pigeon prey – a real crowd-pleaser!

Meadow Saxifrage.

Saturday 11th

It was yet another lovely morning – warm and bright – and I headed to the far south of south-west Surrey for a big Weald wander. I started at The Hurtwood, where the volume of breeding activity was impressive and included a nice family party of four Siskins, likely locally born. A Bullfinch pair were taking food to a nest, too.

Siskin.

A beautifully peaceful walk also included two Spotted Flycatchers (one of which was a singing male), two male Cuckoos, at least five Garden Warblers, a Willow Warbler, three Firecrests and a Sparrowhawk. Both Muntjac and Roe Deer were noted as well.

Linnet and Spotted Flycatcher.

I'm particularly fond of this site, though the swift regeneration of the clearfell areas (which were cleared as recently as 2019) has meant no spring Woodlarks, Stonechats or Tree Pipits since 2021, and no Dartford Warblers since 2022. Such is the cyclical nature of managed woodland in Surrey …

I descended from the hills down towards Dunsfold, to Painshill Farm. As mentioned many times previously on this blog, Dunsfold is the area for Lesser Whitethroat in south-west Surrey – and I was pleased to locate two birds, one of which was a male that was constantly calling and fluttering his wings, seemingly in anger at a nearby male that had wandered into his territory.

A Nightingale was singing, too, along with a male Cuckoo and a Garden Warbler. I also saw four Red-legged Partridges and heard four Skylarks and a Raven. In all, a fine morning in the field.

Collared Dove.

Sunday 12th

The warm easterly airflow was still in situ this morning, which again was most pleasant. My plan was a walk along the River Wey but I had a quick look at Tuesley first, where a Common Sandpiper bobbed about – my first of the month and getting a touch on the late side. A family party of Grey Wagtails were present as well.

I then headed to the Lammas Lands. Warblers were a theme, with six species recorded. This included two Reed Warblers – the breeding bird at Phillips Memorial Park, which I missed last week, and a passage bird in bamboo on Almshouse Meadow. I do enjoy these quirky migrant 'reedymen' you get in odd locations at this time of the year …

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Interestingly, I also noted two Cetti's Warblers – singing birds near the boathouse and in Hell Ditch on Catteshall Meadow. Hopefully this species will continue to spread towards Eashing! 

It was otherwise a quiet visit, with the male Sedge Warbler noted, plus the Coot still sitting on the nest on the Overgone pool.

Overgone Meadow, Lammas Lands.

The warbler-fest continued upriver at Unstead Water Meadows, where singles of Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warblers were in song. A Firecrest was also giving it large near Perry Bridge and, surprisingly, a Water Rail sang briefly at Upper Unstead Farm.

I finished up at Snowdenham Mill Pond, where a female Mandarin escorted a large brood of 12 ducklings around (a female led a brood rather dangerously around Eashing village later in the day).

Mandarin.

I popped out again late morning, to Shackleford. By now it was properly warm, pushing 25°C, and activity was fairly subdued. That said, a Hobby circling to the north was good value – not an easy Shackleford bird. 

A Raven also flew over and, interestingly, a female Stonechat was evident again with the north end male – perhaps a sign of a failed nest, or maybe small youngsters were hidden away nearby …

Monday 13th

The weather switched up today, and it was cloudy and far cooler this morning. I had a look at Tuesley first – the Common Sandpiper was still in situ and more large gulls than usual were about, including two Lesser Black-backed, but it was otherwise quiet.

I then headed to Frensham Great Pond. Recently hatched Mute Swan cygnets and Coot and Great Crested Grebe chicks were all noted, along with four Common Terns and a handful of Sand Martins and Swifts. 

Great Crested Grebes.

Cetti's, Garden and Reed Warblers were in song, too, along with a Reed Bunting, and a Little Grebe – uncommon here – was near the sailing club.

Tuesday 14th

No birding.