Lazy end to June

It's safe to say I've taken my foot off the patch gas during the last 10 days of June, enjoying a bit of respite from the usual routine of local birding. It's nice to enjoy a lazy period during the High Summer quiet, I find, though that's not to say I haven't been getting out and about – and, in fact, I've recorded 107 species in south-west Surrey this month, according to eBird, which is good going for June!

Buzzard.

Friday 21st

It was another beautiful day, and warm early on, as I walked along the River Wey. I started at the Lammas Lands, where the Catteshall Meadow Garden Warbler was still singing – nearly a month on site now. 

There was only one Sedge Warbler heard today, though, and probably the most notable bird on the checklist was a Treecreeper, which was calling in trees by the Godalming United Church – a scarce Lammas Lands beast and my first of the year here. 

Mute Swans and Catteshall Meadow.

There had been plenty of common species breeding activity on the Lammas Lands and this was the case as I walked onto Unstead Water Meadows. Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warblers were all in fine voice, with a couple of Greylag Goose family parties knocking about as well.

Having finished up and with my favoured coffee shop not yet open, I decided to check Tuesley. With the sun now beaming down, I was quite surprised to see through the heat haze a summer-plumaged Redshank preening on the near shore – yet another June 2024 wader and a likely failed breeder returning back south. I have had local June Redshanks before, but this was easily my earliest …

Redshank.

There were now four Black-headed Gull chicks off the rafts (double-figures are still on it), with two of them flying around for the first time. They seem to have had a good breeding season here and, with breeding at next-door Enton Lakes for the first-ever time this summer (and the recent colonisation of Unstead SF) it's a species doing well in south-west Surrey.

Black-headed Gulls.

Saturday 22nd

A grey, muggy morning. I had a look at Snowdenham Mill Pond, where the two drake Teal were still present and beginning to moult. Presumably they'll summer here, which is a bit mad. An adult and juvenile Little Grebe were signs of successful breeding and I counted 10 Mandarin.

I checked a couple of Spotted Flycatcher sites at Thorncombe Street next, without success – this species seems to be having a poor 2024. I did however locate five Firecrests (including a family party at Wintershall) and a calling juvenile Tawny Owl.

Sunday 23rd

It was back to bright, warm sunshine this morning – perfect conditions for a lazy 10km stroll around Sidney Wood, a beautifully tranquil site that I'd not yet visited in 2024. Some 39 species was a good showing but things were well and truly in High Summer quiet mode

Sidney Wood.

I did note five Marsh Tits and three Firecrests, plus a food-carrying Garden Warbler, but there was a distinct lack of Spotted Flycatcher – particularly notable given the distance covered, habitat walked through and fact that this is usually a good site for them. 

Monday 24th

No birding.

Tuesday 25th

No birding.

Wednesday 26th

While passing Broadwater Lake at lunchtime, during a lovely, boiling hot summer's day, I noticed a Common Tern flying low over the water.

Thursday 27th

Following the run of hot sunny days, it was cloudy and muggy this morning. I had a poke around the Eashing area before work, with the highlight a Hobby dashing over Greenways Farm – my first 1-km record of the year. 

A family party of Grey Wagtails were also present, but there were still no 2024 Spotted Flycatchers to be located along the Wey, nor any Marsh Tits, which I haven't recorded since January.

Wey at Eashing.

Eashing Fields was quiet, though two adult unseasonal Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew north.

Buzzard.

Friday 28th

A casual evening stroll around Thursley Common in cool, fairly breezy conditions produced the usual midsummer fare (including a few Silver-studded Blues), with three Teal – two females and a drake – of note at Pudmore. This species has been present here in higher than usual numbers this season but, bar the female I saw with ducklings earlier this month, I've recorded no other evidence of breeding. A Water Rail called, too.

Saturday 29th

It was a bright morning, fairly cool early on and dewy underfoot, but warming up quickly. After a lazy week I set an early alarm and plumped for something a little different with a visit to Shalford Water Meadows. A fun summer session was had, with 40 species noted.

St Catherine's Pool.

Highlights included two Sedge Warblers around St Catherine's Lock, including a very vocal (second brooding?) and showy male. Two Garden Warblers and a male Stonechat were in song, too, and six or more Reed Buntings included a few juveniles.

Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting and Stonechat.

A summer plumage Little Egret was nice to see at St Catherine's Pool, where a few House Martins and Swifts were taking water. This waterbody is normally bone dry by early June but after such a wet first half of the year it was virtually full, albeit shallow – an encouraging sign for the other little pools along the Wey as return wader passage commences.

Little Egret.

Sunday 30th

With July on the horizon, the grey clouds and breezy north-westerly gave off more than a faint whiff of autumn. I had a bit of a late start and began at Tuesley, which was quiet, though there were now 16 Black-headed Gull chicks off the rafts, some of which are almost fully fledged.

I didn't have much of a plan so opted for Thursley and a short walk around Pudmore. Again, Teal were very much in evidence with no fewer than seven present – these included two juveniles, perhaps the ducklings I saw on 3rd.

Teal.

A far greater surprise was a flyover Meadow Pipit. You occasionally get lingering birds into early May, but this species hasn't bred at Thursley since the late 2000s – and has been locally extinct as a breeder in south-west Surrey for about six years now (Hankley was the last site). In fact, I've never recorded a local Meadow Pipit in June before. So, it was a very notable occurrence and doubtless a failed/non-breeding bird moving around.

With light drizzle beginning to fall, it felt increasingly autumnal – and when Shaun P called with news of a drake Common Scoter at Frensham Little Pond that sense was heightened! A convenient twitch, I headed straight over – and before long was enjoying good views of the bird, which was settled on the southern side of the pond.

Common Scoter.

A cracking bird, it's only the third record in south-west Surrey in the last decade, after two autumn 2023 occurrences at the Great Pond were the first since 2013. March, April and July are the best months locally – this species moves back to Irish Sea and English Channel non-breeding grounds at this time of year, and clearly the murky weather today grounded this individual.

I also caught up with Shaun, which was as pleasant as ever (keen local birders like him are such a rare commodity these days), and a decent suite of other species included some brief daytime churring from a Nightjar, a Kingfisher, at least eight Reed Warblers, singles of Cetti's and Garden Warblers, a few Sand Martins and two pairs of Common Terns.

Migration never stops

Midsummer. A rare opportunity to switch off a little, whether you're a devout patchbirder or a 'drop-it-all-and-go' big-lister. I've been taking it easy these past 10 days, but the birds haven't, and I've had several local reminders in the wader department that migration never stops, from late-dashing Arctic-bound individuals to early failed breeders heading back south. And we've not even had the solstice yet!

Reed Bunting.

Tuesday 11th

During a brief, cloudy and cool late morning stroll around Eashing Fields, I watched the local male Kestrel successfully catch three rodents in the space of nine minutes, including great views of a vole capture a few feet in front of me.

In the evening, Abel and I had planned to catch up with Matt in Sussex for some birding and beers. We hadn't settled on where to go, so when news broke of a possible Savi's Warbler at Matt's Pulborough Brooks stomping ground in the morning, we decided to head there – and eventually heard distant reeling from the North Brooks of a bird that had gone missing all day.

Cool, although it would have been nice to be a bit closer (and to have seen it!). That said, a two-hour session, in the company of a few other familiar Sussex faces, was good fun, and we also noted a surprise June Whinchat, four Cattle Egrets, a recently fledged Avocet chick and a singing Cuckoo.

Pulborough Brooks.

Wednesday 12th

It was cloudy and fairly cool during a pre-work walk along the Wey at Eashing, which saw 40 species accrued. A Little Egret on the river at Eashing Bridge was notable after Monday's flyovers at Eashing Fields, with a Bullfinch family party nearby. A Garden Warbler was singing near Eashing Marsh, too – it's not been a great year for them in the 1-km.

Thursday 13th

A Hoopoe visited a series of private gardens in Farncombe from 9-11th but, despite a few local birders putting in work to see if it was visiting nearby public areas, it wasn't found. So, it was a bit odd when a BirdGuides alert came through of one at Thursley Common last night – mass hallucination perhaps, or a remarkable but unlikely third south-west Surrey Hoopoe of the year (one was photographed in Elstead in April, too).

Whatever the case, I figured I should go take a look this morning, which was remarkably chilly early on (as cool as 4.5°C when I set out!). I began at the cricket pitch in the village and worked around the High Ground area (where it had been reported), ultimately not coming close to any sign of a Hoopoe. 

Parish Field, Thursley Common.

However, some 8 km walked and nearly three hours on site was pleasant, even if things are firmly slipping into High Summer quiet mode here. A singing Cuckoo – perhaps one of the last of 2024 that I'll hear – was in voice and two noisy Spotted Flycatchers were at the rarely visited Critchet Fields. My first juvenile Willow Warbler of the year was seen, too.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting.

Friday 14th

No birding.

Saturday 15th

When I ventured out mid-morning it was wet, breezy and cool – not feeling at all like the middle of June. I headed to Tuesley, where the extremes of wader passage were on show – a summer-plumage Sanderling pottering around in the murk.

Sanderling.

Shorebird migration is truly awe-inspiring. Here we are, nearly in the middle of the year, and this little bird is still ploughing north, to Arctic breeding grounds … and, any day now, the first returning Green Sandpipers and Redshanks may be moving through south. Nuts – and that's before you factor in the rarity of Sanderling in outer Surrey!

Despite this fine prize, there was an even rarer beast on show – a presumed Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull hybrid. I've never seen such a bird before but that's surely what this was, with the features seeming to fall between the two species: upperparts paler grey than graellsii but far darker than Herring, pinky-straw legs, a broad white tip to P10, a Herring-like head, LBB-like size, intermediate structure etc. Pretty mega!

Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull hybrid,

Several Swifts and hirundines were zipping around in the rain, too, with a few more Black-headed Gull chicks evident as well.

Swift.

I had a look at Snowdenham Mill Pond afterwards. Two drake Teal at the far end were quite a surprise – not only is this species extremely rare in the summer away from Thursley, I've never had any June records (or May, for that matter) here, a site I have covered extensively in the last decade. Odd – but fitting in with this rather miserable, cool start to summer.

Teal.

Sadly, the Mute Swan pair seemed to have lost their two cygnets, and they were apart at opposite ends of the pond. The Mallard x Red-crested Pochard was present, along with large numbers of Mallard and six Mandarin.

Sunday 16th

While not as wet as yesterday, it was again cool and breezy this morning, with some light showers. I headed to Tuesley and was rewarded with a species that's been long overdue both here and in south-west Surrey – a Black-tailed Godwit, which was tucked in on the south shore amid the biggest gathering of large gulls here for a couple of weeks.

Black-tailed Godwit.

The bird was preening and alert and, little more than five minutes after I'd arrived, took off with all the gulls when a Red Kite flew over. I didn't see it again, meaning it was a brief and distant – but brilliant – encounter.

I was very pleased. Despite a clear increase in records in Surrey since the 1990s, reflecting the Icelandic population boom, blackwit remains curiously rare in south-west Surrey. No records since 2017, when I had a mega flock of 40 over Thorncombe Street, is quite a run and local birders have often pondered when the next record would finally happen. Well, today it was, and it's probably only the 14th south-west Surrey record of the species. It also becomes wader species number 21 for Tuesley – ludicrous, really!

South-west Surrey Black-tailed Godwit records.

Furthermore, it shows why you can't stay still when it comes to patch birding. The second half of June is, to my mind, the absolute dead zone of the year. But I've had back-to-back quality waders here this weekend (one going north, and this godwit south after a failed breeding season in Iceland, presumably). 

As I was musing yesterday, this godwit is the first sign of autumn proper – as early as 16 June! Funnily enough, Matt had a Green Sandpiper at Pulborough later this morning, while Rich S reported Redshank and Oystercatcher from Tice's. With the Sanderling yesterday, it's spring merging straight into autumn!

I had a quick look at Shackleford afterwards, only covering the north end of the site. The male Garden Warbler was still in situ, singing occasionally near the yard, and a Little Owl was sunning itself in a rare bright spell. Hopefully there will be evidence of breeding from this species soon, which is becoming scarcer locally …

Shackleford.

Monday 17th

No birding.

Tuesday 18th

It was cloudy but warm and fairly pleasant this morning, and pre-work visit to Frensham Great Pond gave off High Summer lull vibes. A Little Grebe calling from the eastern reedbed was unusual, with a few Reed Warblers and a single Cetti's Warbler were singing away as well.

I did a quick walk of Eashing Fields before heading home. It seems the Stonechat pair have failed in breeding – the female, my first sighting of her since 23 May, was roving around with the male. Skylarks on the other hand seem to have had a good year here and I counted at least seven birds (I estimate three nesting pairs). An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull flew north, too.

Stonechats and Whitethroat.

Wednesday 19th

At the end of a morning run at Thursley Common, a familiar three-note call greeted me as I took my headphones out at Pudmore – a Green Sandpiper, which flew off towards Elstead Common. Always a symbolic moment in the patch year, being the unofficial start of 'birders' autumn' it was easily my earliest-ever returning Green Sand (I've had two previous 1 July birds locally). A brilliant piece on this species in the July edition of Birdwatch details how some individuals are on Scandinavian breeding grounds for as little as nine weeks!

Thursday 20th

It was a gorgeous summer's morning and I decided to get up early and throw the 2024 Turtle Dove Hail Mary at Chiddingfold Forest. In recent weeks, along with a couple of other locals, I've put in a fair bit of effort for this species here (which is the final 'regular' site for the species in Surrey) but there has been not a sniff. Today was no different, alas, and while it's probably too early to sound the death knell for breeding Turtle Doves in Surrey, it does look like being the first year on record that no purring birds will be recorded in the county – and it's the first year in a decade that I'll personally draw a blank, barring an unexpected autumn bird …

Streptopelia misery aside, it was a typically enjoyable and peaceful hour and a half session at this lovely site, with plenty of fledging birds roving around in flocks and various species on second broods. A family party of Marsh Tits by The Triangle was nice and I also detected three Nightingales, though none were singing.

Pick of the bunch was a Hawfinch over Peartree Hanger. This species is an elusive resident at Chiddingfold Forest – I had an adult feeding a chick in 2021 – but I drew a blank for them here last year so it was nice to score this one and very likely points to breeding. It seems the species has had a good nesting season in wider Surrey, perhaps linked to an increase in Goshawks (and thus lesser numbers of Jays).

Other bits included three Garden Warblers, Willow Warbler, Firecrest and my fourth Chidd Forest records of Kestrel and Grey Heron.

Kestrel.

At the end of a lovely day, a dusk Summer Solstice walk of Eashing Fields under a beautiful full moon produced no owls, though a Red-legged Partridge sang at last light.

Unseasonal start to summer

The first 10 days of June have been and gone. Like the second half of May, the weather has been fairly cool for the most part and it feels like we've been lacking warm summer conditions so far in 2024. Birding has more or less reached High Summer lull mode now – there's still time for a mega surprise or two, of course, but it seems like my long-standing quest to find a local spring 'biggy' will rollover to another year.

Whitethroat.

Saturday 1st

It didn't exactly feel like June at Shackleford this morning, with a stiff, cool breeze from the north-west and scattered cloud. However, breeding bird activity meant there were summertime vibes and, among a very good June tally of 42 species, no fewer than 13 included examples of recently fledged juveniles.

Pick of the bunch of these was a young Stonechat with two adults in the northern field, confirming successful breeding for another year at this site. The male from the other pair was still on patrol near Bramble Island.

Stonechat.

Other bits and pieces included two Ravens over Hook Lane, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls amid 35 or so loafing Herring Gulls and two Red-legged Partridges, as well as the standard 'love shack' fare.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Song Thrush and Linnet.

I had a quick look at Snowdenham Mill Pond afterwards. The Mallard x Red-crested Pochard hybrid was knocking about, along with two moulting drake Gadwall – non-breeders presumably, but surely this species will nest locally soon. A high June count of nine Tufted Duck was also made.

Mallard x Red-crested Pochard and Gadwall and Mallards.

Sunday 2nd

No birding.

Monday 3rd

Yesterday had been wonderfully warm and sunny, for the first time in ages, and it was still mild and nice enough early on today. I hadn't planned on any pre-work birding but was up early so headed out, visiting Tuesley first of all.

Here, two tundrae Ringed Plovers marked my first-ever June record of the species locally. It's been a good little period for them here, with this the third record in less than a fortnight. I always find it mad that, while these birds are still heading north to breed, it's only a few weeks until the first failed waders start passing back south.

Ringed Plovers.

Singles of Common Tern and Lesser Black-backed Gull were noted as well as, pleasingly, the first hatched Black-headed Gull chicks of the season.

I then decided to head to Thursley. On Saturday, Liz E had re-found – or found – the male Red-backed Shrike in the same spot. It's likely the individual found by Hilary on 25 May, but there were plenty of birders last week and it must have been super elusive to evade detection for that long. I gave it a good look but couldn't see it and there is a part of me that wonders if, amazingly, two different one-day birds are involved ...

Pudmore was lively and, best of all, I noted a female Teal with two ducklings – the fifth successive year breeding of this species has been confirmed here. Teal breeds virtually nowhere else in Surrey so it's always a notable occurrence … two drakes were knocking about as well.

Teal.

More remarkable than this was a flyover Yellow Wagtail – a bright male and my first-ever June record of the species in Surrey. On 9 and 22 May I wrote on this blog about Yellow Wags I'd encountered locally and how they were likely 'rounding off a good spring' for the species. Well, here I am again – presumably this bird is now the last of the season in south-west Surrey!

Other bits at Pudmore included a male Curlew, a calling Water Rail, 15 or so Swifts and Mallard and Moorhen youngsters.

Mallard.

The rest of the walk mostly featured routine stuff, though I made sure to appreciate a singing male Cuckoo that was roving around – in a few weeks they'll be heading back south.

Cuckoo.

Tuesday 4th

I was up early again today, which was cloudy but warm and still. I headed to Tuesley first, where a different Charadrius plover to yesterday was present: a smart male Little Ringed Plover. Presumably an non-breeding bird, it was a welcome first on the deck locally this year.

Little Ringed Plover.

Unseasonal numbers of Tufted Duck (15) were still around, plus three new Little Grebes (perhaps failed breeders from somewhere nearby), while a Common Tern pair flew over towards Enton Lakes carrying food.

I then plumped for Chiddingfold Forest, and enjoyed a lovely stroll through the northern complex. This is truly one of my favourite sites; any woodland session is full of life in June and such was the case here today, with stacks of breeding signs among the 31 species noted.

Oldlands and Common Spotted Orchid.

A recently fledged Nightingale in Oldlands was very cool to see and one of six different birds noted throughout, three of which were singing males. A family party of Marsh Tits were observed by The Meadow, with Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Warbler in song and an alarm calling Garden Warbler carrying food.

Wednesday 5th

I had a quick stop-off at Snowdenham Mill Pond while passing in the evening. The Mute Swan pair were carting two cygnets around, which was pleasing to see. One drake Gadwall was still present, too, and in heavy moult now. A Mandarin pair and 10 Tufted Duck were also noted.

Snowdenham Mill Pond.

Thursday 6th

This morning was cool but relatively bright and I headed to Milford and Witley Commons early on. The dawn chorus has gradually been overtaken by the abundance of fledglings as the most notable theme of early morning sessions in recent weeks and it was particularly stark today. I only heard two Nightingales on Milford, for example, with both birds only singing for brief spells.

In general it was a quiet visit but I did record Tree Pipit and Woodlark in song at Witley, plus a decent total of seven Garden Warblers across both commons. Two Willow Warblers were also singing.

Stonechat and Tree Pipit.

In the evening, while on a run near Chiddingfold, I was treated to brief views of a vocal juvenile Tawny Owl, which was being berated by the local passerines.

Friday 7th

A gorgeous, sunny morning was fairly cool early on, with the Lammas Lands dewy underfoot when I arrived at 7 am. I did a 45-minute walk of Catteshall Meadow, where I was pleased – and a little surprised – to note a new Sedge Warbler in, with a male singing and display-flighting with gusto from a patch of Water Hemlock. The regular male was also in voice, perhaps (and hopefully) ahead of a second brood …

There were signs of life all over, including a couple of juvenile Reed Buntings and a pair of Whitethroats carrying food into a different area of Water Hemlock. The Cetti's Warbler gave some brief song near Catteshall Road, too.

Whitethroat, Reed Bunting and Starling.

I walked Eashing Fields mid-afternoon, where the male Stonechat was in song. I haven't seen the female here since 23 May and wonder if she's now sitting … 

A few seemingly recently-fledged Skylarks were knocking about, too, with a Red-legged Partridge in Top Field and plenty of Swifts – a theme of the past week locally – overhead.

Red-legged Partridge.

Saturday 8th

A lazy start this morning and, with a clear day, I plumped for a grand day out in West Sussex. I began at the North Wall at Pagham Harbour, where an adult male American Golden Plover found a few days ago was the main quarry – and it eventually showed very distantly from the east side. My first in South-East England, AGP is a true Sussex mega with only a handful of previous records.

Aside the good company of the various familiar faces present, also enjoyed were 10 or so Grey Plovers, seven Bar-tailed Godwits, a handful of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, a singing Cuckoo, four Cattle Egrets and a few Mediterranean Gulls. A Coal Tit at the end of Church Lane was notable, for it is an uncommon Selsey Peninsula bird.

Pagham Harbour.

It was then east, via late breakfast in Worthing, to Shoreham-by-Sea. A little inland from here, on the South Downs at Mile Oak Farm, a male Cirl Bunting was found on Monday – a remarkable record and another sign that this species is bouncing back and spreading from the South-West. A Surrey bird will happen at some point soon …

Anyway, the bird was initially very elusive and mobile and I only got fleeting views, before it eventually showed a fraction better. Also noted at this lovely stretch of countryside were five or more Corn Buntings, two Yellowhammers, a male Sparrowhawk, two Ravens and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Sunday 9th

Once again this morning was beautiful and sunny, but cool and damp underfoot early on. A lazy stroll around Shackleford gave off strong whiffs of high summer quiet, though breeding activity was again lively and now included a second family party of Stonechats, meaning both pairs have bred this year – four young were roving around with the northern fields pair, and two with the main fields pair …

Stonechats.

Other bits and pieces included a Little Owl sunning itself, adult and first-summer Lesser Black-backed Gulls over and, interestingly, a singing Garden Warbler in the place as the bird I had a month ago to the day – presumably the same, unmated individual.

Little Owl, House Martin, Skylark and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Monday 10th

A wet, grey and cool morning wouldn't have felt out of place in mid-March – and it looks like the type of weather we may get for much of the week ahead. 

I had a look at Frensham Great Pond before work and it was quiet, with Cetti's and Reed Warblers in song and a 30 or so Sand Martins swirling low over the water. The escaped Maccoa Duck was still present, too, approaching nearly a month of residency.

I walked Eashing Fields early afternoon. It was cool and blustery and three Little Egrets north-east up the river were of note – a site year first too. I see this species locally more often in the summer these days. A second-summer Lesser Black-backed Gull flew north, too.