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.