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.