So predictable

August, as I've mentioned many times on this blog down the years, is usually a super month for the patch birder. The weather's good, the days are long and migration is underway. It can sometimes take a little while to get going, but that hasn't been the case this year, with the month off to a particularly lively start a mere 10 days in.

Wood Sandpiper.

Thursday 1st

I didn't have much of a plan this morning, which was uncomfortably muggy after yesterday's heat. I headed to Tuesley where a Common Sandpiper ended the three-week wader drought here. Otherwise, though, it was quiet.

Common Sandpiper.

I then walked Eashing Fields before work beckoned. A decent flock of Goldfinches were feeding on teasels and thistles, but the clear highlight was two juvenile Stonechats with the female – the first successful breeding of this species at this site, after failed efforts in 2022 and earlier this year.

Stonechat.

Friday 2nd

Yesterday afternoon and evening saw dramatic thunderstorms roll through the area, but it remained warm and muggy this morning and unfortunately very misty, with poor visibility. 

Despite this, I headed to the Lammas Lands, but it was a true pea-souper and had all the hallmarks of a slow session. Overgone Meadow, where I started, was particularly quiet and the 'pool of promise' was looking more like a puddle of paucity after the recent heat.

Overgone Meadow.

However, it is August – and my first little patch moment archetypal of this fine month came on Catteshall Meadow. Some passerine activity along Hell Ditch had attracted my attention, with a mixed flock and a few Curruca/Sylvia warblers making some noise. And, on the edge of the throng, was a lovely, pale juvenile Lesser Whitethroat.

Lesser Whitethroat.

It was calling a bit but was elusive, and it took a while to get decent views. A good bird anywhere in south-west Surrey, this felt particularly decent value out here and needless to say appears to be a site first.

At times it was foraging alongside a beautiful lemon-yellow Willow Warbler – my first of the season away from sites where this species breeds. August local birding in a nutshell!

Willow Warbler.

Other observations included eight Swallows silently downriver, giving the impression of migrants, and the male Reed Bunting still taking food to a nest as it was on 26 July.

Saturday 3rd

Following another warm and muggy evening, I headed to Thursley Common early this morning. It was grey and occasionally breezy, with a welcome wind from the south-west. During nearly three hours on site, it was quiet, though I logged 51 species – and one of them was a cracker!

That bird was a juvenile Wood Sandpiper, which was merrily pottering around at Pudmore. Vocal and occasionally skittish, it was foraging contentedly, bar the odd flight around.

Wood Sandpipers are absolutely one of my favourite species and I've only ever seen one in the local area before, here in September 2022. I've always wanted to find one locally – it's not really a Tuesley bird – and today day was the day. Thursley is the site for Wood Sand locally, with this the sixth year out the last 10 the species has been logged here. A pleasing find. Only three days in, and August is already doing its thing …

Pudmore was the liveliest part of the site and also yielded two each of Teal and Water Rail, a Tufted Duck with a small duckling and large numbers of roosting geese. A Kingfisher was at Moat Pond, too.

Greylag Goose.

As mentioned, though, it was otherwise a steady visit, with passerine action limited across the site – and again there was no Tree Pipit on the checklist. I did however note a family party of Spotted Flycatchers near Hammer Pond, including at least one juvenile.

Red Kite and Stonechat.

I had a look at Tuesley afterwards, before coffee called. A Common Sandpiper was pottering around and a dark, fresh-looking juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull was the only large gull present – presumably born not long ago or too far away.

Common Sandpiper and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Sunday 4th

For the first time in several days it was cool and fresh this morning, with scattered cloud. I headed to Shackleford for a two-hour session, but not before a pair of Ravens flew south-west over the garden.

For the third visit in a row to the 'love shack', I had an enjoyable time, with 44 species recorded today. Passerine activity was lively, especially along the Lone Barn track, which took a long time to cover thoroughly, with the area bustling with birds.

Shackleford.

Among them was a juvenile Sedge Warbler, skulking in the maize crop. It's always fun finding this species away from water and Shackleford is particularly good for them in early autumn, after a flurry of records in 2021 and up to three last year, one of which stayed 38 days on site! I often find they like maize in farmland habitat – maybe it serves as a reedbed mimic.

Sedge Warbler.

A juvenile Willow Warbler was picked out amid the heaps of Chiffchaffs (at least 25) and Whitethroats (15 or more), while Reed Bunting numbers were up a little.

Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting.

The most unexpected bird of the morning was a Woodlark, which flew high over the northern fields, calling, before dropping into the maize crop. Only my fifth site record, it's the second of 2024, and plays on a particularly notable theme this year of the species being found in farmland locally.

Woodlark.

A Raven flew north, too, with other bits and pieces including a female Sparrowhawk, 25 or so Linnets and six Stonechats, including one of the family parties.

Linnets, Hornet Mimic Hoverfly and Raven.

Monday 5th

No birding.

Tuesday 6th

It was supposed to be grey and wet this morning but I woke up early to clear skies and sunshine. This put pay to my planned waterbody sweep, with Thursley Common chosen as the plan B. I had a quiet hour and a half on site – at least compared to recent visits – with 42 species logged.

High Ground, Thursley Common.

Of note was a Garden Warbler in a mixed flock near Hobby Hangar and a juvenile Tree Pipit over Chat Plateau. Two Kingfishers chased each other around Hammer Pond, where the Mute Swan continued, and two Teal were on Pudmore.

Teal.

It clouded over throughout and was slightly spitting by the time I finished up. As a result I decided to stick my head in at Frensham Great Pond before heading home. 

A gathering of Sand Martins and Swallows contained a single Swift and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull flew through during the murkiest of the weather. Other bits included a calling Firecrest, a Kingfisher and a couple of Tufted Duck broods.

Tufted Duck.

Wednesday 7th

I enjoyed a late start today, but still had time for a short walk along the Wey at Eashing before work. It was already warm when I got in the field at about 7.45 am and there was a fair bit of warbler action, especially at Bramble Bank, with Chiffchaffs ubiquitous.

By far and away, though, the highlight was a vocal Marsh Tit, present at the southern edge of the alder carr. Worryingly, I haven't recorded this species in the Eashing area since January and, while this isolated population might be on a slippery slope, I was pleased to connect with one today.

Wey at Eashing.

Even more remarkable was when, sitting at my desk later in the morning, I heard a – or likely the – Marsh Tit again, in the garden! Annoyingly I couldn't see it, but it called a few times as it moved through and must've been the same, post-breeding season roving bird. A very smart garden tick!

Thursday 8th

It was another warm and clear morning, though it clouded over throughout. I didn't have much of a plan so headed to Shackleford for a wander. It proved an excellent decision, for I enjoyed my liveliest session of local birding so far this autumn.

Shackleford.

The Lone Barn track was once again bustling with birds, one of which was a juvenile Yellowhammer that flushed up from the track. This species, which has suffered a tremendous local decline, is erratic in its showings at Shackleford and I hadn't seen one since October. Perhaps it had come from the other side of the North Downs, where a small breeding population persists at Normandy …

Yellowhammer.

The Yellowhammer was soon to be overshadowed, however, with a proper bit of August magic – a Nightingale! First heard calling in the margin, it eventually flew over the track and into the hedgerow, where it showed fleetingly a couple of times. It was very vocal – I'd never had known it was there otherwise – but eventually flew back to the margin, fell silent, and wasn't seen again.

Nightingales anywhere on passage are mega as hell and this was only the second 'autumn' one I'd ever seen, anywhere! I'm sure they go through sites like this undetected, due to their exceptionally skulking behaviour, but nevertheless it was a fine patch prize – a site first and my 119th species at the Love Shack.

The icing on the cake came moments after I lost the Nightingale, when I heard the scratchy call of a Reed Warbler, eventually picking up the bird – a fresh juvenile – foraging energetically (and successfully) in an elder. A whacky farmland species, Shackleford does curiously well for this species and this is my fifth record here …

Reed Warbler.

A neat triumvirate of species, it made for a lovely little period of August patch birding, all in the space of 30 minutes or so.

There were a few other bits and pieces during the session, including continuing good numbers of Chiffchaffs, with one juvenile Willow Warbler in tow, plus eight Red-legged Partridges, three Stonechats and a juvenile Kestrel.

Chiffchaffs.

Friday 9th

Yesterday's precipitation and fair breeze was still in situ first thing this morning, though it brightened up gradually, despite the odd bought of drizzle.

I stuck my head in at Tuesley first, and was pleased to note the wader drought was over, with a Ringed Plover on the far shore. The plover, a worn adult, signalled the first shorebird here other than Common Sandpiper in exactly a month – a poor early autumn run for this site. 

Ringed Plover.

Indeed, a Common Sandpiper was present, too, as well as two juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 

Common Sandpiper.

I then headed to the Lammas Lands. It felt relatively quiet, but two Tree Pipits meant there was a headline act. I first picked them up flying silently over Catteshall Meadow, before they banked back and dropped in near Plover Pool. I eventually relocated them skulking in the young willows nearby.

Tree Pipit.

Eventually they took off and continued their migration. A cool record – only my fourth at the Lammas Lands and second on the deck – they signalled my first migrant 'tripits' of the season

A Hobby over the same meadow was good value, too, and my first for the site in 2024, this despite a pair successfully breeding again at nearby Loseley. There were no Swifts for it to terrorise – there seems to have been an early mass exodus locally and I've only seen one all month …

Hobby.

Also of note was the Bullfinch continuing along Borough Road, a male Sparrowhawk, two Kestrels, a Kingfisher and high count of nine Cormorants.

Cormorants.

Saturday 10th

It was cool and fresh this morning, with broken cloud. I was up early and headed to Thursley, were a relatively steady session produced 46 species.

At Pudmore, a flyover Little Ringed Plover was cool, calling as it headed west. My first of the year here, this was a typically brief Thursley encounter with this species … other bits at Pudmore included three each of Teal and Water Rail and a Tree Pipit.

Pudmore.

Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls high south would have been migrants, as were a flock of 15 Swifts hawking over Elstead Common – especially notable after my ponderings about this species yesterday.

Otherwise there wasn't loads doing, save a Kingfisher strangely zipping around West Bog, a Greenfinch over South Bog and a Painted Lady.