Fun in the frost

These days it feels like a treat when you get a prolonged cold spell in the winter, so the last week – which for the most part has been properly chilly, with a fixed northerly wind, frost and occasional snow – has been appreciated. Unsurprisingly local birding has improved as a result, with recent sessions featuring a few cool finds and encounters.

Jack Snipe.

Thursday 11th

It was another freezing cold morning and Frensham Great Pond had partially frozen over when I arrived for a pre-work session. From the south side, two Goosander – a drake that was flushed by a swimmer, and a flyover female – were of note and my first of the year. A decent 40 Pochard were tallied up, along with the semi-resident Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid.

Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid and Pochard.

I headed to the hotel and, not long after I began scanning, I picked up a Shelduck right out in the middle of the water. A female, she appeared a bit nervous but didn't take flight. Shelduck is a very good local bird – I normally get one or two a year, just about, but this was a very atypical south-west Surrey date for one and felt like a bit of a score.

Shelduck.

Plenty more Canada Geese and Black-headed Gulls than usual were about, too, while three Little Egrets were in the stream by the sailing club.

Friday 12th

It was cloudy this morning, with no frost, but the cold wind was still blowing from the north. It was particularly quiet on the Lammas Lands, with a distinct lack of Snipe around – perhaps the recent freeze had moved them off? Despite this, I persisted with my thermal imaging camera – and eventually picked up a subtle heat signal that piqued my interest.

Closer investigation revealed it to be a prize I've long yearned for here – an approachable crouching Jack Snipe. I went on to enjoy a simply splendid 10 minutes observing this brilliant, elusive species. I've been trying to find a photographable one with the thermal for a couple of years now and have never got this close before, so it was a special encounter.

Jack Snipe.

One or two winter on the Lammas Lands but they're very hard to see, even if you go for a stomp. Having soaked in memorable views, I left the bird in peace and headed home.

Noisy pre-roost gatherings of corvids and Redwings were the main feature of a late afternoon walk along the Wey at Eashing, where Reed Bunting (rarely encountered along the river here, with no records in 2023), three Mandarin and four Red-legged Partridges were of note.

Saturday 13th

It was another cold morning with leaden grey skies, as I plumped for my first Weald wander of the year. I started at The Hurtwood and ended up having a thoroughly enjoyable hour and a half on site, mainly studying the mega Lesser Redpoll flock that I'd first noted on 1 December (my last visit here). Again, there were at least 150 birds today, but they proved mobile across Holloways Heath and hard to observe.

Lesser Redpolls, Goldfinches and Siskins.

Despite that I was able to pick out a spanking Mealy Redpoll – a fine, frosty individual, that performed well for a few minutes before vanishing. The mini-influx of this species into England has really flown under the radar this winter (probably because of their niche-ness and the Waxwings!). I love redpolls, though, and can't get enough of them. Jeremy trapped and ringed one at Crooksbury Common later this morning too – amazingly the fourth record of the winter in south-west Surrey.

Mealy Redpoll.

A Woodcock inadvertently flushed from an area of young conifers was very cool, too, and its noisy take-off put up the entire redpoll flock – quite a spectacle. Other bits included 30 or so Siskins and six Bullfinches.

I then dropped down Breakneck Hill and onto the farmland between Loxhill and Hambledon. Some 11 Yellowhammers were nice to see around the same cover crop as on 1 December, and a couple of Reed Buntings were also about. It was otherwise wintry and quiet, though 30 Linnets were seen and a Marsh Tit called in Spring Copse.

Markwick Farm.

In the early afternoon I stuck my head in at Loseley while passing. There were no Lapwings today, but six Teal on the flood were a bit whacky and a site first for me.

Sunday 14th

Like yesterday, it was grey and cold, though a fraction milder and with a light haze hanging in the air. I walked Shackleford and things were a little livelier than most of my visits this winter. 

Easily the most notable observation was that of a Barn Owl, which I accidentally flushed from presumed roost in a tree. It took off, swiftly mobbed by Magpies, before dropping back into cover in the distance.

Barn Owl.

It's amazing how hard to see Barn Owl is locally. Last year I had one record in the entirety of south-west Surrey! Shackleford seems like the type of place that should produce at least semi-regular sightings at dawn or dusk, especially given how often I visit, but it just isn't the case …

A pair of Peregrines also provided entertainment. I strongly suspect this is the same pair that appeared locally last winter/spring, before half-heartedly attempting to nest at a site near Godalming. Hopefully they will succeed this year. Certainly the male was acting fiercely territorial, chasing off a Kestrel at one point.

Peregrines.

Other bits of note included a Coal Tit (only my ninth site record!), an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull south (scarce locally in the winter and my first of 2024), 38 Skylarks, five Reed Buntings, two Stonechats and some Teal on the reedy pond. Fieldfare numbers were still high (200 or more), but seed-eater numbers remained low.

Later in the morning I was able to combine a run with connecting with a drake Pochard at the newly topped up Hammer Pond at Thursley Common, which was found yesterday by Abel. Scarce anywhere away from Frensham or Enton in south-west Surrey, Pochard has become a mega at Thursley after small wintering flocks at Hammer Pond and Moat Pond fizzled out in the 1990s and 2000s. In fact, there had only been one record during the last decade, so it was a nice one to add to my Thursley list (number 143)!

Mobile phone Pochard photo!

A Kingfisher was heard at Silkmill Pond, too.

Monday 15th

Towards the end of a bright, chilly day with a seriously cold northerly wind, I walked along the Wey at Eashing. Having noted a Reed Bunting on Friday in the Eashing Marsh reedbed I was surprised to locate at minimum of eight today. An undetected roost right under my nose, perhaps? Whatever the case, it was my highest 1-km count to date, and I spent some time admiring them – I do love buntings.

Reed Buntings.

A calling Marsh Tit and flyover Sparrowhawk were also noted.

Tuesday 16th

No birding.

Wednesday 17th

After a busy two days of meetings, I had time to be given a binocular-less, late afternoon whistle-stop tour of Josh's south Lincolnshire fenland patch en route to Peterborough station. 

An utterly different world to south-west Surrey, the flat, open landscapes yielded tens of Whooper Swans and hundreds of wildfowl (including 50 or so Pintail at Deeping High Bank, five Red-crested Pochard at Baston Gravel Pits and 20 Goosander on the River Welland), plus Great Egrets and Marsh Harriers, thousands of Lapwings, and so on … 

Baston Gravel Pits.

A new year begins

We're 10 days into 2024 and, so far, a range of winter weather has been experienced. This has included wet and mild conditions that led to flooding locally, before a cold snap – which looks like it may last a little while – set in. It's been a fairly slow start to the birding year for me personally, but nevertheless there's been plenty to see and enjoy.

Cormorants.

Monday 1st

No birding.

Tuesday 2nd

No birding.

Wednesday 3rd

I dipped my toe into the 2024 birding water today with a short walk along the Wey at Eashing before work. Following the relentless rain of late, and Storm Henk's arrival yesterday, parts of the river had topped and there was plenty of standing water.

Wey at Eashing.

A Brambling over Rush Corner with Chaffinches was quite the surprise, given the poor winter for the species in southern England. Indeed, it was my first record locally since mid-November. The farmland in the Eashing area does seem to attract this species however ...

It was otherwise quiet, although excellent counts of Mandarin (51; a personal high for me in the Eashing area) and Siskin (at least 100) were achieved.

Thursday 4th

A short walk of the southern end of Witley Common in bright, pleasant conditions was quiet and failed to produce many redpolls, with only five or so Lesser Redpolls seen. A couple of Dartford Warblers were calling from the newly cleared areas of heath, too.

Witley Common.

Friday 5th

For the second time in as many months the only way was Essex for me today, this morning to the estuarine village of Heybridge, where Britain's eighth Northern Waterthrush had ludicrously been found in a garden on Wednesday. The bird had now relocated to a nearby creek and, after a lengthy wait, I eventually connected. There was no chance for photos, so one at a Mexican sewage works last year will have to do …

A previous Northern Waterthrush ...

During the four and a bit hour stakeout, which was undertaken in grey, windy conditions, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff and, surprisingly, Yellowhammer, were noted.

Saturday 6th

Continued recent rain meant much of the Wey was unwalkable today, with large areas of flooding scuppering my plans of a river walk. Shackleford was chosen as plan B and the site's quiet winter meant my low-key start to local birding this year continued. 

As with my last visit here on 17 December, Fieldfare numbers were impressive, and included a feeding flock of 200 or so in the easternmost field.

Seed-eaters however are thin on the ground at Shackleford this winter and I managed a paltry 20 Linnets amid few finches in general. Also noted was a single Raven that flew west, two Red-legged Partridges and four Stonechats.

Kestrel, Rook and Starlings.

I checked the floods at Wrecclesham afterwards where, as expected, plenty of Wigeon were knocking about – that scarce south-west Surrey species that is only reliably found here after heavy rain. I estimated at least 40. A single Tufted Duck was a surprise and doubtless flood-related, too.

Wigeon.

It had brightened up a bit by mid-afternoon, with a chilly northerly breeze in place. A pleasant, relaxed winter walk around Chiddingfold Forest sprung into life near The Meadow, Oldlands, when a couple of birds in a small flock of Lesser Redpolls (approximately 15) caught my eye.

After some patient observation and photography work, I eventually nailed at least two Mealy Redpolls – a real result! Both birds were particularly pale and stood out thus. There may even have been a third … I wonder how many Mealies are at large in rural Surrey at the moment during this mini-influx? Hopefully a few more, as I'm a bit obsessed with redpolls!

Mealy Redpolls.

A single Marsh Tit was also noted.

Chiddingfold Forest.

Sunday 7th

I was able to undertake my river walk today, with the floods receding enough for my route to be passable. That said, there were plenty of stretches where it was hard to separate path from river, and the water levels in some areas were extraordinarily high.

I began on the Lammas Lands and one of the first birds I clocked was an adult male Peregrine over Overgone Meadow. It disappeared towards Frith Hill, chasing Feral Pigeons, and I suspect it's the bird from the pair that loitered in the Godalming area last winter and spring (but sadly didn't breed).

At least 20 Snipe were mostly on Catteshall Meadow and likely involved birds flooded out from elsewhere. I'm sure there would've been a Jack or two lurking, but I didn't want to disturb them more than they already had been by the high water levels. 

A flock of 70 Siskins patrolled riverside alders, a single Reed Bunting was heard and, in a lovely gesture to spring, a female Sparrowhawk display-flighted.

Lammas Lands.

It was then onto Unstead Water Meadows, for the perennial let down. During times of flood this site looks rare as hell but rarely produces – and today was no different. A Snipe flushed from the either underwater or very muddy towpath was novel, but other highlights were limited to singles of Little Egret and Lesser Redpoll and a few Siskins.

I continued on, along the Peasmarsh stretch and to Shalford Water Meadows. Here, Broadford Meadows (the area south of Broadford Bridge) was largely under water – something I've not seen before. 

Shalford Water Meadows.

A few geese and gulls had gathered here, as well as a tidy reward for my long walk: a pair of Wigeon. As cited many times on this blog, this is a true south-west Surrey scarcity, especially away from Wrecclesham. Last year, I had only two records! 

Wigeon.

A Gadwall pair were also of note and a single Little Egret was present.

Monday 8th

No birding

Tuesday 9th

A bitterly cold north-easterly wind was in situ during my first trip to Frensham Great Pond for three weeks – a pre-empter of the forecasted chilly period coming up. Two Gadwall along the east side were a surprise and my first here since April. This species is curiously scarce at Frensham … 28 Pochard were totted up as well, but it was generally quiet.

Pochard.

While running lunchtime errands in Godalming I had a quick look at the fields at Loseley – and was very pleased to see some Lapwings. Not just two, or three, but a fine flock of 32. Depressingly, this is the largest gathering I've encountered in south-west Surrey since February 2021 (during a big freeze). 

Lapwings.

Some 16 Egyptian Geese marked a high count, too.

Wednesday 10th

It was another freezing cold morning, this time with a hard frost after a clear night. I decided to visit Snowdenham Mill Pond before work, noting two low-flying Ravens over Eashing Farm en route.

At the pond, I was surprised to see it had already frozen over by about two-thirds (this site is usually one of the last to go locally during a cold spell). Wildfowl numbers, as they have been all winter here, were fairly low, and included 10 Teal, 15 Mandarin and a single drake Gadwall. 

Snowdenham Mill Pond.

It's crazy to think that in January 2016 I reached a count of 116 Teal here, on a day with double-figure flocks of other species also logged, including Tufted Duck (now rarely present at all). Not much seems to have changed, though I know the local gamekeeper no longer puts food down for wildfowl.

Despite these reminisces and the chilly temperature l I was pleased to note both my first drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and display-flighting Stock Dove of the year, which both seemed rather enthusiastic given the conditions!