Summer loving

The weekend just gone was the first relatively free one I’ve had for several weeks. As a result, I decided to give the patch a bit of TLC, it in return providing me with a year tick and several noteworthy breeding records. 

June rarely delivers a new bird for the year but, having not been able to get out on Thorncombe Street as much as normal during May, Common Tern still evaded the 2019 list. Since Matt had the area’s first in 2015 the species has increased, averaging roughly four a year, and with Tuesley Farm reservoir holding a veritable colony these days I wasn’t surprised to see one drifting west over Allden’s Hill on Saturday morning.

Common Tern, Allden's Hill, 8/6/2019.

Birds from Tuesley occasionally visit Snowdenham Mill Pond and Bramley Park Lake to fish, but more often cruise back and forth as they collect food from the fisheries near Cranleigh. In a blustery and wet south-westerly, akin to ideal patch wader conditions in late summer/early autumn, I lacked motivation to comb the patch too thoroughly, instead saving my energies for Sunday morning.

By then, it seemed we’d moved on from late summer conditions to something from mid-November, with damp grass and heavy fog over the ‘Cranleigh Plain’ between my bit and Winterfold. It didn’t linger long, mind, and I was eventually able to enjoy a pleasing haul of breeding species. Siskins have been loitering around Hascombe Hill all spring and a flyover at New Barn was a good sign, as was at least five Skylark nests at Tilsey Farm. This species was a scarce visitor as recently as 2016, but two summers of late hay cutting at Tilsey – a site that has zero disturbance from dogs – has worked wonders.

Spotted Flycatcher, Selhurst Common, 9/6/2019.

Also in the lark department, probably the most impressive breeding record this year is that of a pair of Woodlarks. The pair set up shop a while ago and on Sunday both were carrying food around, with fledged young presumably tucked away. The nearest population is probably Blackheath or Winterfold, so this is quite a record, and comes after a male held territory nearby last summer. The first Spotted Flycatcher pair seem to be contentedly nesting, with a male taking food in to a presumably sitting female at Selhurst Common.

Marsh Tit has been a real success story during the last year, and I was quite amazed to log at least seven birds in the southern section. This species is low-key in summer, but after stumbling across a family party on Juniper Hill, I then had food-carrying adults and/or fledglings at three other spots. Add in the usual birds at Winkworth, and the various territories I’ve yet to check in the central and east sections, then it’s been another fantastic breeding season.

Marsh Tit, Juniper Hill, 9/6/2019.

On a personal note, the best breeding outcome so far is that of a/one of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker pairs – last weekend I had at least one fledgling and an adult not far from a usual site. It seems to have been an extremely positive year for this species in South-West Surrey – I know of at least six drumming males in spring, and one other site where chicks (four) have successfully fledged this month.