Good old August

I've lost count of how many times I've waxed lyrical about the month of August for patch-birding, both on this blog and elsewhere. But there's good reason for it – it's a lovely time to be in the field. The weather is invariable nice and summer-like, but migration is well underway and there are often a few surprises to be enjoyed, as has been the case during the last week.

Lapwings at Thursley Common at dawn.

Thursday 11th

It was warm early on at Puttenham Common and Cutt Mill, where I managed a decent 42 species. The highlight was no fewer than three Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers – one near the middle car park and an adult and juvenile in a mixed species flock south of Hillbury. Perhaps part of a family party ... An adult and juvenile Spotted Flycatcher were in the same flock.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Spotted Flycatcher.

Other bits included five Tree Pipits, two Redstarts, three Woodlarks and a Willow Warbler, while four Kingfishers and five Mandarin were around the ponds.

Friday 12th

Another warm, pleasant morning. At Unstead Water Meadows three Lapwings were a real surprise in a recently cut meadow at Upper Unstead Farm. Surprisingly rare here, presumably they'd been displaced by the drought. Three Sedge Warblers, including a juvenile, were nice to see near Bunkers Hill Farm and a Willow Warbler was in a mixed flock.

Sedge Warblers and Lapwing.

Popping into Secrett's Farm Shop on the way home produced another unexpected sighting: a Reed Warbler picking about in a willow by the small ornamental pond. I love incongruous sightings like this, which are typical of August. A juvenile Willow Warbler was also a surprise, but it was overshadowed on this occasion. And neither eclipse my best-ever bird here – a female Wigeon back in January 2015!

Willow and Reed Warblers.

Heading back through Eashing Fields – by which point it was hot – produced my third Willow Warbler of the morning, subsinging quietly near Eashing Lane.

Saturday 13th

A big early morning walk around Thursley was enjoyable, with 49 species logged. The best bird was a female-type Yellowhammer than flew in from the south and landed north-west of Spur Wood – only the second site record of the year and, nowadays, of note anywhere in the Godalming area.

Yellowhammer.

Singles of Whinchat and Wheatear were signs of migration, along with a good number of Willow Warblers. Two Spotted Flycatchers were seen, as well as two each of Lapwing and Water Rail, a Snipe and a Kingfisher.

Whinchat, Wheatear and Snipe.

Sunday 14th

It's rare that you go birding with a specific rare species in mind and your plan of finding one actually pays off, but that was the case this morning at Hindhead Common. A couple of hours carefully sifting through the mixed species flocks in the Devil's Punch Bowl was enjoyable, with a couple of Spotted Flycatchers, a few Marsh Tits and Redstarts and a Tree Pipit of note – but no Pied Flycatcher.

I was heading back and had reached the top of Sugar Loaf Hill when I spotted a bird flying into a pine. It eventually came closer, revealing itself as a smart female-type Pied Flycatcher. It hung around for a while before vanishing, although a few folks later connected with it. Upon analysing my photos, the tertials, median covert bar and moult limit in the coverts suggest it's a first-winter.

Pied Flycatcher.

A notable influx of Pied Flycatcher into England (amazingly for the third August out of the past four years) began on Friday with the easterlies just right. I've always thought Hindhead looks good for them and it was very satisfying that this played out today – reminiscent of a trip to Chiddingfold Forest almost exactly two years ago. It also represented a fine addition to my local year list, which is now up to 144.

It was hot and muggy by the time I did a late afternoon walk around Eashing Fields. It was quiet as a result, with only 12 species noted, but one of them was a Whinchat – a 1 km tick for me and a species I'd earmarked for this site since I first visited in January. A satisfying Sunday.

Whinchat.

Monday 15th

I walked along the river this morning, starting at the Lammas Lands where a Wheatear was one of the first birds noted at Catteshall Meadow. As far as I can tell this is the first site record! 

Wheatear.

Other notable bits included only my second Lammas Lands sightings of Willow Warbler (foraging along Hell Ditch) and Raven (high overhead). A juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull flew low south-west – perhaps it was born in Farncombe?

The Eashing stretch was quieter, with two Marsh Tits by Eashing Marsh and a Firecrest near Hurtmore Bottom. 

Late at night a wildlife audio recorder I'm reviewing for the magazine picked up a Common Sandpiper going over the garden – a cool record. A Tawny Owl was also logged and the now regular Hedgehog family were also picked up.

Tuesday 16th

I popped up to Eashing Fields on my lunchbreak after a morning of rain (remember that stuff?). Presumably the same Whinchat as Sunday was still present, along with my first Reed Bunting here since the end of March.

Whinchat.

Wednesday 17th

No birding.