Proper winter

The last fortnight has been lovely and wintry. It's the first December in years that's produced properly 'old-school' winter weather, with consecutive days of hard frost and temperatures below zero. Being outdoors has been enjoyable as a result, and while it may not have produced the hard weather movements and influxes that were perhaps anticipated, it's still been good fun.

Drake Goldeneye.

Thursday 1st

No birding.

Friday 2nd

After a busy week it was nice to get out his morning, with the fog holding off as well. Upon my arrival at Frensham Great Pond one of the first things I picked up was two Brent Geese in the north-east corner. The birds – both adults – seemed settled. However, a few swimmers appeared and, inevitably, the birds spooked and took of west.

Brent Geese.

Only the second south-west Surrey record of the year, apparently they were not present at first light (per Shaun) and had presumably dropped in, doubtless due to the easterlies and relative murk. A pleasing encounter, though it was a shame they didn't stick for others.

Brent Geese.

I totted up 10 Pochard – my highest local count of the second winter period – but there wasn't much else of note in the wildfowl department. The Cetti's Warbler called from the south-east reedbed as well.

A mid-afternoon walk around Thursley was very quiet, with a couple of Lesser Redpolls highlighting.

Saturday 3rd

It felt wintry at Shackleford this morning, with a chilly breeze and dull, grey skies. Decent numbers of birds were in the fields, including an impressive 250 Fieldfares. A minimum of 100 Skylarks were also present, along with 180 Redwings, 160 Starlings and 11 Lapwings. The wintering Dartford Warbler duo were near Chalk Lane as well.

Dartford Warbler.

I elongated my walk home to incorporate a couple of 1 km sites. Things were generally quiet, but a tremendous surprise was to be had Eashing Farm reservoir: a stunning drake Goldeneye! It was a seriously incongruous sight as it swam about on this tiny water body.

Goldeneye.

Unfortunately, the local status of Goldeneye is blurred by some nearby escapes last year, so the origin of this bird is unknown. It was very skittish, though (eventually departing high east), and arrived on a day of cold, northerly winds. Who knows …

Sunday 4th

A quick morning check of Eashing Farm confirmed that the Goldeneye hadn't returned. The two Little Grebes were still on the reservoir but, best of all, an adult Lapwing was in Game Field. Another new Eashing bird for me (and number 108 for 2022), I suspect this species may become more evident in the coming weeks if the cold forecast comes off …

Lapwing.

Monday 5th

No birding.

Tuesday 6th

The Eashing Fields Linnet flock was up to 120 (or more) this morning – a lovely sight. Some late, light northerly Woodpigeon movement was taking place as well, with at least 400 counted.

Wednesday 7th

It looks like it could be another poor winter for Snipe on the Lammas Lands, with only 11 detected in the relatively sparse areas of suitable habitat on Catteshall Meadow this morning. Other bits of note included a Chiffchaff, two Lesser Redpolls, a Little Egret and 25 Linnets from roost.

At dusk, a Little Owl and two Tawny Owls were vocalising at Eashing Fields.

Thursday 8th

It was a beautiful, frosty morning at Frensham Great Pond, where a drake Goosander was 'snorkelling' for prey along the south side. Wildfowl numbers were still fairly low, though, with only seven Pochard present. Singles of Little Egret and Kingfisher were also seen.

Drake Goosander.

Friday 9th

Another bitterly cold morning produced a record of note in the 1-km: two adult Mute Swans on Eashing Farm reservoir, only my second Eashing record of the year. There was no sign of the Little Grebes.

Eashing Fields was quiet in the heavy frost, though 110 Linnets and 90 Goldfinches were in Top Field.

Saturday 10th

Snowdenham Mill Pond is usually one of the last local waterbodies to freeze over so I headed there this morning, which was as beautiful as it was cold – sunny, frosty landscapes with the temperature -6°C when I set out. En route I had to stop at Allden's Hill to take in the view, which was spectacular as expected. A group of 11 Cormorants and 20 Common Gulls drifted west too.

Cormorants over Allden's Hill.

The pond was 90% frozen so there wasn't much doing, with a handful of Shoveler, Teal and Mandarin huddled on the sliver of open water at the south end. 

I popped into Broadwater afterwards – it too was largely frozen, though the Great Crested Grebe pair were hanging on.

Upon my return home I opted for a walk along the Wey and was rewarded with a Teal on the river at Sandy Bends – very much a sign of displacement and only my third 1-km record this year. It was otherwise quiet, but the wintry scenery made up for that.

Later in the morning, a Little Egret on the pool out the back of our garden was a welcome and unexpected garden tick.

Little Egret.

Sunday 11th

No birding.

Monday 12th

No birding.

Tuesday 13th

It was still bitterly cold this morning – the temperature sitting at -5°C when I left the house – following two days of continued freezing conditions. With the day off, I headed to Tuesley first, where a surprise drake Gadwall was with a small group of Mallards – my first record here. Six Pochard were very much of note as well.

Gadwall.

I visited Shackleford next, which appeared to be an icy wasteland upon an initial scan. A chilly hour around the fields revealed signs of life, however, including a fantastic flock of 200 or more Skylarks. Some 120 Pied Wagtails was an unusual count as well, but signs of cold weather movement were restricted to three Lapwings in the alfalfa and a steady westerly passage of Stock Doves. 

Shackleford.

Next up was a coffee and sky-watch from Puttenham Common, though there was little of note aside more Stock Doves on the move and two vocal Dartford Warblers just south of my viewpoint.

Chilly, and with little evidence of cold weather movement, I headed home, opting to walk back via Eashing Fields. This proved worth it! It too seemed quiet initially, but I was pleased to pick up a Lapwing drifting north-east over The Meadow – my first at this site and only my second in the 1-km, following the bird at Eashing Farm on 4th.

Lapwing.

Better was to come shortly after, though, as I picked up a Snipe darting around. A whacky sighting, this was also a site first (and surprisingly only my second in the Eashing area this year) and clearly a bird frozen out of a more typical haunt. It eventually dropped down towards the river. 

A crazy 10-minute spell was wrapped up when a male Peregrine dashed east, to the south – the third Eashing Fields tick of the session! I suspect this might be the bird wintering in the Godalming area at present.

Peregrine.

Very satisfied with this 1-km haul, I was ready to descend home when the icing on the cake flew low east over Top Field: a vocal Hawfinch. This individual adds to the bafflingly bumper second winter period this species is having locally. Incredibly, it's my third in the Eashing area this year.

Hawfinch and Stonechat.

A Lapwing was seen looking out of place on a front lawn in Eashing late afternoon.

Wednesday 14th

A pre-work walk along the Wey this morning turned into an epic 1-km session, with surprises seemingly every few hundred metres. It began well, with the male Peregrine dashing over Lower Eashing Meadows.

This was followed by two Mute Swans on the river near Eashing Bridge – presumably the birds that were recently at Eashing Farm reservoir. A little further upriver was an unexpected Little Grebe, and then the first of three Snipe flushed from the riverbank. Three new species for me along the Wey here in the space of 10 minutes!

Mute Swans.

Continuing north, I picked up a flock of 17 Lapwings going high north-east – yet another river tick. Five Cormorants were a notable count for the area, and plenty of Stock Doves were in evidence again. Upon getting to Eashing Marsh, a Little Egret flew out from a ditch, followed by a lump of a Woodcock that crashed out from beneath my feet.

Lapwings.

This was a hugely satisfying walk now, all just several hundred metres from home. I didn't think it'd get any better, but it did – to my great surprise, the next bird flushed was a Jack Snipe! There is very little suitable snipe habitat along this stretch of the Wey and this was a blockbuster record – seemingly the first for the Eashing area, too. Fantastic stuff.

By now I was racing to get back to work, but I still managed to add my third 1-km Water Rail of the year, helping me reach a species total of 48 this morning. Patch-birding at its very best!

Later in the day, a group of eight Lapwings flew north over Eashing Fields.