Revisiting winter

After the warmth of Mexico, it's been back to the British winter for the last week of February. The weather has been cold, grey and not at all spring-like, quite unlike recent Februarys which have often felt more like March. This is no bad thing – spring often feels like it starts too early these days – but I do look forward to warmer temperatures and that feeling of migration anticipation …

Firecrest.

Tuesday 21st

No birding.

Wednesday 22nd

A return to local birding this morning was fittingly grey, cold and murky, but I still had a decent walk along the Wey at Eashing. The highlights were a (or the) Woodcock flushed at Eashing Marsh and a minimum of 120 Chaffinches up at A3 Fields, where three Skylarks and two Red-legged Partridges were also present.

Thursday 23rd

I don't see Gadwall at Frensham Great Pond very often, so a pair on the south side this morning – which again was grey and murky – were welcome. Aythya numbers were up since I was last here, too, with counts of 17 Pochard (my highest at Frensham all winter) and 60 Tufted Duck.

Pochard.

Friday 24th

It was colder this morning, with a touch of frost, but still grey and cloudy. Despite this I ended up having a fun morning, starting at Thursley where five Stonechats were suggestive of birds newly in or, more likely, on the move. The late February/early March passage of this species is one of the first proper signs of spring locally.

A Water Rail was calling on Ockley and a Reed Bunting was in song but it was otherwise quiet. The Forked Pond area was livelier, with a Great Crested Grebe pair and Kingfisher both indicative of warmer times. Two Little Egrets and seven Mandarin were noted here too.

Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret and Greylag Goose.

I walked onto Rodborough Common, where I was treated to a real surprise – a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. It was hardly the morning for it and I've not had this species here before, so I felt most fortunate. I didn't see or hear any other woodpecker species all morning!

Next up was Enton Lakes, where a locally decent selection of wildfowl included a Gadwall pair, a drake Pochard and a female Goldeneye (presumably one of the feral birds). Three Water Rails were at the north end of Johnson's and a Great Crested Grebe pair were engaging in full display.

Goldeneye.

I headed home via Eashing Fields, where three Stonechats were significant. This species has been virtually absent in the Eashing area this winter – indeed, one of the males showed enough white in the collar and wing to be considered a continental rubicola candidate.

At lunch I met Abel for a short walk along the Wey at Eashing. A male Marsh Tit was in song, a Water Rail was at Eashing Marsh and a large male Sparrowhawk flew over.

Marsh Tit.

Saturday 25th

A cold north-easterly that seems to be in place for a few days was blowing through Shackleford this morning, where the birding was quiet. I didn't see the Corn Buntings (though I'm sure they're still here), but did note six Stonechats, two Red-legged Partridges and 18 Reed Buntings.

Sunday 26th

A bright, frosty morning with a biting wind saw me check a few waterbodies, partially due to missing the February WeBS date last weekend. I started at Eashing Farm, where I was pleased to see a second-year Mute Swan on the reservoir: Eashing 1-km year tick number 75. Three Skylarks and a Reed Bunting were around the freshly ploughed fields.

Mute Swan.

I then visited Tuesley, where the presence on the rafts of a few Black-headed Gulls sporting dark chocolate brown hoods was a very welcome sign of the pending seasonal shift. A Green Sandpiper flew through and seven Cormorants – uncommon here – dropped in.

It was then on to the Bramley waters, where Snowdenham Hill Pond hosted two Mandarin and nine Tufted Duck. The ever-reliable Firecrest was the highlight at Bramley Park Lake.

Firecrest.

Later in the day I was down in Sussex for some book work with Matt. We found time to do some birding in his own recently adopted 1-km patch, which includes Waltham Brooks (one of my favourite sites in Sussex). It's a different world to my 1-km – or indeed anywhere in south-west Surrey! – and an hour's walk produced Water Pipit, two Marsh Harriers, a range of wildfowl including three Shelduck and eight Pintail, 20 Chiffchaffs and two released White-tailed Eagles!  

Monday 27th

No birding.

Tuesday 28th

Some 60 or so restless Redwings were gathered around Eashing Fields at the end of the day, which had been cold, grey and windy. It was hardly departure conditions – perhaps their chattery angst was related to their migration delay, as opposed to anticipation ahead of a night flight.