Migration in motion

March has come and gone, this year complete with a mixed bag of weather that ended this last week with plenty of rain and wind. While classic early spring-like days have been limited, migration is well underway now – and in several weeks it'll all be over, so it's important to enjoy it while it's in motion. Thankfully I've had plenty of time to do so these past seven days.

Kittiwake at Frensham. An early contender for local bird of the spring.

Saturday 25th

Some 47 species wasn't a bad haul on the Lammas Lands this morning, at least given the grey, blustery weather, but it was a steady session at best. A calling Blackcap at Overgone Meadow was a rather inauspicious way to record my first of the year, and one of the wintering Dartford Warblers – a female – was still about. Other bits included four each of Stonechat and Reed Bunting, two Little Egrets and seven Snipe.

I walked on to Unstead Water Meadows which were similarly quiet, with Raven, Siskin, two Kingfishers and two Reed Buntings the best.

I ended my morning stroll at Unstead SF, where Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, two Teal and four Reed Buntings were the highlights. The biggest avian change here since I stopped regularly birding the site is the presence of breeding Black-headed Gulls, and it was nice to see several occupied rafts in the Lagoons.

Black-headed Gulls and Tufted Duck.

I bumped into Janet who showed me some of the recent restoration work that's taken place across the site – it'll be interesting to see what the new South Meadow scrape pulls in this spring. 

South Meadow, Unstead SF.

Sunday 26th

After the run of windy westerlies, an overnight switch to a gentle northerly and rain always threatened to deliver – and it did. I headed to Tuesley early on, where five Sand Martins through were looking like the highlight of my stakeout. However, not long after contemplating heading home, I heard a Golden Plover calling overhead. I got on it – it was very high – as it powered south-east. Always a good bird locally, this was my first GP at Tuesley sine the mid-2000s, when I'd often see the famous wintering flock on the journey to school … 

Not long after, a Dunlin appeared from the east, circled twice then disappeared again. Suddenly my rainy vigil had produced two local goodies – and buoyed by this I decided to check out Frensham afterwards.

Arriving at the Great Pond, almost the first bird I saw through my bins was a Kittiwake. Mega! Minor panic mode ensued, as I presumed it had dropped in and be gone anytime soon. As it happened the bird – an adult still in largely winter plumage – had no intentions of moving. In fact, I wondered if it was unwell, but upon getting 'scope views it was clearly alert and feeding actively to boot, in constant phalarope style.

Kittiwake.

Dave soon arrived and we ended up having an hour or so of lovely – albeit distant – views of this south-west Surrey rarity. Even a veritable regatta didn't perturb the bird. It was only later that I appreciated the true status of Kittiwake in south-west Surrey, with this only the fourth record in the last two decades (the last being one I had over Thorncombe Street in 2017) and the first at Frensham since 2002!

Other bits included my first Common Gull for seven days – and quite possibly my last of the winter locally – as well as two Ravens and 40 Sand Martins.

Raven.

Monday 27th

I went looking for Yellowhammer on Witley Common this morning – and drew a rather ominous blank (as did Ray B last week). The future of this species on the south-west Surrey heaths looks bleak indeed (see here). Bits of note during a calm, bright session included Firecrest, two Siskins, two Woodlarks, five Chiffchaffs and a drake Mandarin.

The time of year and wind (north-westerly) enticed me up to Eashing Fields late morning, with Mipits on my mind. Any long-time reader of this blog will know Meadow Pipit is a favourite of mine – especially watching them bound north on late March days – so it was great fun tallying up 142 in an hour-long watch under bright skies. 

Eashing Fields.

Loads of raptors (20 Buzzards and six Red Kites) were up as well, with a high-flying Siskin a notable vis-mig record in the context of this past winter.

Enthused by the extra evening daylight, I plumped for a long walk along the Wey after work. The Eashing stretch was quiet, though two pairs of Teal in and around Milton Pool were very much of note. I rather skirted the Lammas Lands, noting only a Little Egret at Overgone Meadow.

There were a few small floods at Unstead Water Meadows, which you don't usually get at this time of year. Several geese and a flock of Black-headed Gulls were the best they had attracted, but a surprise came on the Wey itself – a drake Tufted Duck, presumably 'Mark'.

Tufted Duck.

Another wondrous wildfowl was to be had in the Peasmarsh meadows north of Trunley Heath Road, in the form of a cracking Barnacle Goose. Found by Janet at Unstead SF earlier today, it was firmly on my radar during this walk so I was pleased to see it. These Category C delights are never easy locally!

Barnacle Goose.

I then finished up with a little session at Unstead SF, where I could still see the Barnacle Goose out beyond Flooded Field, which held no fewer than nine Snipe. A Cetti's Warbler was in song near the Lagoons too. In all, some 9 km walked after work and a few decent birds to go with it.

Snipe.

Tuesday 28th

A quick lunchbreak skywatch at Eashing Fields, in a breezy southerly following a morning of rain, produced more Meadow Pipits heading north-west (though nothing like as many as yesterday), a trickle of large gulls north and two Sand Martins powering east.

Sand Martin.

Wednesday 29th

A grey, gloomy morning walk around Thursley was quiet – this site still doesn't feel like it's got into gear this year. Two male Curlews were around Pudmore/Elstead Common (meaning three birds must be about, for now at least), along with two Water Rails. A Lesser Redpoll over Shrike Hill was, incredibly, only my second record of the year. It felt like there had been a fall of Chiffchaffs too, with at least 10 in song.

By late morning it was mild and drizzly. No fewer than 17 Sand Martins pushed through Eashing Farm during a short watch – what a start to spring it's been for them. A resplendent Swallow was with one group too. Around 40 Linnets and six Skylarks were in the fields. 

Down by the river afterwards, I finally heard my first singing Blackcap of the year, in the alder carr at Greenways Farm. A Siskin was calling a little further upriver too.

Thursday 30th

After speculating last Friday that the Corn Buntings had left Shackleford, I was very surprised to see one still around this morning – nearly two weeks after the last report. I'm sure they will depart eventually, but it's interesting that one or more are still around despite the dissipation of winter flocks of Skylarks, Linnets and Reed Buntings.

Corn Bunting.

Indeed, I didn't note a single Reed Bunting today, with other highlights restricted to two Sand Martins north (always good at Shackleford), a Raven west, two singing Blackcaps and 75 or so Linnets.

A mood swing of a day brightened up around lunch, so I headed to Thursley for a windy walk. As soon as I arrived a squally shower passed through, but thankfully the sun was out again shortly after (with a couple of Brimstones to boot). I paused briefly on Shrike Hill and was soon counting myself lucky to stop there, as an Osprey appeared high overhead.

Osprey.

The bird lazily drifted north, circling a few times over Pudmore, before I lost it in the distance. Thursley is good to me when it comes to Ospreys – this is my sixth here in the last three years. 

Other bits of note included two Ravens north-east and a Redpoll over South Bog

Friday 31st

No birding.