April, is that you?

The Aprils of 2020, 2021 and 2022 were dominated by north-easterly airflows, with frequent clear skies and cold mornings. This resulted in slow birding for many British patch-watchers in those years, myself included. As a result, the 'normal' early April conditions this year have felt almost unfamiliar – but have been most welcome, producing some decent field sessions, as the mixed bag of weather saw the good form of late March continue in south-west Surrey.

Drake Garganey.

Saturday 1st

My earliest ever Common Tern was the highlight of a wet trip to Tuesley this morning, as April got off to a soggy start.

The incessant rain of late led me to then work the Wey valley from Peasmarsh to home. There were some serious floods around Unstead Water Meadows, with four Shoveler and two Teal drawn in, along with the usual common wildfowl and gulls. Reed Bunting and Blackcap were in song too. 

Shoveler.

A short diversion to Broadwater Lake produced a further four Shoveler – rare here and a site first for me.

Shoveler.

Water levels were really high along the Eashing stretch, where a small fall of Chiffchaffs had occurred – I counted at least 15 between Eashing Marsh and Eashing Bridge. Four Blackcaps also hinted at new arrivals, with other bits of note a Mute Swan low downriver and a Marsh Tit.

Sunday 2nd

The Wey was still high during a grey, chilly late morning walk in my Eashing 1-km. Warbler numbers were down on yesterday, with nine Mandarin, Red-legged Partridge and Siskin highlighting.

Mandarin and Greylag Goose.

By the time of a casual walk around Hambledon Common late afternoon, warm sunshine was beaming down. A Comma and a few Brimstones were on the wing, while a minimum of 22 Buzzards were up, many performing their tumbling display.

Monday 3rd

No birding.

Tuesday 4th

It was warm enough to work in the garden this afternoon, with the sunshine luring out an early male Orange-tip. A Peacock and plenty of Brimstones were also noted and a bird list of 33 included Raven.

After work I popped up to Eashing Farm. It was sunny and generally quiet, though a fetching male Wheatear in Game Field was lovely to see.

Wheatear.

Wednesday 5th

I headed to Frensham Great Pond first thing, which was milder than the last two mornings – and with a gentle south-easterly airflow, it felt good. 

It didn't take much of a scan before I spotted a drake Garganey out in the middle – bingo! It got better, as it soon transpired there were four birds: a female and three drakes. They seemed content as I watched them for half an hour or so, and one of the drakes even spent a bit of time courting the female. 

Garganey.

One of my absolute favourite species, any encounter with Garganey is special, but when it's a local event it's even better. They really are quite rare in south-west Surrey, with this only the fifth record since 2010. These four come hot on the heels of a spring record I had at Tuesley last year – and with a similar, albeit smaller, influx of the species in England during the last two days.

After moving to the eastern reedbed, they eventually flew off west, perhaps aware of the increase in outdoor swimmers. Thankfully I was able to help Shaun get on them, who was on the other side of the pond. In a brief check I couldn't relocate the birds at the other end of the pond, nor the outlet pond, but did note three Gadwall, two Shoveler, six Sand Martins, a Water Rail and the Cetti's Warbler.

Shoveler.

Afterwards, I headed to Shackleford, where it felt most spring-like. Some 46 species was a decent haul and, while migration evidence was minimal, a pleasing selection of species included three Yellowhammers (will they stay and breed?), a Lapwing high south, a late Fieldfare, a Raven, at least 12 Skylarks in song and a Little Grebe on the farm pond.

Skylark, Yellowhammer and Fieldfare.

Two of the Corn Buntings were still around, too. While I'm sticking to my guns as to predicting these birds will move off soon, the behaviour this morning was intriguing. One bird – a male – was singing from various perches across the farm, undoubtedly encouraged by the mild conditions. Furthermore, he performed a short display flight to what's presumably a female. Are they paired up? Will they do the unthinkable and try to breed? Let's see …

Corn Buntings.

After such an enjoyable morning I was keen to head out after work, but wasn't sure where to go. So, when Graham messaged with news of a Black Redstart at Witley Farm, Brook, mid-afternoon, I figured I'd visit later on, albeit with limited hopes of the bird still being around.

As it happened, it was. I'm not overly keen on Witley Farm myself but one thing it does have is fence lines – lots of them, and the redstart (a female) was finding them most useful as a foraging perch. Black Red is a species I fancy to chance upon myself in a typical south-west Surrey year, but you never know (as a blank 2021 shows).

Black Redstart.

A singing Stonechat and a calling Firecrest were also noted.

Thursday 6th

The richest morning chorus of the spring so far was audible during a brief walk along the Wey, in cloudy, mild conditions. Birds of note were few, though my third Eashing area Little Egret of the year was at Rush Corner and both Raven and Swallow flew over Greenways.

A cursory look at the ponds while visiting Secretts Farm Shop mid-morning produced a Tufted Duck pair – a site rare!

Tufted Duck.

Friday 7th

I teamed up with Dave for a big session at Thursley this morning, which began chilly with a touch of frost. Pudmore's best offerings were singles of Snipe and Water Rail, plus the Curlew pair, as early light mist gradually burned off.

We soon heard a singing Redstart – a year first – and pinned the bird down in Spur Wood. Another was at Crossbill Corner. No fewer than four Willow Warblers were in song as well, as I rather belatedly added the species to my year list, following a relatively good run of passage records in south-west Surrey during the last fortnight. Another new species for 2023 was a Tree Pipit, which was performing display flights at the classic 'first bird back' site of Will Reeds. 

Redstart.

These very welcome summer visitors masked an otherwise quiet visit, which also included two Ravens over Shrike Hill. That said, Dartford Warbler and Stonechat activity seemed a little more pronounced following seemingly reduced numbers on the common so far this spring.

Reed Bunting and Treecreeper.

By early afternoon it was a gorgeous day, leading me to do a bit of gardening. There were heaps of raptors up, Raven and Lesser Black-backed Gull drifted over, three Swallows powered north and my first Holly Blue of the year was on the wing. 

Then, at 12:43, I picked up a Marsh Harrier moving fairly low north. It was steady in its flight, possibly tracking the Wey. Annoyingly I missed it with the camera – but what a garden record! And my second encounter with the species in the Eashing area since I moved here. Awesome – it is quite possible I won't see another locally this year.

Saturday 8th

Dense fog hung in the air this morning, due to the gentle south-easterly airflow, prompting a later start in the field. My plan for a big river walk was scuppered by the weather, so I trudged around the Lammas Lands with little expectation. A singing Willow Warbler (a decent LL bird) along the towpath at Catteshall Meadow was a nice surprise though – perhaps some bits had been grounded in the murk.

Upon approaching Plover Pool, a couple of Snipe flushed. It seemed there was nothing on the water – but then a duck took off. I got my bins on it, and was shocked to see the blue-grey forewing and bright supercilium of a drake Garganey. Shit! The bird disappeared into the fog, heading upriver, and was lost …

Moments after the Garganey took off ...

It was a surreal encounter. In a way, the brevity of it – and that it vanished so soon into the abyss – made it all the more special. What a bird to see on the Lammas Lands – and my 100th species for the site to boot. The handful of small, secluded pools on the meadows here rarely have anything of note, but I've always wondered if maybe, just maybe, they could one day pull in something like a Garganey. And today was that day!

I couldn't re-find the bird, sadly, and a search team of Dave and Janet at Shalford and Unstead couldn't relocate it upriver. It's always a shame when others can't connect with a good bird. Still, an already great visit was made better still with my first Whitethroat of the year, curiously a silent one. In all, not bad for an hour in the fog.

After a quick coffee break in Godalming, the sun was slowly burning through and so I headed to Frensham. One of the drake Garganey had been in situ since I found the four on Wednesday (per Shaun) and was still about when I arrived, showing quite well near the southern end. I got much better views than on Wednesday – and wondered if I'll ever see two different Garganey in one day in south-west Surrey again.

Garganey.

Other bits of note included a Common Tern, the Cetti's Warbler and a few Sand Martins, plus a marked number of newly arrived Great Crested Grebes – at least 25.

A stroll around the Thorncombe Street area mid-afternoon was done in glorious spring sunshine. Bird activity was low – lots of the previous hot-spots on my old patch have gone severely downhill – but I did note a few bits, including three Ravens over Bonhurst Farm, a singing Red-legged Partridge on The Ridge, a Gadwall pair on Lea Farm Pond and six House Martins over Brookwell (my first 'on territory' hirundines of the year).

Sunday 9th

Another foggy morning and another late start, this time at Eashing Farm, where patch gold greeted me on the reservoir: a regal Great Crested Grebe. Only the second known record for the Eashing area (after one over my garden last October!), this occurrence interestingly married up with an arrival of birds at Frensham yesterday. Presumably this species is on the move at the moment … 

Great Crested Grebe.

Two each of Swallow and Sand Martin were at the reservoir, while a pair of Red-legged Partridges were in Finch Field.

Swallow.

I then headed over to Shackleford, where the murk meant it was slow going. Eventually, though, a decent selection of species were had, with the headline act a female Black Redstart around the Chalk Lane crop. My second local record of the week, this is always a great species to see locally.

Black Redstart.

Other migrants included a male Wheatear, three Swallows and two Chiffchaffs. One Yellowhammer – a female – was still around, along with two Red-legged Partridges, two Little Owls and a Linnet pair furtively building a nest.

Wheatear and Yellowhammer.

By late morning the sun was out, and I headed to the Weald for a walk around Sidney Wood – one of south-west Surrey's remoter sites and one I failed to visit last year. Plenty of common species were in song, but the best came at the end of my hike: a male Cuckoo, heard distantly to the south.

I was very pleased to encounter a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker pair, too. I last had this species here in 2019, when I found a drumming male. Perhaps there will be a nest to be found later in the season …

Monday 10th

A rainy, grey morning. I visited Snowdenham Mill Pond mid-morning, where a surprise drake Pochard was on the water – a late date locally (my last in south-west Surrey was on 14 March) and also my first for this site in a little over four years. A female Mallard with six small ducklings was also seen.

Pochard and Mallard.

I popped into Unstead SF afterwards, where a swirling group of 60 or so hirundines included all three species (though mainly comprised Swallow and Sand Martin). Two Green Sandpipers were on Flooded Field as well.

I thought that was that for an excellent Easter Bank Holiday of local birding, but late morning Shaun called: five Little Gulls and an Arctic Tern at Frensham, which is truly in a rich vein of form at present. Dave is doing a south-west Surrey year list this year and was keen to head down, so I joined him – the tern would make a smart year list addition for myself, and Little Gulls are just great.

Upon arrival, the cloud had lifted and we could only locate two Little Gulls: an adult and a first-winter. One Common Tern was around, and a second tern species flew around the far end of the pond for a short while – possibly the Arctic, but I just couldn't be happy enough with the views I had to rule out another Common (which, in hindsight, I think it was). Sadly, it was always too far for the camera.

Little Gull.

Still, you can never sniff at local Little Gulls – absolutely cracking birds – and to boot the drake Garganey put in brief showing, making it day number six on site.