Midsummer Med-fest

Settled summer weather made itself at home during the second half of June. It's been a quiet period on the bird front – unsurprisingly – as the seemingly never-ending spring finally came to an end. My avian efforts have been a little bit limited as well, though you can never pause in local birding as the unexpected is always possible, recently in the form of an extraordinary Mediterranean Gull gathering ...

Mediterranean Gulls.

Friday 16th

A warm, sunny pre-work walk around Court Farm, Hambledon, produced three Yellowhammers (including a singing male and a female gathering insects from an oak), four Skylarks and seven Whitethroats.

Court Farm.

Saturday 17th

No birding.

Sunday 18th

A hazy, rather muggy morning led me to Frensham Great Pond. Things were quiet initially – the Cetti's Warbler was in song again in the eastern reedbed and a Firecrest was near the hotel. A couple of Mediterranean Gulls then appeared, to my surprise, then a third, then a fourth …

Some five minutes later, and a minimum of 19 birds were around, seemingly foraging on flying insects. Most were adults – at least 16 – with two second-summers and a first-summer present too. It was lovely to watch them dashing overhead, occasionally dropping down low to the water.

Mediterranean Gulls.

A cool and whacky mid-June record, these presumed failed or non-breeders must have been part of a flock Shaun had yesterday that I later found out about, totalling an impressive 26 individuals. There had been a recent run of birds just over the border in north-east Hampshire, too, including no fewer than 300 at Passfield on Friday and 25 at Woolmer Pond yesterday. These birds are the first in south-west Surrey this year, following an unusually barren spring for the species locally.

Monday 19th

A Little Egret and a family party of Linnets flew over Eashing Fields during a short late morning walk.

Skylark.

Tuesday 20th

No birding.

Wednesday 21st

No birding.

Thursday 22nd

It had clouded over a little at the end of a warm summer's day when I headed to the Devil's Punch Bowl/Hindhead Common. Nightjar action got going 10 minutes after sunset and, although the performance from at least five birds tonight was fairly understated, it was lovely to still have light and warmth outdoors at 10 pm.

Nightjar.

A roding Woodcock and a hooting Tawny Owl were also noted.

Friday 23rd

I walked the Lammas Lands this morning, which was another warm one, despite the scattered cloud. I was pleased to spot a fresh-looking juvenile Sedge Warbler on Catteshall Meadow – in fact there may have been two. Some recently fledged Whitethroats were nearby as well.

Waverley Council's decision to delay grazing on the meadow has definitely paid off this year with Reed Bunting joining Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat as one of the beneficiaries – I was treated to views of an adult pair feeding noisy juveniles, plus two males were in full song, suggesting second broods.

Reed Buntings.

Saturday 24th

No birding.

Sunday 25th

I teamed up with Dave this morning, who was seeking a couple of additions to his south-west Surrey year list. It was a glorious summer morning and our first location was Chiddingfold Forest where, after a considerable search, we briefly and underwhelmingly heard a distant Turtle Dove. 

It was otherwise quiet, with the forest in full summer lull mode now, though a few Marsh Tits and Garden Warblers and a singing Firecrest were noted. A couple of Purple Hairstreaks were enjoying the early morning sun too.

We then headed to Frensham Great Pond. Following on from last weekend's Mediterranean Gull-fest, Shaun had a group of 30 yesterday. Straight away we picked up a group of 50 or so above the beach, but as we scanned it was clear many more were around.

Mediterranean Gulls.

We rang Shaun, who also had birds over the Little Pond. It was quite amazing watching a plume of Mediterranean Gulls silently cruising high overhead. After a fair while scanning and counting repeatedly, we settled on a very minimum estimate of 150 birds – quite extraordinary and a new record count for Surrey!

Feeding conditions are presumably just right for these birds here at the moment, with whatever flying insect they're feeding on obviously aplenty. After a while the birds drifted south, presumably back to the coast. Are these failed breeders that are roaming around after a bird flu decimated breeding campaign? Or could they be taking food back to hungry chicks on their coastal colony? Who knows, but it's a fascinating occurrence, albeit perhaps tinged with a bit of sorrow as a long summer of bad bird flu news nationally rumbles on …

Mediterranean Gulls.

Incidental observations during a hot, sunny afternoon bike ride included Small Heath, Marbled White and Small Copper on the wing at Peper Harow and a Garden Warbler at Weyburn Meadows (plus, pleasingly, a few House Martin nests in the new housing estate).

Monday 26th

No birding.

Tuesday 27th

No birding.

Wednesday 28th

A smart Swallow-tailed Moth was resting in the garden in the late afternoon.

Swallow-tailed Moth.

Thursday 29th

It was a rainy, grey morning, following a night of thunderstorms. Upon arriving at Frensham Great Pond I was surprised to see a flock of Common Terns zipping about – 20 in total. This is a notably high count for any time of the year in south-west Surrey but especially so in June, and I fear that these birds were probably 'bird flu refugees', having abandoned a colony somewhere.

Common Terns.

Among them was a 'portlandica' second-year bird – a plumage I very rarely see locally. Eventually, as the rain eased off, 17 of them circled up and departed south …

'Portlandica' Common Tern.

On the way back I decided to do a little vis-mig from Eashing Fields before work, with conditions good for Swift passage given the north-westerly breeze and cloud cover. This was indeed in evidence, with 164 birds totted up moving west in a 45-minute scan. Pretty decent all things considered – I wonder how many I'd have counted if my desk didn't beckon …

Swift.

Friday 30th

I walked Unstead Water Meadows this morning, which was a bit of a warbler-fest, including a welcome sighting of a family party of Cetti's Warblers. They were very vocal, with at least two juveniles present, and it was pleasing to confirm breeding here. A minimum of two Sedge Warblers and a single Reed Warbler were in song too.

With conditions similar to yesterday, minus the rain, I did another vis-mig at Eashing Fields late morning. Swifts were moving again and, in 40 minutes, I clocked 106 going west/south-west, but passage was broader, looser and less direct than yesterday.

Eashing Fields.