August a go

It's been a mixed bag of a week, but an enjoyable one for sure – it's hard not to get at least something out of any time in the field in August, at least around here. While the period started off with the continuing cool westerlies, we were finally treated to some warm easterlies in recent days, which have been few and far between this past month and a half. A couple of nice avian encounters have added to the early autumn enjoyment.

Yellowhammer.

Friday 11th

Following yesterday's warmth – a rarity this summer – it was muggy and grey this morning. A walk along the river was firmly on the quiet side, with a juvenile Willow Warbler and a Swift heading west the most interesting bits at the Lammas Lands, where a couple of Reed Buntings were still knocking about.

Along the Eashing stretch, two Red-legged Partridges were my first in the 1-km since June. A Marsh Tit, a Mandarin and a juvenile Sparrowhawk were also seen.

Red-legged Partridge.

A light breeze had picked up by late morning, when a 40-minute walk around Eashing Fields produced a decent 35 species. Among them was a juvenile Willow Warbler in a mixed species flock (the first Fields record of the year), two Reed Buntings and a light trickle of Swallows and Swifts south-west.

Saturday 12th

It was cool and breezy again today, though fairly bright when I wandered around Shackleford in the morning. It was a quiet session all things told, though at least one of the Sedge Warblers was still present. Presuming these are the same birds, they've been in situ here for 18 days now – rather a long time, though they're doubtless piling on the fat ahead of a long journey to African wintering grounds. 

Sedge Warbler.

A Willow Warbler was heard but other signs of migration were scant. Juvenile Green Woodpeckers and Kestrels (the former ubiquitous at this time of year), five Reed Buntings and 40 or so Stock Doves were among the best of the rest.

Green Woodpecker, Kestrels, Stock Doves and Whitethroat.

Sunday 13th

Again the morning was grey and a little breezy, with a couple of light showers even thrown in, but it didn't hinder a most enjoyable walk along the Greensand Way from Hascombe to Hambledon. 

Starting at The Hurtwood, a couple of very large and mobile mixed flocks were carefully sifted through, with singles of Spotted Flycatcher and Firecrest picked out, as well as at least five Willow Warblers. At one point a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff called in tandem from a birch, allowing for a novel comparison of these two similar calls, as detailed below.

Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler sonogram. The 'curved bottom' of WW stands out.

A presumed family party of five Ravens were enjoying the thermals above the southern slope and a few juvenile Buzzards noisily played with one another.

I then dropped down into the farmland east of Hambledon. At Little Burgate Farm, the regular Little Owl was calling from some paddocks, and a few Skylarks and Whitethroats were noted. Sand Martin is truly uncommon out here in the Weald wild so five powering south were noteworthy.

At Court Farm, a flyover Yellow Wagtail bombed south-west, calling as it went – on the early side for me, as I don't usually encounter this species locally before about 20 August. A Yellowhammer pair, including a fine, confiding male, continued the colour theme.

The best came last, though, near the end of my walk: a flock of seven Hawfinches flew low over a small woodland in Hambledon. A family party, perhaps? Who knows, but it was only my second record of this enigmatic south-west Surrey species this year.

Monday 14th

I headed up to Eashing Fields late morning, by which point a mild, breezy southerly was pushing through. I was thinking how classic the time of day and year (and the conditions) were for Osprey. In one of those freaky coincidences that happen in birding occasionally, I soon picked up an Osprey, lumbering in from the north-west having presumably tracked the Wey over Godalming.

Osprey.

The bird, an adult showing some wing moult, was lazily heading south-west and I had it in view for a little under 10 minutes. Rather gallingly it went right over my garden! You can never tire of seeing these beasts, even if they are increasing markedly as a passage migrant in Surrey. Luck is still required to bump into one, mind …

Osprey.

Given the conditions, a few hirundines were moving south, including at least 30 Swallows, plus three Swifts. Perhaps unsurprisingly thus a Hobby was loitering to the north, with Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel ensuring a six raptor species visit!

Tuesday 15th

The 'Thursley Mist' caught me out this morning, with the site shrouded in a silky white coat – and a heavy dew – for a good hour or so after dawn. Still, birding in the murk around Pudmore wasn't bad, and began with my first Wheatear of the autumn – a clean first-year individual that disappeared having been flushed off the boards. 

Dawn scenes at Pudmore.

Six Teal and three Water Rail were also present at Pudmore, along with one of the juvenile Curlews. The bird was highly vocal and seemingly agitated, eventually taking off, circling up high and departing to the west. The adult male hasn't been seen since 4th and it seems whatever members of the family remain, they're mainly using the site to roost. I heard another bird calling, heading south, over Ockley later on – perhaps the other juvenile.

The sun eventually broke through, producing a fine morning for what turned out to be a long session, and 49 species was a decent total, even if migrants were a little thin on the ground. Among the other notable bits were excellent numbers of Stonechat, two Tree Pipits, six Redstarts, 12 Willow Warblers and 11 Woodlarks, which included a flock of eight on Shrike Hill.

Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Woodlark and Willow Warbler.

Wednesday 16th

A forecast of heavy mist failed to materialise overnight, despite the perfect recipe for it, including a long-awaited switch to an easterly wind. With visibility OK as a result, I thought I'd have a quick look at Tuesley before walking along the river. Upon my arrival, a female-type Wheatear flitted along the fenceline, and I soon espied a wader in the far corner – a juvenile Dunlin.

The bird was fairly tame so I moved closer for photos. As I did, I suddenly heard a rasping, chattering call above me: Sandwich Tern! The bird was right overhead and I fired off some shots, before realising a second individual was in tow. They circled the reservoir a few times, contemplating dropping in, but soon headed off south-east … awesome – and very tricky south-west Surrey bird that I only ticked last year.

Sandwich Terns.

I was still buzzing off this encounter when another familiar call came from the north: the tew tew tew of a Greenshank. Like the terns, the bird – a juvenile – did a couple of circuits before heading off south-east, its noisy cameo even ushering the Dunlin into some vocalisations. This species is a slippery customer in south-west Surrey and there hasn't been a Tuesley record since July 2021.

In all, a real purple patch in the space of about 10 minutes – the kind that south-west Surrey birding in August can deliver. Happy days. To cap off a fine, unplanned visit, I soaked up more views of the Dunlin, before a flock of eight presumably migrant Grey Herons flew south-west and a Kingfisher zipped past. I guess there was plenty of early morning mist elsewhere in South-East England this morning, perhaps ushering these birds into the clearer areas, such as Tuesley …

Dunlin.

I eventually got round to my river walk, with the sun out and a heavy dew underfoot. Unstead Water Meadows was fairly quiet, with singles of Reed Bunting and Sparrowhawk of note.

The Lammas Lands were a touch livelier. On Overgone Meadow, a Hobby was chasing House Martins near the library, a Willow Warbler was subsinging in Hell Ditch, two Reed Buntings were flushed and a Kingfisher zipped along the Wey.

Hobby.

There seemed to be a few more Blackcaps along the Eashing stretch compared with recent visits, including one late brood of juveniles being fed by adults. A Garden Warbler was joining them in wolfing down elderberries near Eashing Marsh. Other bits included a juvenile Willow Warbler, two Marsh Tits and a pleasing count of 30 Swallows around the stables at Greenways Farm. 

Thursday 17th

It was yesterday in reverse in terms of weather this morning: no mist had been forecast, but a heavy blanket covered the local area. I figured it'd clear before long given the warm, fairly breezy day ahead, and so headed to Tuesley first. Visibility was poor but a flyover Tree Pipit was good value– I average bang on one record a year for this species here.

My plan for the morning was a big walk at the Devil's Punch Bowl but, upon arrival, it was incredibly foggy. I waited a short while before abandoning. Milford and Witley Commons turned out to be plan B, with the mist burning off as I arrived, and while an hour and a half in the field yielded little diversity among only 30 species, it was an enjoyable session.

Milford Common.

At least 10 Willow Warblers were present across both sites, often in among bustling tit flocks, and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers appeared on Witley Common as the morning warmed up. Nice views of a young female Sparrowhawk were had as she feasted on a Woodpigeon corpse, too.

By lunchtime it was a truly warm day – such a rarity of late. A quick walk of Eashing Fields was very quiet, though a flock of 12 Sand Martins south-east was notable. This year has been far better than 2022 for records of this species in my 1-km, with today's the seventh of 2023, following only two last year.

The easterly had picked up and it was really quite breezy in the evening. A walk around the 1-km was pleasant, and included a Hobby shooting over Greenways Farm and a smart juvenile Wheatear at Peper Harow – a site first.

Wheatear.