Early August always sees birding action gradually increase, as migrants get going and residents begin to flock up and rove around. Despite a couple of warmer days towards the end of the opening 10 days of the month, the summer 2023 westerly vortex has shown little sign of abating, keeping most days cool and sometimes bringing rain. I'm beginning to forget what easterlies are like!
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| Sanderling. |
Tuesday 1st
It was a fairly bright morning, but with a cooling, breezy westerly wind and fast-moving cloud. A walk around the Devil's Punch Bowl was pleasant enough – rather quiet in the more exposed sections, but pockets of activity, including some large mixed flocks, in the sheltered areas. Amid these gatherings were my first juvenile Willow Warblers of the season, with around six or so of the lemon-yellow beauties noted.
Other bits included two Marsh Tits, a family party of Dartford Warblers (two juveniles) and two Siskins, plus White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak on the wing. Far less expected were two Woodcock, flushed from an area of holly in Sugar Loaf Valley. In fact, I've never recorded this species locally in August before!
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| Devil's Punch Bowl. |
Wednesday 2nd
A morning of 'Hebridean weather', with grey skies, squally showers and – you guessed it – a breezy westerly wind. At Thursley, a Green Sandpiper was the highlight at Pudmore during a quick dawn check. The Curlew family was near Pine Island, too, but it does seem like one of the chicks has been lost – something I'd feared on recent visits. Still, two fledged youngsters would be a fine effort.
I then staked out Tuesley which, despite feeling promising, was rather fruitless. One of the Common Sandpipers was still kicking about, four Sand Martins flew south and an adult and juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull loitered for a bit, but that was it …
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| Common Tern. |
Persistence (some might call it madness!) is essential when it comes to local birding so, with the rain having picked up during the day, I headed back to Tuesley after work. In recent weeks my arrival has usually been greeted by a Common Sandpiper taking off from the near shore but, tonight, a stockier shorebird took flight – and in an incredible sense of déjà vu going back to 28 April, I was soon looking at a Sanderling!
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| Sanderling. |
I've put in quite a bit of wader effort during these past showery weeks, so I was pleased with this. The bird, an adult moulting out of summer dress, was rather mobile in its favoured corner of the reservoir. It occasionally took flight and called, but never landed more than a few feet away from where it was.
Amazingly, it was bearing a metal ring – and at one short period, following a lot of motionless patience when it came close enough to me, I was able to get images that could decipher the code: 'JERSEY X21361'. Following some emails, it transpired that this bird was indeed ringed on Jersey, in the Channel Islands, as an adult at La Haule Slip on 14 February 2016. Absolutely mega stuff – I wonder where it's been since then? To Greenland and back a few times seems likely …
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| Sanderling. |
A seriously cool record and needless to say a first ringing recovery of Sanderling for Surrey! Tuesley is becoming a bit of a hot-spot for this county rarity, this being the fifth site record. It comes on a similar date to my crazy, Surrey record flock of 34, on 7 August 2021.
Thursday 3rd
It was brighter this morning, with the wind having eased off a touch and switched to the north-west, as I ambled along the Wey. The Lammas Lands were very damp underfoot and Overgone Meadow was relatively quiet – a Kingfisher and Reed Bunting family party highlighted, the latter a late effort probably due to the absence of cattle in recent weeks.
Things were also steady along the Eashing stretch, though a juvenile Willow Warbler near Eashing Marsh was as lovely a sight as always, six Mandarin were on Milton Pool and an Egyptian Goose flew over – my first since April in the 1-km, where it is somewhat uncommon.
Friday 4th
No birding.
Saturday 5th
An incredibly wet and miserable day as Storm Antoni passed through – truly reminiscent of midwinter. Nice weather for ducks, though, and a pair of Pochard at Frensham Great Pond this morning were quite the surprise – I've only had a handful of August records in south-west Surrey and never this early in the month. They normally return to Frensham in late September. A female Shoveler was also notable for the time of year.
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| Pochard and Shoveler. |
Other bits from a soggy visit included two Common Sandpipers along the southern side of the pond, a Little Egret, 60 or so Sand Martins, two Kingfishers and 42 Great Crested Grebes.
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| Grey Heron. |
Sunday 6th
The sun was out at Shackleford this morning after yesterday's grim conditions, even though the fresh north-westerly breeze kept things cool. There was a fair bit of passerine action in the hedgerows and field edges, with no fewer than three juvenile Sedge Warblers the standout highlight. It's always a bit whacky seeing this species in farmland habitat, let alone three, and for a brief while they all shared the same elder.
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| Sedge Warblers. |
A Willow Warbler and 10 Chiffchaffs were other migrants that were recorded, with three Reed Buntings, 45 Linnets, a Raven, 130 or more Starlings and a Little Owl also seen.
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| Starlings, Greylag Goose, Wren, Chiffchaff and Red Kite. |
Afterwards I had a look at Snowdenham Mill Pond, where three Gadwall, the Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid, two Kingfishers, a moulting male Sparrowhawk and the female Tufted Duck with her six ducklings were present.
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| Tufted Duck family. |
Monday 7th
There have been few bright and still mornings of late but today was one of them, though it was cool and dewy. I walked the Wey at Eashing before work, where a Hobby terrorising Swallows along the valley ridge was notable. Singles of Garden and Willow Warblers and a Marsh Tit were also seen, as well as the first mass releases of scrawny Pheasants of the season …
Tuesday 8th
No birding.
Wednesday 9th
A heavy mist lingered in the air this morning, prompting a later than usual start and a short walk of Peper Harow before work. Two juvenile Willow Warblers were a pleasant treat in oaks at Norney Farm – a site first for me – and some chattering 24 Swallows on wires were mostly juveniles.
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| Willow Warblers and Swallows. |
A Ring-necked Parakeet squawked beyond the cricket pitch and a juvenile Buzzard was constantly mewing, too.
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| Peper Harow. |
Thursday 10th
The wind was in the south-east this morning – yes, the east! – but it was misty once again, meaning another late start. I walked Witley Common as the sun was coming out and it was quite lively, with plenty of mixed flocks bustling around. The best prize to be found among them was a smart Lesser Whitethroat – always a neat discovery on passage in south-west Surrey and a species I don't expect to see every autumn locally.
Good numbers of Phylloscopus warblers were evident too, including at least six Willow Warblers, all juveniles. Two of them were subsinging, including a mixed singer. A moulting adult male Redstart and a Firecrest were also detected.
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| Witley Common. |
At lunchtime, a juvenile Starling south was amazingly only my second garden record since moving to Eashing at the start of 2022!
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