Orkney 2023

I've spent the last eight days in Orkney. Following my first visit to the archipelago in 2019, and another in 2021, I've grown a real fondness for the isles – and think that there are parts that are seriously under-birded in the autumn. This includes the far east of the Orcadian Mainland – the Deerness Peninsula – which is where I have spent the last week and a bit. 

Barred Warbler.

It was very nice to get away from Surrey for a little while but, unfortunately, the birding gods totally deserted me, and a week of strong south-westerly winds ultimately impeded any bird-finding in this autumn in which all has pointed west in rarity terms. Indeed, migration was rarely evidenced, and passerine numbers were very low. But that's how these types of trips go and I'm sure I'll be doing another one next year! I still had a great time of course – for the landlocked, southern English birder, the variety of wildfowl, waders and seabirds (and scenery) was wonderful.

The Halley Bay area.

In terms of finds, easily the highlight was not one but two American Golden Plovers – picked out on consecutive days from the same large flock of European Golden Plovers. A satisfying identification process made these two discoveries enjoyable (plus the fact I've only seen the species once before). The only images I got of the juvenile are crap back of camera frames taken on demo mode – for the first time in six years, my camera had a meltdown, right upon espying the bird. Not ideal!

Adult AGP (top two) and juvenile (bottom two).

A first-winter Barred Warbler on my Sandside Bay 'patch' was nice, and came on the only bright, calm day, but wasn't exactly what I hoped for as my best passerine find. That said, it was one of only nine warblers (individuals, not species!) I saw all trip, including Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. A Yellow-browed Warbler was one of them, but that was as good as it got with migrant passers. Indeed, thrush and finch numbers were poor – zero Redwings, two Song Thrushes, one each of Siskin and Brambling, etc …

Barred Warbler.

Other bits of note included a Marsh Harrier (rare in Orkney!) and a Long-billed Dowitcher (a long-staying bird seen during a day trip to the island of Sanday). But, as alluded to earlier, you can't sniff at regular encounters with things like Twite, Short-eared Owl, Whooper Swan and Hen Harrier, plus copious amounts of common waders, geese, duck et al, among a total of 104 species.

Scaup (amid tufties).

Pink-footed Geese.

Hen Harrier.

Short-eared Owl.

Red-breasted Merganser.

Whooper Swan.

Curlews.

Merlin.

Wheatear.

Meadow Pipit.

European Golden Plovers.

Pink-footed Geese.

Long-billed Dowitcher.

Marsh Harrier.

The drive up wasn't bad either – I connected with the Brown Booby at South Gare, Cleveland, which was a British and WP tick, but dipped the King Eider (and Stejneger's Scoter, though that hadn't been around for a few weeks) at the mighty Musselburgh in Lothian. Plenty of good bits at the latter site included Little Gulls, Scaup and Velvet Scoter.

Brown Booby.

So, in short, a quiet visit, but a couple of nice finds. I'll definitely be back to Orkney – in fact it feels like a place I might visit with some regularity during the years to come.

Stale September

A quiet week of birding has gone by, with reduced time in the field. I go away tomorrow, too, ending an underwhelming September – it's been dead in Surrey (and indeed most of the South-East), continuing an up and down feeling this year. A funny statistic has emerged, too: for the first September since I started keeping local year lists following my return from university in 2015, the month has not produced a single year tick!

Raven.

Friday 15th

No birding.

Saturday 16th

At Tuesley this morning, a female Pochard and a Common Sandpiper were new in – the Pochard continuing the unexpected run of records here since the first for the site just last September.

I then walked Shackleford, where a few Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits flew over, along with a Siskin, and the Dartford Warbler was still in its favoured field.

Shackleford.

I heard a Kingfisher calling along the Wey from the garden late morning.

Sunday 17th

It was a grey, hazy morning. I staked out Tuesley for a little while – a juvenile Sedge Warbler in the channel was a surprise and my latest ever Surrey record. The Common Sandpiper was still about, while the dull skies overhead produced a Siskin, a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits moving south.

I checked Snowdenham Mill Pond afterwards. Here, four Shoveler, five Teal, eight Gadwall and two Mandarin were present, along with my first Greenfinch for the site since July 2022.

Snowdenham Mill Pond.

In heavy rain mid-afternoon, a female Pochard was asleep at Frensham Great Pond.

Monday 18th

No birding.

Tuesday 19th

Today was grey and breezy following yesterday's dramatic transition to autumnal westerlies. A short 1-km wander late morning produced a few small groups of House Martins heading west into the wind and a Raven over Greenways.

Wednesday 20th

An even windier and grey morning today began at Tuesley, where two Pochard were present. I wonder if this recent run relates to different passage birds, or individuals back at Enton for the winter that are yet to settle? The Common Sandpiper was still present as well, making it my latest-ever local record.

I then checked Frensham Great Pond, where a large feeding flock of some 300 House Martins was nice to see. Three Swallows and a late Sand Martin were among them, with five Shoveler, two each of Siskin and Kingfisher and a calling Firecrest other bits of note.

Frensham Great Pond.

Thursday 21st

After yesterday's horrendous rain and wind, it was bright and misty this morning. I did a short walk around the Pudmore boardwalk at Thursley Common and it was very quiet, with a Water Rail and a Kingfisher of note. A Woodlark singing away towards West Bog was a pleasant and unusual sound for the time of year.

The rest of the day was spent hiking to Pembrokeshire and back, to see Britain's third Magnolia Warbler. The bird was elusive, but it, and the location, were a perfect tonic.

September's sluggish start

September's slow start has continued into the middle of the month. The heatwave dragged on during the last week, before a slight break down in the weather from 10th. Conditions for migrants have not been optimum and it's beginning to feel like it could end up being a rather barren September, which can often be the case in this somewhat Jekyll and Hyde month – one that's capable of producing both brilliance and boredom!

Grasshopper Warbler.

Friday 8th

The easterlies abated overnight, swinging round to a gentle south-westerly, and as a result there was virtually no fog this morning – and the birding was a touch improved too. 

I checked Tuesley first where two Teal were present. Any dabbling duck other than Mallard is rare here with this only my third record of the species. There was a big Teal movement along the east coast yesterday so these birds were doubtless linked to that.

Teal.

The three Common Sandpipers were still about – my latest date for the species here – and a Mute Swan was notable as well. A single Siskin flew south as well.

I then headed to Thursley for a big walk. Inevitably there was a bit of mist here, but it soon burned off. The light cloud cover, coupled with the aforementioned south-westerly, resulted in my first proper vis-mig action of the autumn taking place. Leading the way were Siskins – 20 south included a flock of 11, with a group of 17 on the deck near the Moat.

Also moving were Meadow Pipits, with 19 south. Five Yellow Wagtails and a Tree Pipit south and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull and nine Cormorants west added to the movement action, along with a 'wisp' of seven flighty Snipe around Pudmore.

Snipe and Meadow Pipits.

It was much quieter on the deck. A flock of 80 Goldfinches near Redstart Corner was notable, while Pudmore held four Teal and three Water Rails. There were no migrant chats for me, nor any Willow Warblers, though I did record a single Redstart.

At lunchtime I walked Eashing Fields. It was hot and quiet, though my first 1-km Meadow Pipit of the autumn flew south.

Saturday 9th

It was bright and clear this morning, at the beginning of a very hot day. The high pressure and warmth we've experienced so far this month has hardly been ideal for migration, so I had a slightly lazy start. I checked Tuesley first, where a drake Pochard was cool to see – a scarce bird here and only my second local record of the autumn, after an outlying pair at Frensham in early August.

Pochard.

The three Common Sandpipers were still in situ, Coot and Little Grebe numbers were up a touch and a juvenile Great Crested Grebe – presumably from Enton – was almost as surprising as the Pochard.

Great Crested Grebe.

I decided to have a look at Snowdenham Mill Pond afterwards. Here, a nice selection of wildfowl included three Shoveler, seven each of Teal and Tufted Duck, two Mandarin and 10 Gadwall. The female Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid was also about.

Without much of a birding plan for the morning, I opted to walk from the pond through the southern section of my old Thorncombe Street patch and on to the farmland north of Dunsfold. 

By now – a little before 8 am – it was already approaching 20°C and things were quiet. A few Siskins and a Raven flew over the New Barn/Juniper Hill area (where a hideous amount of recently released Pheasants were at large) and a Marsh Tit was calling in Great Brook, but that was it.

I skirted round the eastern end of Hascombe Hill before dropping into Painshill Farm. The heat was properly kicking in now and passerine activity was minimal – which made it all the more surprising that, not long after arriving at my favoured little corner of the farm, I spotted a Grasshopper Warbler foraging atop a bramble thicket.

Grasshopper Warbler.

This species is normally glimpsed once or twice if encountered on passage (which itself is a rare enough event locally), so it was quite a treat to have such a showy bird. Given the yellowish wash to the face and underparts I suspect it was a first-winter. Amazingly it was the only grounded migrant I saw all morning!

Grasshopper Warbler.

Other bits of note included three Yellow and two Grey Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit south-west, five Cormorants east, 25 or so Red-legged Partridges and six Skylarks.

Yellow Wagtail and Cormorants.

At dusk, a couple of large-ish Swallow flocks flew silently south over the garden – perhaps towards a nearby roost at the end of a long day of migration.

Sunday 10th

With another clear, hot day in prospect, another lazy start was enjoyed, before a walk around Shackleford. It was predictably quiet, though a light southerly trickle of Grey and Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits was detectable – these three species are certainly on the move at the moment, and it's been a great autumn for Yellow Wag so far. 

Yellow Wagtail.

A juvenile Hobby over the yard was good value, too, being my first of the year here, where it's scarce at best. Also recorded were two Ravens west, the juvenile Dartford Warbler and the presumed continuing Whinchat with a group of Stonechats. 

Interestingly I logged no Whitethroats – suggesting a major clear out – and for the fourth visit in a row no Wheatear, which is having a poor autumn locally.

Raven.

On the walk home both Grey Wagtail and Meadow Pipit flew south over Peper Harow and Siskin was heard near Eashing Bridge.

Like last Sunday, I joined Dave for a Thursley sky-watch on High Ground. When we arrived late morning it had clouded over entirely and hirundines were in evidence as a result, including an impressive 120 or more House Martins that arrived ahead of a band of rain. Presumably they'd been migrating high overhead before the inclement weather led them to revise their plans.

It was otherwise quiet, though a Yellow Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipits flew south, along with eight Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

With no plans in the afternoon, I took the opportunity to go on a twitch – an Aquatic Warbler just under an hour away at Beeding Brooks in Sussex. The bird was hard work, but eventually showed really nicely, allowing close study of the plumage. There was even a juvenile Sedge Warbler with it for comparison. A very smart find a good few miles inland from the coast by local birder Jamie W.

Aquatic Warbler.

I saw this species – which is the only internationally threatened passerine found in mainland Europe – on breeding grounds in eastern Poland in 2017, but have long had a fascination with them (I wrote this in 2018) and have always wanted to see a 'tiger striped' juvenile. Aquatic Warbler is now a really tricky bird in Britain, with this individual and one in Suffolk late last month the first twitchable ones since 2016, so was pleased I went.

Aquatic Warbler.

Other bits included a Yellow Wagtail south, two each of Kingfisher and Yellowhammer and a Willow Warbler.

Monday 11th

No birding.

Tuesday 12th

The heatwave had broken down on Sunday afternoon but yesterday was still warm and muggy, as was this morning, with a grey haze hanging over the Lammas Lands early on. It was exceptionally quiet – singles of Meadow Pipit and Siskin south were the best I managed, with Whitethroat and Reed Bunting still lingering on Overgone Meadow and a Kingfisher heard.

Walking home along the Eashing stretch didn't liven things up, with one Marsh Tit, an eclipse drake Mandarin, two Meadow Pipits south and a pair of Red-legged Partridges highlighting.

Wednesday 13th

A dull, grey morning with a fresh north-easterly breeze made for a welcome change this morning, and it felt good for a Tuesley stakeout. A Yellow Wagtail south upon my arrival was a good sign – another flew the same way shortly after.

The highlight, however, was a juvenile Ringed Plover. Settled, the bird was vocal and actively foraging – at one stage it was flushed by an angry Common Sandpiper (of which all three were still present). It's my third ringo of the year here, which is above average.

Ringed Plover.

Another species batting above average at Tuesley this year is Dunlin, and a little after 07:00 one noisily arrived from the east, circled a few times and then bombed off west – a typical encounter with the species here. It was my seventh at Tuesley this year, which is an excellent total, and they've come in six different months, too.

Dunlin.

Other bits included a juvenile Hobby loitering to the south and a count of 26 Tufted Duck.

I had a look at Frensham Great Pond before going home, but it was quiet, with a Kingfisher, a Siskin and a Little Grebe the best. The latter is surprisingly uncommon here, with my records showing a peak in the autumn.

It was still grey and breezy at Eashing Fields at lunchtime, where a Stonechat in The Meadow was my first in the 1-km this autumn (excluding an odd record of a male on 10 July). Some light Meadow Pipit migration was underway with 39 south including groups of eight and nine, and two Yellow Wagtails flew west.

Stonechat.

I walked Eashing Farm after work. A relatively lively session produced 38 species, including – to my great surprise – the continuing Lesser Whitethroat in the same clump of hawthorn in Farmhouse Valley. Presuming it's the same, it's been present for 22 days … 

Also logged were one Siskin north-west, seven Lesser Black-backed Gulls south, three Mandarin and a Red-legged Partridge.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Thursday 14th

A bright, cool morning with a light mist offered a feeling of 'autumn proper', which has been lacking so far this month. I did a big session at Thursley and it was productive, with a decent 52 species seen. 

I had anticipated Meadow Pipit movement following yesterday's big north-easterly and today's switch to south-westerly, but there was less cloud than forecast. Still, a count of 116 south was good going, with most birds heading south-east. Also vis-migging were singles of Tree Pipit and Grey and Yellow Wagtails – so a similar cast to my visit here on Friday.

The view from Shrike Hill.

A few Siskins were also heard overhead but a couple of groups were on the deck, with this species now seemingly back for the winter, at least in places and in small numbers. Two Hobbies were around too – a noisy juvenile and an adult, which was still taking food to and from the youngster (which was having fun chasing some Magpies around!).

Hobby.

The best bird of the morning game on Ockley Common, when I flushed a warbler from a low stand of heather. A second flush revealed it to be a Grasshopper Warbler – a smart Thursley tick for me. The bird was inevitably not seen again but adds to an excellent autumn for the species locally, with this my third record following birds at Eashing Fields in late July and the Painshill Farm individual last weekend.

A subsinging Willow Warbler was another likely migrant from further north, but it was otherwise quiet on the deck. Other bits of note included Raven, two each of Snipe and Water Rail and three Teal.