Indian summer with a side of fog

September. It's a funny month for the Surrey patch-birder. It can produce brilliance, but can also feel flat and, in the early stages, rather like a poor man's August. The first week of September 2023 has been dominated by an extraordinary heatwave, with temperatures pushing 30°C on a few days, as high pressure from the east has rolled in. Normally easterlies in early September would be cause for excitement, but instead they have often produced frustrating foggy mornings, with the hot, clear latter stages of the days not conducive for good birding.

Whinchat.

Friday 1st

A murky, muggy and drizzly start to September offered a bit of promise, but a check of Tuesley and Frensham before work was quiet. At the former site, some 26 Tufted Duck was a marked arrival – perhaps birds from nearby waters with a view to finish off moulting. The two Common Sandpipers were present too.

A mixed flock of 60 or so Swallows and House Martins were gathered over Frensham Great Pond afterwards, where the most notable birds were heard-only Firecrest and Marsh Tit along the west end. 

I walked up to Eashing Fields late morning. It was still rather grey and mild, and a light southerly passage of Swallows was taking place. A Yellow Wagtail also flew south.

Saturday 2nd

Fog was forecast this morning but thankfully didn't materialise. Instead it was murky, grey and occasionally drizzly early on, with a north-easterly blowing. I had a fairly quick look at Tuesley first – the two Common Sandpipers were still about and a single Reed Bunting and a flock of five Grey Herons flew south. A Ring-necked Parakeet noisily flying around was only my second site record!

Grey Herons.

I then headed to Shackleford. Conditions weren't optimum and, after an hour and a half-long session, the site gave off an 'as you were' impression, with no new migrants noted. Amazingly the Sedge Warbler was still in situ – day 38 on site! – along with the Dartford Warbler from 25 August.

Sedge Warbler.

Presumably the same three Whinchats from 29th were also present, among eight or so Stonechats, but always distant. Two Yellow Wagtails flew south but ultimately it was quiet and, again, there was no Wheatear. Other bits of note included a flock of 121 Canada Geese feeding in the cut fields, two Kestrels, five Reed Buntings and a Sparrowhawk. 

Stonechat and Reed Bunting.

All told, it was rather steady stuff, and I left the site wondering if I should have spent a bit longer at Tuesley …

Shackleford.

It was properly warm by mid-afternoon, with the temperature reaching 25°C – a taster of the forecast Indian summer weather we're going to receive in the coming days. A long hike around the Devil's Punch Bowl was fairly decent despite the heat, with 38 species logged. 

Most notable was my first double-figure count of Siskin in south-west Surrey since 1 March. After a shocking 2022-23 winter for this species, maybe they'll fare a little better this autumn. Other bits included five noisy and restless Spotted Flycatchers in Sugar Loaf Valley, four Marsh Tits, a Dartford Warbler and a Firecrest.

Spotted Flycatchers.

Sunday 3rd

Forecast fog did materialise this morning, taking a few hours to properly shift. As a result I had a late start, but even when I got to Tuesley visibility was still woeful. I ended up kicking my heels here for a while, though did score only my second site Whinchat, plus a brief Yellow Wagtail. Common Sandpipers were up to three, with two of the birds particularly agitated and vocal.

Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail.

Things eventually cleared and brightened up about 8.30 am. I headed to Painshill Farm, near Dunsfold, and while the session started well with a Wheatear and a Willow Warbler among a little flurry of passerines, activity gradually dipped as the day warmed up markedly. 

A male Yellowhammer and 15 Red-legged Partridge were also noted, but it felt a bit like fog scuppered things a bit today.

Wheatear and Whitethroat.

On the way home I stuck my head in at Snowdenham Mill Pond, where a Kingfisher, three Shoveler and two Teal were present.

Dave is chasing a south-west Surrey year list this year and has recently been in search of passage raptors, so I accompanied him at Thursley this afternoon for a sky-watch on High Ground in warm, sunny conditions. We didn't score anything of major note, though plenty of Red Kites and Buzzards were up, along with a Hobby and three Sparrowhawks. 

Oher bits included a consistent southerly push of some 100 Swallows (I suspect many hirundines will depart unseen in the coming week), a Wheatear rather bizarrely picked up in high flight north, one Siskin east and three Little Egrets west. Some decent butterfly action included Clouded Yellow and Silver-studded Blue.

The view from High Ground, Thursley Common.

Monday 4th

Again it was a foggy morning, but the village was relatively clear, so I did a short walk along the river before work. There was a bit of passerine activity, headlined by a Spotted Flycatcher, with a juvenile Willow Warbler also seen. Perhaps the most notable record was a Siskin flying south – my first in the Eashing area this autumn.

Spotted Flycatcher.

It was already properly warm by late morning, when I headed up to Eashing Fields. Here, finally, my first 1-km Whinchats of the year greeted me – at least two birds flitting between Top Field and The Meadow.

Whinchat.

Tuesday 5th

The fog was even worse today, meaning I didn't get out until nearly 9 am. By then it was already hot and it felt like I was battling the clock and conditions at Milford and Witley Commons, which were quiet (not in dog walker terms though!). 

An adult Hobby at Milford was of note but passerine activity was severely limited, with two flyover Grey Wagtails the best. Butterflies were however enjoying the heat and included a Brown Hairstreak.

With evening plans in Sussex, I decided to check out one of the few areas of south-west Surrey I don't know very well en route, near Alfold, which straddles the county border. It was baking hot at 6 pm – 28°C – and birding around Songhurst and Males Farms was quiet as a result. 

Still, the area felt like it had a bit of potential, and no time in the field is bad when you encounter Yellowhammers – eight in this instance.

Yellowhammer.

Wednesday 6th

Pleasingly there was no fog today, with hazy sunshine burning through and the temperature already 16°C when I got to Shackleford a little after 7 am. It was nice to actually get a proper session in this morning and, although things were relatively steady, 44 species was a decent haul.

Three Meadow Pipits south were my first of the autumn, a fraction on the late side, with my average local arrival date during the last five years being 4 September. There was also a light southerly trickle of Yellow Wagtails, as well as a few among the cattle, totalling double figures. Presumably the same lingering Whinchat was also present.

Whinchat.

I didn't encounter the Sedge Warbler, which has now perhaps moved on, though plenty of Chiffchaffs suggested an arrival of them. On the other hand, I noted only one Whitethroat. The juvenile Dartford Warbler was still about and, at the opposite end of the farm, a presumed second bird was near Bramble Island.

Dartford Warbler.

Other bits and pieces included at least 250 Stock Doves feeding in cut fields, a juvenile Sparrowhawk (which caught a Swallow), a Siskin south (my first here this year) and 14 Ring-necked Parakeets (my second highest south-west Surrey count, both of which have occurred here and in 2023 … ).

Canada Geese, Ring-necked Parakeets and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Evening bits in the 1-km, at the end of a very hot day, included a Red-legged Partridge at Eashing Fields and a Firecrest through the garden with a mixed flock.

Thursday 7th

There was fog again this morning, although visibility wasn't awful. I walked along the river in muggy conditions, starting at the Lammas Lands where a Tree Pipit south over Overgone Meadow was very much of note, being only my second for the site. 

A Yellow Wagtail flew south too but it was otherwise quiet, save a late juvenile Reed Bunting and two Stonechats (a male and a juvenile on Catteshall Meadow). The latter species hasn't bred here this year, doubtless due to the cattle which have done a good job of trampling much of the vegetation ...

Misty Overgone Meadow.

The Eashing stretch was very quiet. Indeed, the lack of migrants, 20°C warmth and hearing both Blackcap and Chiffchaff in song made it feel like June! One Marsh Tit was in a mixed flock and a couple of Red-legged Partridges were heard, but that was it.