A new year begins

We're 10 days into 2024 and, so far, a range of winter weather has been experienced. This has included wet and mild conditions that led to flooding locally, before a cold snap – which looks like it may last a little while – set in. It's been a fairly slow start to the birding year for me personally, but nevertheless there's been plenty to see and enjoy.

Cormorants.

Monday 1st

No birding.

Tuesday 2nd

No birding.

Wednesday 3rd

I dipped my toe into the 2024 birding water today with a short walk along the Wey at Eashing before work. Following the relentless rain of late, and Storm Henk's arrival yesterday, parts of the river had topped and there was plenty of standing water.

Wey at Eashing.

A Brambling over Rush Corner with Chaffinches was quite the surprise, given the poor winter for the species in southern England. Indeed, it was my first record locally since mid-November. The farmland in the Eashing area does seem to attract this species however ...

It was otherwise quiet, although excellent counts of Mandarin (51; a personal high for me in the Eashing area) and Siskin (at least 100) were achieved.

Thursday 4th

A short walk of the southern end of Witley Common in bright, pleasant conditions was quiet and failed to produce many redpolls, with only five or so Lesser Redpolls seen. A couple of Dartford Warblers were calling from the newly cleared areas of heath, too.

Witley Common.

Friday 5th

For the second time in as many months the only way was Essex for me today, this morning to the estuarine village of Heybridge, where Britain's eighth Northern Waterthrush had ludicrously been found in a garden on Wednesday. The bird had now relocated to a nearby creek and, after a lengthy wait, I eventually connected. There was no chance for photos, so one at a Mexican sewage works last year will have to do …

A previous Northern Waterthrush ...

During the four and a bit hour stakeout, which was undertaken in grey, windy conditions, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff and, surprisingly, Yellowhammer, were noted.

Saturday 6th

Continued recent rain meant much of the Wey was unwalkable today, with large areas of flooding scuppering my plans of a river walk. Shackleford was chosen as plan B and the site's quiet winter meant my low-key start to local birding this year continued. 

As with my last visit here on 17 December, Fieldfare numbers were impressive, and included a feeding flock of 200 or so in the easternmost field.

Seed-eaters however are thin on the ground at Shackleford this winter and I managed a paltry 20 Linnets amid few finches in general. Also noted was a single Raven that flew west, two Red-legged Partridges and four Stonechats.

Kestrel, Rook and Starlings.

I checked the floods at Wrecclesham afterwards where, as expected, plenty of Wigeon were knocking about – that scarce south-west Surrey species that is only reliably found here after heavy rain. I estimated at least 40. A single Tufted Duck was a surprise and doubtless flood-related, too.

Wigeon.

It had brightened up a bit by mid-afternoon, with a chilly northerly breeze in place. A pleasant, relaxed winter walk around Chiddingfold Forest sprung into life near The Meadow, Oldlands, when a couple of birds in a small flock of Lesser Redpolls (approximately 15) caught my eye.

After some patient observation and photography work, I eventually nailed at least two Mealy Redpolls – a real result! Both birds were particularly pale and stood out thus. There may even have been a third … I wonder how many Mealies are at large in rural Surrey at the moment during this mini-influx? Hopefully a few more, as I'm a bit obsessed with redpolls!

Mealy Redpolls.

A single Marsh Tit was also noted.

Chiddingfold Forest.

Sunday 7th

I was able to undertake my river walk today, with the floods receding enough for my route to be passable. That said, there were plenty of stretches where it was hard to separate path from river, and the water levels in some areas were extraordinarily high.

I began on the Lammas Lands and one of the first birds I clocked was an adult male Peregrine over Overgone Meadow. It disappeared towards Frith Hill, chasing Feral Pigeons, and I suspect it's the bird from the pair that loitered in the Godalming area last winter and spring (but sadly didn't breed).

At least 20 Snipe were mostly on Catteshall Meadow and likely involved birds flooded out from elsewhere. I'm sure there would've been a Jack or two lurking, but I didn't want to disturb them more than they already had been by the high water levels. 

A flock of 70 Siskins patrolled riverside alders, a single Reed Bunting was heard and, in a lovely gesture to spring, a female Sparrowhawk display-flighted.

Lammas Lands.

It was then onto Unstead Water Meadows, for the perennial let down. During times of flood this site looks rare as hell but rarely produces – and today was no different. A Snipe flushed from the either underwater or very muddy towpath was novel, but other highlights were limited to singles of Little Egret and Lesser Redpoll and a few Siskins.

I continued on, along the Peasmarsh stretch and to Shalford Water Meadows. Here, Broadford Meadows (the area south of Broadford Bridge) was largely under water – something I've not seen before. 

Shalford Water Meadows.

A few geese and gulls had gathered here, as well as a tidy reward for my long walk: a pair of Wigeon. As cited many times on this blog, this is a true south-west Surrey scarcity, especially away from Wrecclesham. Last year, I had only two records! 

Wigeon.

A Gadwall pair were also of note and a single Little Egret was present.

Monday 8th

No birding

Tuesday 9th

A bitterly cold north-easterly wind was in situ during my first trip to Frensham Great Pond for three weeks – a pre-empter of the forecasted chilly period coming up. Two Gadwall along the east side were a surprise and my first here since April. This species is curiously scarce at Frensham … 28 Pochard were totted up as well, but it was generally quiet.

Pochard.

While running lunchtime errands in Godalming I had a quick look at the fields at Loseley – and was very pleased to see some Lapwings. Not just two, or three, but a fine flock of 32. Depressingly, this is the largest gathering I've encountered in south-west Surrey since February 2021 (during a big freeze). 

Lapwings.

Some 16 Egyptian Geese marked a high count, too.

Wednesday 10th

It was another freezing cold morning, this time with a hard frost after a clear night. I decided to visit Snowdenham Mill Pond before work, noting two low-flying Ravens over Eashing Farm en route.

At the pond, I was surprised to see it had already frozen over by about two-thirds (this site is usually one of the last to go locally during a cold spell). Wildfowl numbers, as they have been all winter here, were fairly low, and included 10 Teal, 15 Mandarin and a single drake Gadwall. 

Snowdenham Mill Pond.

It's crazy to think that in January 2016 I reached a count of 116 Teal here, on a day with double-figure flocks of other species also logged, including Tufted Duck (now rarely present at all). Not much seems to have changed, though I know the local gamekeeper no longer puts food down for wildfowl.

Despite these reminisces and the chilly temperature l I was pleased to note both my first drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and display-flighting Stock Dove of the year, which both seemed rather enthusiastic given the conditions!