Late summer sunshine

After the middle period of July began to hint at autumn's arrival, the last week of the month has seen us enjoy some long overdue sunshine, with generally warm temperatures and sunny skies. This has been most welcome – and the birding hasn't been too bad either.

Kestrel.

Thursday 25th

Towards the end of a grey, drizzly day, I had a short walk around Pudmore and surrounds. A small flock of hirundines contained – impressively for this site – all three species, the House Martins of which were my first of the year here. Neither martin species is easy at Thursley, especially over the common proper. A Swift was also in tow and a juvenile Sparrowhawk shot over Birchy Pond.

Pine Island and West Bog.

Friday 26th

After yesterday's miserable weather, this morning was bright and beautiful – a classic late July day, with autumn seeping through the summer surface. I headed to the Lammas Lands and had a fun hour and a half, noting 46 species and plenty of birds.

Overgone Meadow.

Reed Bunting action stood out and included a juvenile on Overgone Meadow and a male collecting grass seeds and taking them to noisy chicks on Catteshall Meadow. This species has had a good breeding season here. 

Reed Bunting.

Two Sedge Warblers – one on each meadow – including a juvenile that may well have been born on site, though we're now in the zone for greater distance post-breeding dispersal of passerines, so who knows.

Sedge Warbler.

Other bits and pieces included a male and juvenile Kestrel, a male Sparrrowhawk and a Bullfinch in the same area as my visit on 21st.

Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull and Moorhen.

Saturday 27th

No birding.

Sunday 28th

It was another fantastic morning, sunny and clear, and despite it being cool and dewy early on it soon warmed up. I headed to Shackleford where, like on 19th, I enjoyed a fun session, noting the same amount of species (45) in two hours.

Shackleford.

Again, Chiffchaffs were very conspicuous – indeed, the Lone Barn track up to Cuckoo Corner was heaving with passerines, as it often is at this time of year. This included my first three Reed Buntings of the autumn, and bang on cue they were too – in fact, 28 July is the average date I first see this species back at 'the shack' in the autumn.

Chiffchaff.

A Treecreeper was also notable amid the passerine action – never easy here. I felt like something better was lurking and, lo and behold, it came at Cuckoo Corner, where I put up a Grasshopper Warbler from the long grass. 

After an excellent spring for the species in Surrey, perhaps we'll have a good autumn for them too (to be fair autumn 2023 was very productive for this species as well). Late July seems to be a decent time to find this species locally, with this my third in the last four years during this time.

Two Lapwings high south-east were very notable as well. These birds are depressingly rare now and, amazingly, these were my first anywhere in south-west Surrey since February – and only the fifth date on which I've recorded any this year. Both adults, presumably they are failed breeders from somewhere ...

Lapwings.

Also noted during a fun morning visit were singles of Bullfinch and Sparrowhawk, two Red-legged Partridges and 33 Greylag Geese. I only saw one Stonechat, however, with no sign of the Dartford Warbler. 

Greylag Geese.

A casual late afternoon walk around the Eashing area, in perfect summer conditions, produced a Kingfisher downriver and two Ravens drifting lazily north over Peper Harow.

Peper Harow.

Monday 29th

No birding.

Tuesday 30th

I was up early this morning, ahead of the warmest day of the year. I headed to Thursley Common where I enjoyed a lively two and a half-hour session on site, notching up 50 species in the process. It was misty and cool early on, but soon warmed up.

Pudmore.

I began at Pudmore, which was productive. The highlight was a Whimbrel fairly low west, calling as it went. A site rarity, averaging one every three or four years, I didn't get great views in the mist but it was a welcome Thursley tick for me – and on a classic date for the species.

Not long after, a Lapwing arrived from the same direction and settled. My first record at Thursley this year, like the two at Shackleford on Sunday this was likely a post-breeding bird moving around. After a few minutes it noisily took off to the north.

Lapwing.

There were plenty of other bits at Pudmore, including two Water Rails, at least one Teal, a Kingfisher (rarely seen at Pudmore) and, on my return at the end of my session, a typically skittish Green Sandpiper flying around between here and South Bog.

Little Grebe and Green Sandpiper.

Things were steadier on the passerine front, though I logged a Spotted Flycatcher at Hammer Pond, a Bullfinch on Ockley Common and plenty of yaffling Green Woodpeckers, plus a mixed singing Chiffchaff – a bird first heard by Gerry in June. 

Stonechat, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Woodlark and Roe Deer.

Otherwise though it was quiet and, in fact, bar Dartford Warblers, many of the heathland specialists (Redstart, Tree Pipit) etc were somewhat conspicuous by their absence.

Wednesday 31st

After the hottest day of the year yesterday, it was warm and muggy this morning. I had a quick look at Snowdenham Mill Pond where the first Teal of the autumn was present – a fairly typical date, though this year I had a very odd mid-June record here.

Snowdenham Mill Pond.

Two Kingfishers – a species that I've seen less of than usual at this site in 2024 – were chasing each other around and a female Tufted Duck led five small ducklings around.

Gearing up

The past 10 days have produced enough gentle signs of autumn to suggest things are gearing up for migration proper, with midsummer slumber coming to an end. The weather has been mixed, although relatively settled in the context of 2024, producing a light feeling of summer that's otherwise been absent of late. 

Female Gadwall with ducklings.

Monday 15th

No birding

Tuesday 16th

No birding.

Wednesday 17th

I was up and at 'em this morning, which was set to be the first of a most welcome little run of hot days. However, dense mist lingering in the air and somewhat impeded my walk along the Wey, which began on the Lammas Lands.

Lammas Lands.

I was surprised to see a Little Grebe on the Overgone Meadow pool, presumably a bird from the breeding pair, the last of which I saw on 24 May. To be honest it's more amazing that the pool is still holding water – it's normally dry by the end of April, which shows how wet 2024 has been.

Otherwise it was quiet with poor visibility, though I did note a Reed Bunting pair taking food to a nest, presumably a second brood.

Reed Bunting.

I walked back along the Eashing stretch, which was seriously quiet – not a single Whitethroat or Garden Warbler were noted, and the disconcertingly long runs without Marsh Tit (last seen in January) and Spotted Flycatcher (none this year) went on. An adult Mute Swan was on the river near Milton Wood.

Eashing Marsh.

Thursday 18th

After yesterday's fog and a late-finishing BBQ last night, I had a lie-in today … but was zapped into action upon waking up and seeing a flurry of missed calls from Dave H. Shit! It was always likely to be a biggy and it transpired that a Franklin's Gull – an incredible first for Surrey – was at Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir. The same bird that had been further east along the Thames at Crossness for the past few days, it was a world lifer for me and I had to go.

I raced up there, negotiating the Wisley traffic fairly well, but was to be disappointed – the bird had seemingly flown and there was no sign. I gave it a good hour and a half, but had missed it … gutted. Dave was the only one to see it and this bird could well go down in Surrey birding mythology. A fully deserved discovery for him, the most consistent bird finder in the county. You can't see them all when it comes to twitching, but after missing the similarly mega Little Crake in April, this stung. 

Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir.

I consoled myself with a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls, eight Little Egrets and five Common Terns.

By lunchtime, it was wonderfully sunny and warm. A quick walk around Eashing Fields provided a pleasing amount of butterfly action, including Marbled Whites and Essex Skippers. The male Stonechat was present, too, perhaps suggestive of a late second breeding attempt, and a Skylark was carrying food.

Skylark and Eashing Fields in bloom.

I did a little walk along the Wey around the village in the evening. A Kingfisher downriver at Eashing Bridge was, incredibly, my first in the 1-km this year! Such a statistic shows how high the water levels have been (Kingfisher normally breeds here). A party of 18 Swifts high south gave the impression of migrants.

Eashing Bridge.

Friday 19th

Another blinder of a day, warm and sunny early on, though Shackleford was giving autumn vibes this morning with an unexpectedly fun session feeling more like mid-August and producing a decent 45 species. 

Chiffchaffs were notable today. A species that's noted here in ones and twos during the spring and summer, today I counted at least eight, many giving their plaintive call from hedgerows and patches of dewy grasses and weeds. Certainly a sign of the autumn approaching times.

Two records were more notable, however. First up was two Yellow Wagtails fairly low south, calling as they went. A very early autumn occurrence, I've never before recorded this species in July – in fact my earliest previous was on 12 August 1999 at Shalford Water Meadows. Odd, especially considering the first-ever June and November records I've had at Thursley during the last two years!

Yellow Wagtails.

A Dartford Warbler was also good value and a site first for me this year. Bizarrely, I first picked it up foraging with a Pied Wagtail and two Linnets on the hay barn roof! Seriously incongruous, as was watching it fly high over the path and into the wheat field, where it began to follow one of the Stonechat family parties around. Shackleford is a good spot for non-breeding Dartfords but there were none last winter.

Dartford Warbler.

Also noted during an enjoyable hour and a half was a Little Owl sunning itself, a Red-legged Partridge, two or three fresh juvenile Kestrels, a male Sparrowhawk, excellent numbers of Whitethroats including many juveniles and a flock of Feral Pigeons – my first at Shackleford this year would you believe!

Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Small Tortoiseshell and Herring Gulls.

Saturday 20th

After the little run of sunny days, it was mizzly, murky and muggy this morning. I headed to Thursley but, after reassessing the conditions, only did a walk around Pudmore and South Bog. The annually eerie post-breeding quiet was in evidence, with the only bird of note a Kingfisher at Moat Pond. I saw no Teal or Curlew – unfortunately the latter are thought to have failed at the chick stage, with no sign of any birds for a couple of weeks now.

I had a look at Tuesley afterwards. Upon arrival I was surprised to hear then see a Yellow Wagtail among the Pieds and Greys – after my first-ever Surrey July record yesterday, here was another. Even more unexpected was that it was a juvenile! Presumably only a few weeks fledged, perhaps this is a product of earlier arriving spring migrants – maybe we'll begin to expect things like returning Yellow Wagtails and Whinchats in future Julys?

Yellow Wagtail.

The Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull was also present, though looking unwell. Also noted was four Common Terns and a fresh juvenile Red Kite over.

Black-headed Gull and Common Terns.

Sunday 21st

It was cloudy and muggy again this morning. I visited the Lammas Lands early on, specifically Overgone Meadow, where I've been checking the pool semi-regularly during the last few weeks. Normally dry by the end of April, the persistent rain this summer means it's still topped up. I have been hoping for a wader here ...

Lammas Lands.

Well, today that happened, with my first-ever Lammas Lands Green Sandpiper pottering around on the mud. Still in full summer dress, it looked quite the part, and I was chuffed with this little patch accomplishment. And who knows, maybe an even better wader will drop in this autumn …

Green Sandpiper.

It was otherwise quiet, though a Bullfinch calling near Borough Road was notable – never a particularly easy Lammas Lands birds and this was only my third of the year.

I had a look at Snowdenham Mill Pond afterwards. A fairly well-developed Tufted Duck duckling was present, along with 15 Mandarin and the Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid.

It had brightened up by late afternoon, when a casual amble through Chiddingfold Forest produced some decent butterfly action, including White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries. I was also pleased to see a Spotted Flycatcher family party in Tugley Wood, where a Siskin flew over.

Chiddingfold Forest.

Monday 22nd

No birding.

Tuesday 23rd

It was a fairly cloudy and muggy morning, though it gradually brightened up throughout. I headed to Frensham Great Pond early on and was surprised to see six Gadwall along the south side – a curiously scarce species on this waterbody (this was only my third record of the year here).

Gadwall.

A few Tufted Duck broods were noted, too, along with an adult and juvenile Common Tern and a high count of 20 Egyptian Geese.

Tufted Duck and Common Tern.

I then visited Waverley Abbey. On Sunday, Kev D reported a brilliant breeding record of three broods of Gadwall here – only the second-ever documented breeding of the species in south-west Surrey, after a female with ducklings at Unstead SF in 2014. Indeed, Gadwall is a rare breeding species anywhere in the county, especially outer Surrey.

In total I counted eight youngsters, from three broods. They looked very cute with their stripey heads and boldly-marked bills. A really cool experience – I've seen ducklings of this species very few times before. Kudos to Kev.

Gadwall.

I also heard a Firecrest singing by the entrance and a juvenile Red Kite flew over.

Wednesday 24th

No birding.