Shalford patch diary, weeks fourteen and fifteen

Monday 4th April

An after work visit to the patch produced at least six Chiffchaffs, one Blackcap and three Swallows on the migrant front, while the first Mallard ducklings of the year were out on Broadford Marsh. Other wildfowl were represented by at least twenty-nine Teal, half a dozen Shoveler and two Mandarin while the drake Gadwall was still present on St Catherine's Pool. Of note overhead were three Lesser Black-backed Gulls north and two Red Kites north-west together. 

First ducklings of the year

Tuesday 5th April

A quick early morning dash round the patch before work again produced a handful of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, while wildfowl numbers were considerably lower than yesterday evening with just three each of Shoveler and Teal and two Mandarin of note. The two Little Owls were in their usual tree while noteworthy flyovers were two Greylag Geese south and a Skylark east. 

Wednesday 6th April

An evening circuit of the patch after a day of showers. Of note were singles of Mandarin and Gadwall, a pair of Shoveler and nine Teal. Out in the horse field there were at least ten Pied Wagtails and three Fieldfare which may prove to be my last of the season. Pretty much the last bird of this evening's visit was a Peregrine flying over Broom Meadow. 

Gadwall

Thursday 7th April

It had been another typical showery April day when I headed to the patch after work, and I hadn't walked far before the heavens opened again for a more persistent spell of rain which soaked me to the bone during my two hour visit. Wildfowl numbers are definitely dropping now, with just two pairs each of Teal and Shoveler around the place. The smaller birds were in fine voice despite the weather, including at least one Willow Warbler, and an unexpected Redstart (88) which sang briefly near the Riff Raff weir during another heavy burst of rain before disappearing behind a thick hedge where it called for a while then went silent. There were an impressive seventeen Pied Wags out in the horse field, while Broom Meadow harboured at least ten Linnets. Signs of movement overhead came in the form of two House Martins, two Grey Wagtails and a single Swallow, all heading north. 

Saturday 9th April

An extended morning visit which again saw me dodging the showers. Overnight rain had clearly brought with it an increase in Blackcaps as there were at least six singing males around and an obvious pair flitting around together in the Broadford area. It was down this end of the patch I also found the first Carrion Crow nest of the year, plus a singing Willow Warbler. 

Carrion Crow nest 

Hirundine numbers are also on the up, with at least eight Sand Martins, six Swallows and two House Martins through during my visit, plus others too high to be identified with confidence. 

Sand Martin 

The drake Gadwall was again on St Catherine's Pool, but the only other wildfowl of note were three Mandarin. Raptors were up and enjoying the sunshine mid-morning, with at least ten Buzzards in and around patch airspace, two Kestrels and three Sparrowhawks, including a pair displaying. The Little Owl was also in its usual tree. 

Richard Waters visited later and had nine Greylag Geese fly over.

Greylag Geese - Richard Waters

In the afternoon I took a stroll up nearby Pewley Down, hoping to finally catch up with a local Wheatear, but found just a single Yellowhammer of note. 

Sunday 10th April

An early and frosty start for a dawn visit to my workplace Winkworth Arboretum (for the montly WeBS count) and nearby Thorncombe Street where I found three lingering Brambling up on 'The Ridge' and also heard my first Cuckoo of the year. 

Another first for the year came on the patch a little while later with the familiar scratchy warble of a Whitethroat coming from an Elder bush by the railway line. Increasingly one of the most numerous warblers in Surrey, always great to see them return. 

First Whitethroat of 2016 (honest!)

There were also at least six Blackcaps singing again and nine Chiffchaffs, including one pair already busy nest building near St Catherine's Pool. The Little Owl was again present as were at least two of the resident Kestrels (I think there are two pairs here now), while flyover highlights were a heard only Redpoll and two House Martins west. 

Monday 11th April

A late afternoon visit today produced at least two Whitethroats singing along with the usual scattering of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Wildfowl were represented by six Teal, one Shoveler and a pair of Mandarin while there were at least six Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk up in the sky, along with two Red Kites which flew north-west together, as they did on the 4th, but this time they later came back the same way, again flying in tandem. 

Mandarins 

It was good to meet fellow local bird Tim Staton who is a regular at Shalford - I'm not sure how it's taken me four months of patch watching the area to bump into him! We had a good chat about the area and other local birding highlights. As we were chatting four House Martins flew north. 

Later on in the evening lengthsman Rob Craig reported a Little Egret.

Tuesday 12th April

An extended daytime visit to the patch after an early start for my first WBBS visit of the year to the river at Papercourt Water Meadows near Woking, which had given me my first Sedge Warbler of the year, plus singing Cuckoo and a Water Rail in flight along the river.

It was already a gloriously warm and sunny morning by the time I got to Shalford and the whole place was ringing with birdsong. Warbler numbers were particularly impressive, with at least twenty-three Chiffchaffs, fourteen Blackcaps, one Whitethroat and seven Willow Warblers across the recording area. The latter is particularly notable for a species which is increasingly a mere passage migrant in swathes of Surrey now. 

The Chiffchaffs are now clearly pairing up fast and I watched several prospecting nest sites today. Raptors too were enjoying the spring weather with at least ten Buzzards airborne along with three Sparrowhawks, two Kestrels and two Red Kites. A Raven also drifted over very high going south-west mid-afternoon. 

Raven (I did say it was high!)

Other signs of spring included two Mallard ducklings following a female along the navigation and Magpies gathering nesting material. Hirundines were represented by one House Martin, two Swallow and five Sand Martin. Other highlights from today were five Mandarin and three Little Grebes on St Catherine's Pool and the usual Little Owl pair again in their tree. It was also clearly an excellent day for butterflies as I saw my first Orange-tip, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood of 2016 along with at least ten Small Tortoiseshell, nine Brimstone and six Peacock. 

Wednesday 13th April

Another largely fine day with just the odd shower and I again headed down to the water meadows after work. Plenty of warbler song again, with at least eleven Chiffchaffs and four Blackcaps. On St Catherine's Pool I found two Little Grebes and the drake Gadwall still present, while there a dozen very young Mallard ducklings on the navigation by St Catherine's Lock, including three pure yellow ones! Flyover highlights from this evening's visit were Sparrowhawk, a Red Kite east, one Swallow and a House Martin east. 

One of the bright yellow ducklings at St Catherine's Lock

Thursday 14th April

After an absolutely stonking six hour Leith Hill tower migration watch this morning I wasn't expecting too much from my afternoon visit to Shalford - you can't expect fireworks all the time, especially when it comes to birding in Surrey.

The weather was also on the turn and rain was clearly on the way when I arrived at the patch.

Still, I again found the place alive with singing warblers; at least ten each of Chiffchaff and Blackcap and a single Whitethroat.

Storm clouds gathering over St Catherine's Lock

The last of the sunshine meant there were still several raptors up and about: at least two each of Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel seen during my visit plus a single Red Kite west. Water birds were rather thin on the ground, or water, with just the lingering drake Gadwall, one Little Grebe and three Mandarin of note.

Overhead a couple of Swallows and House Martins passed through, while the butterflies were again out in force, with at least four each of Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell and singles of Comma and Brimstone seen.

Friday 15th April

A decent three hour visit to the patch this morning (I had a few days off this week in between finishing at Winkworth and starting my new job on the 18th) which produced 53 species. First up was an unexpected patch tick on one of the Broadford pools: a Great Crested Grebe (91) - not only my first record of one in the Chilworth/Albury/Shalford area in two years of living locally, but also the first time Rob Craig has heard of one here in all his time as lengthsman. There was also a trio of Tufted Duck in the same area; only my second record of this species at Shalford this year.

Warbler numbers were again good, with at least thirteen Chiffchaffs, six Blackcaps and four Whitethroats around. Out in the horse field Pied Wagtails were gathering nesting material while in Bog Meadow a pair of Reed Buntings were frequenting a bramble patch. Gull numbers have dropped right down in the past two or three weeks, so two Lesser Black-backed Gulls north-east were noteworthy. Hirundines were again trickling through with at least three Swallows and nine House Martins north, while two Sand Martins bucked the trend and flew south!

Saturday 16th April

Another three hour patch stint from dawn this morning produced 55 species. The Great Crested Grebe was still present in the Broadford area, as was a singing Willow Warbler - the first one for a few days. Other warblers were represented by at least eleven Blackcaps, nine Chiffchaffs and four Whitethroats. There was a fair amount of movement going on overhead, with five Greylags south-west, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, two Herring Gulls and the first Black-headed Gull for a while plus seven Swallows north. There were an impressive four Sparrowhawks in the air together at one point, all displaying and having a bit of a dogfight over Broadford - quite impressive to watch!

There were still a couple of Teal around in addition to two Mandarin, three Grey Herons and a Little Grebe.

Sunday 17th April

A morning spent surveying on the Ash Ranges produced my first Tree Pipits of the year, plus good numbers of Redstarts, Dartford Warblers, a trio of Woodlarks, a couple of Swallows and a flyover Cuckoo. In the afternoon my girlfriend and I paid a visit to our Shalford allotment where we had a single Swallow flying and singing low overhead as we dug, plus a flyover Redpoll.

It was only a brief visit to the patch this evening then, after all that, with again no new additions to the year list. It was nice to see half a dozen or so House Martins seemingly lingering over the village though, rather than just racing through, unlike the single Sand Martin which zoomed north low over Broom Meadow.

Never noticed this sign before - anyone fancy a long stroll?

Leith Hill tower migration watch, 14th April

Every once in a while the hours of standing around in the biting cold northerlies at 1000ft seeing disappointingly few birds pays off, the wind changes, the air feels warmer and the birders gathered atop Leith Hill tower are treated to some quality birds. 

Today was one of those days. 

Robin scanning for approaching hirundines

A gorgeous dawn which saw the land below the hill largely shrouded in mist and barely a breath of wind set the scene for a tower watch which, six hours later, we agreed was one for the ages.

Robin Stride, David Stubbs, Stuart Cossey and I ascended the tower a little after 6am and quickly noted Siskins and Linnets flitting about locally along with a couple of singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Other summer songsters were notably absent though, especially Willow Warbler and Cuckoo, both of which we'd have expected by now. No matter, as there were clearly birds on the move above and around us. The first Swallow flew through fairly early on, followed by more and then later the House Martins arrived. Not the enormous flocks of autumn, perhaps, but a steady trickle nonetheless, and we speculated how far some of these birds might continue to travel before they reached their breeding grounds. 

The City skyline rising up above the mist

Finches were moving too, with a few Chaffinches, Redpolls and Goldfinches seemingly going further than just a short distance as they powered past, plus small groups of Meadow Pipits, often at considerably greater altitude than our lofty viewpoint. Raptors weren't in a mood to be left out and the first Red Kite of the day flew low east relatively early on, followed by another late morning. Meanwhile, as the air warmed, ever increasing numbers of Buzzards took to the skies; a 360 scan mid morning produced a conservative count of twenty-five. There were also at least three Sparrowhawks around, and fly bys from singles of Raven and Peregrine. 

By about 8 am a slight lull descended, giving us chance for refreshments. This was merely the calm before the storm though as just before 8.30 another flurry of activity occurred, with a small party of Goldfinches north and at least three Great Spotted Woodpeckers squabbling and flying around near the tower. Shortly after this I looked up to see a bird flying more or less directly overhead, quite low. It was clearly a finch, but large and flying with perceptible power, and as it opened its wings the sunlight revealed bold white wing flashes just a second or two before it dropped down into the trees just to the east of us. Hawfinch! My first in Surrey since the large flock at Box Hill in 2013. As is now traditional David Stubbs broke out his stash of orange Club biscuits in celebration!

The Dorking Gap, looking more like a river in the fog

Stuart had to leave us at 9am as he was off to tutor some NT volunteers on how to do a butterfly transect, but the tower watch team numbers were soon boosted again by the arrival of Wes Attridge at 10. Wes and I met down at the tea hatch, while Robin and David called out some new additions to the day list from the roof - 'Kestrel!...Mute Swan!' 

Very nice but not really worth sprinting back up for, especially with sausage rolls warming in the oven.

Hot air balloon - one of two up today. None of us had seen any here before
 so clearly a very good day for it

Back up the tower and things really kicked off after 11. By now there were raptors everywhere and we pointed out passing Swallows to some visitors. Just before 11.30 Wes picked up an interesting gull to the south-west, moving with four Lesser Black-backeds which were clearly at least twice the size of the bird in question. We all got on it and, as it slowly came closer, were able to make out the black head, black underwings and buoyant, tern-like flight. LITTLE GULL! Orange clubs all round again. An outrageous tick from a dry inland site, although only a while earlier I had speculated that some of the numbers of this species that had turned up at water bodies in the county recently must travel overland, even if they were 1500-odd foot up and still climbing as this one was.

By 12.30 things had started to really quieten down a bit, and after enjoying an adult Great Black-backed Gull drift high overhead and another little group of House Martins racing north, we decided to call it a day. 

An absolutely superb morning's local birding in great company. Roll on the next one!

Shalford patch diary, weeks twelve and thirteen

Monday 21st March

An after work visit tonight produced little in the way of migrants, aside from a single singing Chiffchaff, but there was a fair amount of other stuff around, most notably Buzzards which were very active and which I observed mating and carrying nesting material. The usual Kestrel pair were displaying still, while a male Linnet was singing away in Broom Meadow. Wildfowl numbers remain fairly stable with at least nine Shoveler and eighteen Teal scattered around the area. On the gull front, aside from the usual Black-headeds, ten Common and two Lesser Black-backed flew north while two single Herring Gulls flew south and west.

Kestrels

Tuesday 22nd March

A short and rather unremarkable stroll around the Broadford area after work tonight yielded just three Shoveler and two Teal of note on the deck, while two Buzzards and a single Grey Wagtail were the best of the flyovers along with an unsually high count of five Grey Herons south. 

Friday 25th March

The warmest day of the year so far and one in which there had been a fair amount of raptor vismig evident during my working day, so the patch was calling as the clock hit 4pm. Early on in my visit I clocked a Little Egret flying south, while eighteen Fieldfares heading north-east was the highest count I'd seen here for a while and presumably birds on the move. Gull numbers were noticeably lower than of late, with just four each of Common and Lesser Black-backed of any note. Wildfowl numbers again were reasonable with at least twenty-five Teal, five Shoveler and three Mandarin. The Little Owl was in its usual tree and it was entertaining to watch it chasing off a Grey Squirrel at one point. Raptors were represented by two Buzzards and singles of Kestrel and Red Kite.

Kestrel 

Monday 28th March

Dodging fallen trees and debris on the roads of Chilworth and Shalford, I headed to the patch mid-morning after the worst of 'Storm Katie' had died down and found the water levels the highest I had seen them to date.

Indeed, access via the Dagley Lane boardwalk end was completely out of the question so I headed north up the eastern side past the waterworks and through Shalford Park. I have been rather neglectful of the northern end of my patch so far this year so this was a good excuse to check it out. It was clear from the off there were a lot of Chiffchaffs around and I'd already heard at least four before I reached the waterworks. The total count was at least ten singing males. It was when I reached the waterworks that the first wave of Gulls moved into view from the north. I started going through them, expecting the usual Common and Black-headed but was surprised to find them almost entirely Herring Gulls. This theme continued throughout my visit and the final tally was 120 south - by far my highest count of this species here to date. These were interspersed with just a single Common Gull, nine Black-headeds and at least five Lesser Black-backed.
Also on the move overheard were two Greylag Geese north - only my second record of this species this year - and a few Meadow Pipits north, plus the always welcome sight of my first Swallow (80) of the year which flew west over St Catherine's Lock just after noon. Wildfowl were represented by at least nine Teal, a single drake Shoveler and at least three pairs of Mandarin, while of note on the raptor front were Peregrine, two each of Kestrel and Sparrowhawk and at least four Buzzards.

Mandarins - Richard Waters

Later in the day I had an Osprey drift high north over my garden in Chilworth, at the onset of a hail shower.

Tuesday 29th March

Just a quick after work visit tonight and the water levels were still too high to allow access to much of my usual route around the patch but a scan of Broadford Marsh produced at least seven Shoveler while the horse field in this area held a little mixed flock of Starlings and winter thrushes - the latter won't be with us much longer. Overhead there were at least four Buzzards around and a single Red Kite south.

Thursday 31st March

My last patch visit of March and, after an early shift vis-migging up Leith Hill, I had nowhere else particularly important to be so decided to make my visit a lengthy one.
Aside from the ever increasing numbers of Chiffchaffs and Monday's Swallow, it was looking like I'd end the month with disappointingly little in the way of migrants on my list. It was a very welcome sight then to watch a single Sand Martin (81) hawking over the meadows this morning before continuing its way north. The patch was ringing to the sound of Chiffchaff song, at least a dozen singing around the place, but sadly no other warblers yet. A scan of St Catherine's Pool produced little on the water, but I did hear the distinctive call of a Brambling (82) from somewhere overhead, although frustratingly wasn't able to clap eyes on it. Still, my second patch tick of the day really buoyed my enthusiasm and I continued my walk, excited for what my third could be - House Martin perhaps? Or Willow Warbler? I waded through the deepest of puddles and climbed the steps up to the Railway Line Walk and headed down the path to view the Broadford Marsh area, where I found the usual scattering of Shoveler, notably higher numbers of Coot, and a single drake Wigeon (83).

Shoveler and Wigeon on Broadford Marsh 

 Tick! This was a species I expected earlier in the year, given the amount of suitable habitat here, but better late than never. After a while it flew off with a group of Shoveler, which it broke off from in due course and came down on the other side of the river. A little later I saw four more fly from this area and back down into the marsh near Broadford Bridge. Three patch ticks in one day! This was just getting silly now...
Later, on another pool in the Broadford area I found a pair of Tufted Duck (84) - patch tick number four - and it was here I decided to sit and have my lunch. It was a glorious afternoon, and as I enjoyed my sandwiches a Chiffchaff sang in the Willows above my head, a Swallow flitted overhead and a Peacock butterfly fluttered past. Spring at last.
Also of note from today's visit were at least ten Linnet, four Reed Buntings. ten Buzzards, three Red Kites, one Sparrowhawk, one Little Owl, two Mandarin, and Jackdaws and Starlings gathering nesting material.

Mandarin - Richard Waters

Friday 1st April

An early and chilly start this morning saw the patch still rather frosty and misty but looking beautiful bathed in warming spring sunshine.

I didn't cover quite as much ground as yesterday but still clocked up at least ten singing Chiffchaffs - they really are everywhere now. As I made my way along the Railway Line Walk I also heard my first singing Blackcap of the year. St Catherine's Pool was rather more lively this morning with a patch high count of three Little Grebes jostling at the southern end, while a drake Gadwall (85) hanging out with a pair of Mallards was another very welcome addition to the patch list. 

Gadwall on St Catherine's Pool 

Starlings and Jackdaws were again flying around with nest material as I strolled down to check out Broadford Marsh. The water levels are still really high but I'm hoping they may drop enough to attract the odd passing wader in the next few weeks. Today though it was mainly Teal, with at least dozen scattered about the marsh and another ten on the Railway Pool. The marsh also held at least five each of Coot and Shoveler - numbers of the former have noticeably increased with the water levels this week.
Walking south along the navigation I stopped to check the usual Little Owl tree and, sure enough, found one basking in the sunshine. I set up my scope to get a better look and take a few phonescope pics. No sooner had I done so than a second bird appeared and promptly mounted the other and they mated for several seconds. What a magic moment.  

As usual there were a fair few Canada Geese around this morning, but one bird in particular caught my eye as it had an almost entirely white head. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo as I only saw it a couple of times briefly in flight but hopefully it'll turn up again at some point. 

By mid-morning the air had warmed sufficiently to produce the first raptors, with at least five Buzzards around and a pair of Sparrowhawks displaying over Broadford.

Buzzard - Richard Waters

As I was heading back to my car a Skylark (86) flew east over Broom Meadow; another new species for me here and my sixth patch tick in two days. I do love this time of year!

Later in the day Richard Waters paid the meadows a visit hoping for owls, which sadly didn't appear, but he did add a Little Egret to the day list. 

Little Egret - Richard Waters

Sunday 3rd April

Southerly winds and overnight rain prompted me to get out of bed extra early for my first pre-work patch visit of the year, although I only had time for a quick check of Broom Meadow, St Catherine's Pool and Broadford Marsh. 

Broadford Marsh

Plenty of singing Chiffchaffs around again plus at least two Blackcaps as I made my way past St Catherine's Lock to check the pool. I stopped to skywatch for a short while by the lock and noted a Little Egret flying north. Moving on, and I hadn't got much further before I stopped again to check I'd heard what I thought I'd just heard and, sure enough, from the bushes just across the river, the first drunken warblings of a Willow Warbler (87) - always lovely to hear.

On St Catherine's Pool itself I found the drake Gadwall still present along with four Coots noisily scrapping, plus four Teal and a pair of Little Grebe.

Heading along the navigation towards Broadford I briefly stopped to check the Little Owl tree which, sure enough, contained one very vocal Little Owl.

Little Owl - Richard Waters

There were at least ten Teal on the railway pool and at least another fifteen on Broadford Marsh along with half a dozen Shoveler. I headed further along the Railway Line Walk to check the horse field which produced little, but there were at least five Bullfinches down here.

A brief after work visit added Lesser Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull to the day list, with two and seven of each over, respectively. There were also six Swallows hawking over the meadows, and a single House Martin (88) - my first of the year - over Dagley Lane which then flew under the eaves of a house near the station. A nice end to a great week which has added nine species to my patch list, taking my Patchwork Challenge list to 88 species/94 points.

A few more pics from the past couple of weeks,

Horse interrupts Wheatear scanning session

The alien-looking Butterbur emerging near St Catherine's Lock

Hazel leaf buds bursting in the sunshine

Early Dog-violet

Kestrel - Richard Waters

Roe Deer