I've got a bit out of the habit of doing my regular patch diary blog posts so am going to attempt to summarise the first seven or so weeks of 2017 in this one with as little waffle as possible! As I write this the patch year list stands on 75, just one behind this time last year and with several 'easy' species still missing, most notably Tawny Owl! One of the best things about patch watching though is it makes otherwise common species more rewarding when they do make an appearance, and it's been interesting to note several species that have been recorded earlier this year than last, and others that have been notable by their absence.
Greylag Goose is the third most commonly seen goose species on the patch and only ever seen in smallish numbers in 2016, so it was quite surprising to see approximately 70 flying NNE from Loseley direction towards Guildford on 28th January.Canada Geese are just as common as ever, with reasonable numbers (20-30) flying in to roost on St Catherine's Pool on all my evening visits recently. As was the case last year Egyptian Goose seems to be largely a flyover species here, so it was a bit of a surprise to see a pair in the dead tree in Broadford Meadows on 5th February, seemingly vying with a gang of Jackdaws over a nest box. Then this weekend a pair seem to have taken a liking to the St Catherine's Pool/Broom Meadow area, having been seen either on the water or in one of the Oaks here the past couple of days.
Egyptian Goose
Moving on to ducks, it took me until the end of March last year to record Wigeon on patch, with the 31st March birds remaining my only Shalford record until 7th January this year when I heard that familiar whistling call somewhere over Broom Meadow at first light, this then followed by two drakes on St Catherine's Pool during my WeBS count on 12th February. Shoveler, on the other hand, have been rather more elusive this winter than last, with the first ones not seen until 30th January. They've since been a fairly regular feature, peaking at 11+ on 12th February.
Wigeon and Shoveler flying off from St Catherine's Pool - great photo, I know
Another duck species that took me until spring last year to add to the patch list was Gadwall so it was nice to find a pair on Broadford Marsh on 12th February, again during my WeBS count. As was the case last winter, Teal is rivalled only by Mallard as the commonest duck on the patch. They tend to be quite scattered around the area though so it's hard to get an accurate count, but numbers of between 15 and 25 are regular, with a high count of 30+ on 15th January. Mandarin Ducks have been around in small numbers, peaking at at least 6 on 19th and 25th February - 4 flew from roost below St Catherine's Hill early on the latter date.
Gadwall
Teal
There's been at least one Little Grebe kicking about since the middle of January, mostly on the navigation downstream of St Catherine's Lock although more recently I've had one on St Catherine's Pool on a couple of occasions, where they bred last year. It was particularly unusual seeing one swimming amongst the trees in Mill Mead Meadow after the river burst its banks a few weeks back!
Little Grebe
On to gulls, and it's been the usual palette of Herring, Common and Black-headeds flying over recently, peaking at either end of the day, some of the latter occasionally coming down to check out the river or flying low over Dagley Lane towards the village green. Lesser Black-backeds are rather less common and I've had just one record of Great Black-backed Gull so far: one adult flying high south-west on 21st January.
Three species of wader have made it onto the year list so far, with Lapwing perhaps the most notable. In 2016 I only had a handful of records of this species, mostly in small numbers aside from a flock of 26 over in October. Again it was good to get them on the year list early this year with a flock of c.35 wheeling around towards Loseley on 21st January followed by around 30 flying over the same area on 5th February, then half a dozen north-east on 26th February. Keeping with the theme of record breaking counts, there were at least 18 Snipe towards the northern end of Broom Meadow near St Catherine's Lock on 7th January - by far my highest count here! Still waiting to find that Jack though... I did quite well for Woodcock on the patch last year, with several records in January/February. I was glad then to finally add the species to the 2017 year list when two flew up from Broadford Marsh and right over my head at dusk on 15th February.
Lapwings (you'll have to take my word for it!)
Little Egrets are a frequent sight in this part of the county in winter now and Shalford is no exception, with several records of this species on the patch already in 2017, most recently one which flew up from near St Catherine's Hill on 25th February.
Little Egret
Up until this week Barn Owl was the only Owl species I'd recorded on the patch in 2017 with up to two present at times. Hopefully this species will breed here this year after no proven breeding records in 2016. On the 21st of this month though Barn was joined on the year list by at least one Little Owl calling at dusk - first at the southern end of St Catherine's Meadow (their favoured area last year) then closer to the lock, seemingly in a tree right by the navigation, though it was too dark to see. Whether this was one bird or two I'm not sure but I'll be monitoring them closely as this is my first record of the species here since last June.
Red Kite
Moving onto raptors now and the first patch Red Kite of the year was recorded on 21st January followed by singles on the 4th, 5th, 25th and 26th February. As with Buzzards in this area it's becoming increasingly hard to separate the locals from the movers but it's certainly good to see both these species becoming such a regular sight. Talking of Buzzards, there seems to be a pair hanging around in the same area that they bred last year which is good news. Last year I also suspected Sparrowhawks to have bred in the Broadford area and I've already seen birds displaying around here again on warmer days recently. Last week a male was loitering around in the trees in the same area.
Kestrel remains the most regularly seen raptor on the patch with at least one or two present on all visits. This morning (26th) it was good to see a pair hanging around near one of the nest boxes towards the southern end of the patch. My only Peregrine record of the year so far was one that flew south-west over St Catherine's Lock on 28th January.
Kestrel
Fieldfare have been in rather short supply so far this year but there's a fairly decent Redwing flock kicking around, usually scattered about in the wetter areas of Mill Mead Meadow and Broom Meadow. Stonechats have been a fairly consistent sight so far this year with up to three present on the 7th and 14th January. I hadn't seen one for a week or two until yesterday though when a female was near Broadford Bridge. I'm finding Firecrest rather harder to find this winter than last with my only record so far one in the bank of Holly along the Railway Line Walk on 5th February.
My first skywatch from St Catherine's Hill of the year on 25th February produced the first Raven record of 2017 with two flying west not long after 7am, seemingly coming up from roost in the trees on the north-east side of the hill. This is exciting as all my previous records of this species involved high-flying birds simply passing over the patch.
A very obliging Greenfinch in Broom Meadow
Siskins are an ever present species at this time of year with good numbers around, particularly in the Alders at the top of Broom Meadow, but not quite so many as last winter - c.120 on 15th January my highest count so far, and not a sniff of a Redpoll! Compared to last winter, there are lots more Linnets around and I've noticed they are roosting in the bushes in Broom Meadow - at least 30 coming into roost on 22nd January.
The same skywatch on 25th February that delivered Raven also yielded the first Crossbill of the year, with one flying in from the direction of the Chantries before turning and flying south. Another species that has made it onto the patch year list earlier that in 2016 - considerably earlier in fact, as it took until October to record one last year. Given the amount of records of possible breeding in the county this year this is not exactly surprising but a very welcome addition nonetheless. Reed Buntings are now back on the patch in reasonable numbers with at least half a dozen around since early February, and a pair already looking to be checking out nest sites in St Catherine's and Broom Meadows.
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
After an enjoyable but rather quiet morning vis migging at Leith Hill I headed down to the patch for an extended afternoon visit. Entering from the Broadford Bridge end I had barely walked more than a few metres before I noticed a few gulls drifting over. Nothing particularly unusual there, except that was for one which even with the naked eye stood out with its pure white primaries gleaming in the sunshine. A quick look through bins confirmed my suspicions that it was an adult Mediterranean Gull. Unfortunately no sooner had I got my camera out and ready the bird had gained height and was disappearing fast to the north-east. Still a great addition to the patch list and a great start to the afternoon! It proved to be quite a gull-filled visit, with over 170 Common Gulls north later in the day, amongst the usual hundreds of Black-headeds, at least twenty Herring and five Lesser Black-backed.
Lots of Gulls!
On the Railway Pool there were four Teal and a Little Egret, while St Catherine's Pool held eight Teal and a pair of Shoveler. Just north of St Catherine's Lock I flushed a Water Rail from the reeds as I passed. The usual pair of Kestrels were still around, while two single Red Kites flew over (or possibly the same bird) - one north-east followed by one west a while later. Other raptors were at least two Buzzards and a male Sparrowhawk which flew over carrying prey. Meanwhile a Raven drifted into the patch airspace from the west for a moment before turning and heading back the same way. There were at least fifteen Rooks around, including a pair mating in St Catherine's Meadow, west of the lock (I'll put an annotated map on here one of these days). All in all not a bad afternoon - patch birding at its best!
Kestrel
Friday 11th March
The best thing about this time of year is surely the ever-lengthening evenings and, thanks to still being on winter working hours, I can now easily get in a couple of hours' birding after work. After one of the mildest days of the year so far, the patch was still thronging with birdsong when I arrived.
Blackbird singing
The rain earlier in the week had had a noticeable impact on the water levels, with the southern end of the meadows mostly flooded again although thankfully not enough to prevent access via the boardwalk. Indeed, amongst the first birds I saw this evening were a few Teal out on the flood here, along with two on the Railway Pool and at least fifteen on Broadford Marsh, viewed from Railway Line Walk. Other wildfowl of note were at least five Shoveler, and two Mandarin which flew over St Catherine's Pool and two more (or possibly the same two) which flew down into Broadford Marsh a while later. Pausing a while at St Catherine's Lock I noted a singing male Grey Wagtail and a Little Egret, the latter perched in a tree a little way along the river towards Guildford. Meanwhile there was a Little Owl in the usual tree just upstream from St Catherine's Lock on the west side of the navigation.
Grey Wagtail - Richard Waters
Cuckooflower - considerably ahead of its avian namesake
Saturday 12th March
A well-timed late morning visit after the early fog had cleared saw the meadows bathed in warming sunshine, and the birds were clearly responding in kind: Reed Buntings were singing, along with a few of the many Redwings gathering along the Railway Line Walk, and a Carrion Crow was building a nest in an Oak along the eastern boundary. The Chiffchaff I'd earlier seen skulking through the undergrowth by the river when I first arrived was singing away at the top of a Willow as I walked back to my car. Always a sound to lift the spirits at this time of year, even though this species is increasingly overwintering in Britain and isn't quite the harbinger of spring it once was. The other surprise this morning was another patch tick in the form of a male Rose-ringed Parakeet along the river just north-east of St Catherine's Lock. After a few minutes of nibbling at the buds in this Ash it flew off south, screeching as it went.
Rose-ringed Parakeet
I was unfortunately not quick enough with my camera to capture the leucistic Goldfinch I stumbled across feeding on Burdock seedheads along the Railway Line Walk. Had it not been with a small flock of Goldfinches it would have really had me stumped. Indeed, when I first caught sight of it, all black and white with a gleaming white head, thoughts of recent UK occurrences of Northern Long-tailed Tit flashed into my head! Other highlights from today's visit included Little Egret, Firecrest, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, two Buzzard, a flyover Redpoll and at least twenty Teal.
Goldfinch
Red Kite
Sunday 13th March
Just a flying post-work visit tonight produced at least three Reed Buntings, two Buzzards, the usual Kestrel pair, five Cormorants north and a single Egyptian Goose south. Richard Waters arrived around about the time I was heading home and manged to photograph a Barn Owl.
Cormorant (and Common Gull)
Barn Owl - Richard Waters
Monday 14th March
The north-easterly really had some bite to it when I arrived on the patch after work this evening and unsurprisingly there wasn't a huge amount of bird activity going on, most things sensibly hunkered down out of the wind. Of note though were a couple of Mandarin and a high count of fourteen Shoveler at Broadford, plus a couple of Buzzards lingering over the trees near the railway line and getting mobbed by the local corvids.
Treecreeper - Richard Waters
Thursday 17th March
Having enjoyed the sunshine all day at work and seen my first Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell of the year earlier in the day, I was feeling decidedly optimistic and full of the joys of spring when I arrived at Shalford. Entering the gate into Broom Meadow one of the first bird sounds I heard was Linnet, a common enough species but one which has thus far been only an occasional flyover for me here, so it was a surprise to find a little 'fall' of sorts, with at least half a dozen or so flitting about the gorse and broom bushes, and a couple of singing males perched higher in the trees. It struck me then that I hadn't seen any sign of a Stonechat here for a couple of weeks - sometimes migration is as evident by that which is no longer present as that which has newly arrived.
Looking south towards St Catherine's Lock
Other species of note from this evening's visit were four Teal, two Mandarin, two Shoveler, two Little Grebe and the now usual Little Owl in its favourite Oak between the navigation and the railway. Moving overhead were at least sixteen Common Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and four Cormorants north and two Egyptian Geese south. As I returned to my car via the boardwalk I counted at least twenty-three Magpies gathering to roost at the southern end of the meadows. I'm not sure the nursery rhyme goes up to twenty-three?!
Magpie
Friday 18th March
A very, very, very, very cold Leith Hill tower migration watch kick-started the day, with only twenty or so Crossbills of any real note amongst the murk and drizzle. Slowly regaining sensation in our toes and fingers, Ed Stubbs and I decided to head for our respective patches, beginning with a couple of hours at Shalford. Amongst the first birds we saw was a showy Firecrest in the line of hollies along the eastern boundary. Out in Broom Meadow there were three Kestrels and at least two singing Reed Buntings, while our first Little Egret of the day flew south-west over St Catherine's Hill. We later noted another in the ditch running under the railway bridge and a probable third towards the back of the Railway Pool. The regular Little Owl was again in its usual tree, while wildfowl of note were at least twenty Teal, a dozen Shoveler and two Mandarin.
Drake Mandarin
Saturday 19th March
The twelfth straight day of north-easterlies and hope for a sudden fall of migrants was at a particularly low ebb as I made my way to the patch this morning. My optimism was buoyed somewhat though as I entered the gate into the meadows only to be greeted by the sight of a Chiffchaff flitting about in an Oak here, singing occasionally. I later noted another doing the same further west near the Riff Raff weir. Spring is proving slow to spring again this year but at least it's getting there!
Chiffchaff
Other highlights from this morning included at least fifty Redwings out in the horse field along the Railway Line Walk, the usual Little Owl, twenty-five Common Gulls and a Red Kite north and at least eighteen Teal and four Mandarin about the place.
Pheasant walking the line
Sunday 20th March
The first day of spring unfortunately brought no break in the weather as the cold wind continued to keep the temperatures down. It was a decent morning on the patch though, in spite of the unwelcoming conditions. There were again two Chiffchaffs singing occasionally, and there was a great deal of chatter from the assembled four dozen or more Redwings down the Railway Line Walk - they won't be with us much longer now. Common Gulls were drifting north almost continuously during my visit, interspersed only occasionally with a Black-headed. Teal numbers were particularly high, with at least nineteen on St Catherine's Pool alone, bringing the site total to at least thirty-four - by far my highest count of this species here to date.
Drake Teal
The Little Owl was showing well in its usual tree for me, but Richard Waters later managed to get a photo of two together which was great to see, especially as lengthsman Rob tells me they haven't bred here for a number of years. Richard also had a flyover Little Egret during his visit. Raptors were represented by at least one Sparrowhawk, four Buzzards and a female Kestrel. Gulls aside, there was just the slightest hint of some visible migration going on overhead, with a single Meadow Pipit north, two Linnets east and two Lapwing south - the latter a very welcome patch tick.
