Shalford patch diary, July and early August

It's been a quiet few weeks on the patch, hence the lack of blog posts, but there have been a few signs that autumn is on its way. It never makes me particularly popular with non-birding friends when I mention the A word at this time of year, but there's no denying the fact that the year is now turning.

Rainbow over Broadford Marsh

Aside from a steady south-westerly push of Swifts throughout the latter half of July, the first sure sign of return passage at Shalford came on the evening of the 12th when a Green Sandpiper dropped down onto Broadford Marsh during a rain shower. Only my second patch record this year after one in January. I really am hoping for something a bit rarer on this part of the patch at some point, if only it wouldn't keep drying out! At this point St Catherine's Pool is looking the best bet for a passing wader to drop in for a while.

Green Sandpiper (honest!)

 Fast forward a couple of weeks and I heard the first returning Willow Warbler 'huu-weet'-ing just downstream from Broadford Bridge on 2nd August, followed by another or the same one a little way south-west of the bridge the following evening, and at least a couple in the same area on the evening of the 10th. Also adding an autumnal feel to my visit on the 3rd was an eclipse drake Teal on St Catherine's Pool - my first patch Teal since 19th April, and a sure sign of colder days ahead, albeit a little way off yet.

Teal

As you'd expect for the time of year there are now juvenile birds all over the patch, from Moorhens to Kestrels to Green Woodpeckers. One unfortunate young Moorhen fell victim to a Sparrowhawk on 21st July. Also of note recently were the adult and two juvenile Peregrines noisily flying over the patch early on 11th July. Mute Swans have returned to the river after successfully breeding on Shalford village pond. There's a lone sub-adult bird now hanging around at St Catherine's while a family group of two adults and two young were just upstream of Broadford Bridge on 31st July. Sand Martins have been pretty much a constant sight right through the breeding season, albeit in small numbers, usually hawking over Broadford Marsh or St Catherine's Lock. I don't know of any local breeding sites so it would be interesting to know the origins of these birds.

Mute Swans

Kestrel, juvenile

I've been mainly visiting the patch early morning the past few weeks as it fits better around work etc, but have been trying to make at least one evening visit a week, especially now the days are getting shorter again. On one such visit on 5th July it was good to see one of the local Barn Owls out hunting over Broadford Marsh, the first one I've seen here for a while.

On 7th July lengthsman Rob Craig messaged to say he'd just heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling a little way downstream from St Catherine's Lock. Unfortunately I wasn't able to catch up with it either that day or the next, but still a great record - the first record for the area since one Rob heard at Broadford Marsh three years ago.

Gulls and geese are starting to move again after a bit of a midsummer lull. Early on 10th August singles of Egyptian Goose and Greylag Goose flew south/south-west along with a couple of dozen Canadas. Hopefully the coming weeks will bring something a bit rarer.

A few more shots from the past few weeks:

Grey Herons

Buzzard

Swift

Speckled Wood

Small Copper

Red Admiral

Shalford patch diary, May so far.

May's been a busy old month for me, so whilst there's been no Lammergeier or Dalmatian Pelican, there's still a fair amount to report from the local patch in the past three weeks or so. The spring migrants have continued to flood in, with most of the expected species arriving more or less on cue although I've still not caught up with Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat and a few others, on the patch at least. The first Garden Warbler was bubbling away in Broom Meadow early on the 4th though and by the third week of the month there were at least four around the recording area.

On the 9th, meanwhile, the first Reed Warbler of the year was singing near St Catherine's Pool, with again further arrivals in subsequent days including one singing in a clump of bamboo by the Riff Raff weir on the 12th! On the evening of the 11th it was delightful to stumble across a Spotted Flycatcher living up to its name in trees along the navigation towards Broadford Bridge, I heard it again the following morning but have seen no sign of it since so suspect it may have moved on.

Spotted Flycatcher

 Other migrant species are seemingly still moving through, particularly Swifts which have increased greatly in the last week or so, although there are clearly still Swallows and House Martins coming through too. It's been wonderful to watch these aerial aces skimming low over the water at St Catherine's Lock. Sedge Warbler numbers still seem rather erratic, peaking so far on the 12th when there were at least six present.

Swift at St Catherine's Lock

Sedge Warbler in Bog Meadow

Two species I'd anticipated adding to the patch list without too much difficulty were Kingfisher and Common Tern so I was pleased to catch up with both recently. The latter were my 100th species at Shalford this year, with two flying south early on the 18th. Kingfishers meanwhile were heard near Riff Raff weir on the 14th and then seen in the same area again on the 23rd. In other news, I've noticed a slight increase in gulls flying over in the past week or so, with quite a few Herring and Lesser Black-backeds on the move, particularly on the 18th. Other recent flyovers of note have included single Little Egrets north and south-west on the 7th and 12th, respectively, a single Egyptian Goose north-east on the 18th and, most surprisingly, two Great Crested Grebes high south-west early on the 9th with a Mandarin in tow!

Chiffchaff

Great Spotted Woodpecker

There's been lots of evidence this month of birds breeding around the water meadows, with both Treecreeper and Starling seen carrying food to trees in Broom Meadow, Grey Wagtail young calling under Broadford Bridge, and a family group of Mistle Thrushes in the horse field near Broadford Marsh.

Away from the patch, on the 12th I made my first visit of 2016 to nearby Blackheath hoping for Nightjar and sure enough heard at least three churring males, along with two singing Cuckoos and a bonus singing Redstart - my first record for this site since I've lived locally.