Birdwatcher’s Diary No.56

Published on: 4 Mar, 2014
Updated on: 4 Mar, 2014

By Malcolm Fincham

The first signs of spring is in the air or will there be a sting in her tail?  

At present the forecast is looking promising with warm weather heading our way by the end of this coming week. In an attempt to put a positive spin on the incessantly wet winter we have had to suffer, it has been a very mild one compared to last year. It’s also been the first time for a good few I can recall that, as yet, my pond hasn’t frozen over at all.

Blackthorn now in flower.

And  with the weather being so mild, by the third week of February blackthorn was starting to come out into flower  – more than three weeks earlier than I reported last year.

Wren now singing.

Most of our resident birds are now starting to sing too. Most noticeably have been both blue and great tit as well as wren, goldfinch and dunnock in my neighbourhood.

Dunnock.

And several walks on sunlit days beside the river from Stoke Lock to Bowers Lock added greatly to the list of birds now actively singing.

A pleasing late afternoon view near to Bowers Lock.

Meadow pipits still wintering in a flocks of 40 or more in a field south of Stoke Lake.

Flocks of meadow pipits, redwings and fieldfares around the south side of Stoke Lake were enough proof that optimistic thoughts of spring’s arrival was a little premature, even though the sight of some of black-headed gulls now regaining their dark coloured heads was indeed a promising sign as I looked across the river in the direction of Burpham Court Farm.

Fieldfare takes flight.

Black-headed gulls.

With sunset  now reaching beyond 5.30pm, I was able to get beyond Bowers Lock with a good hour’s light still remaining.

On a very breezy but dry Sunday February 23 I decided to visit Thursley Common for my first time this year in the hope of once again catching a glimpse of the the great grey shrike.  A bird that often over-winters there before its return to its more Eastern European breeding grounds.

I had got some rather pleasing pictures on my last visit when I reported on its arrival back in early November last year http://www.guildford-dragon.com/2013/11/15/birdwatchers-diary-49/.

Great grey shrike.

I was certainly not disappointed on this latest visit and probably getting what I think are my best pictures yet of it, both perched as well as in flight.

Great grey shrike in silhouette as it hovers kestrel-like over the heathland.

On the final few days of the month I took my wife on a pre-arranged mission to the West Country for a few days – Cornwall to be precise. This was, of course, not without the addition of my binoculars and camera.

Although staying with relatives on the moors of Bodmin, I was able to get the chance to do a few hours sea watching at Hannafore Point near to Looe Harbour and was quite delighted to see and even get a few pictures of  wintering birds. I normally only see these when visiting their breeding grounds on my summer trips to the Highlands of Scotland.

Slavonian grebe in winter plumage battles with with the tide off the Cornish coast.

A picture of a slavonian grebe I took in its summer plumage in a calm and secluded loch in Scotland.

The Slavonian grebe was the most interesting sighting, looking totally different in winter plumage. As shown from the picture I took it was quite a surprise to see such a small bird coping in such fierce tidal waves, compared with the ones I’ve seen on tranquil lochens in their full golden breeding colours  in Scotland.

Drake eider at Hannafore.

Other ducks from northerly points of Britain that could also be viewed were eiders and goldeneye, along with a great northern diver also known as the common loon. A bird of which I have yet to see in its glorious summer plumage as it breeds in areas of Greenland, Iceland and Northern Canada.

Shag, a similar but smaller bird to the cormorants that are often seen at Stoke Lake.

Also while scanning out to sea I was able to pick out and photo a shag, a smaller, with a noticeably crested head (in adults) than its  close relation the cormorant. The latter seen these days at Stoke Reserve.

A cormorant perches on one of its favourite spots by the river at Stoke Nature Reserve.

And  as the high tide started to recede, a flock of oystercatchers arrived back to feed in the rock pools.

Oystercatchers move back in looking food as the tide retreats.

Back on the Moors of Bodmin I was pleased to pick out and get a record shot of a raven as it flew over. These birds have a special fascination to me as  they are considered to be the most intelligent of all birds.

A raven flies over on Bodmin Moor.

Under tests they are capable of working out some of the most complex of puzzles to obtain food and even agile enough to even outwit birds of a peregrine falcon. Watch this slow-motion clip I found on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNYCldtpiW0 

Yellow hammers engage in their springtime ritual.

I was also fortunate to catch some early springtime activity of two male yellow hammers as they sang in full tune their ‘little bit of bread and no cheese’ songs, while jostling for territories in their annual rituals, giving  me great optimism for the month ahead.

The brightly coloured male yellow hammer in full song- to claim its territory and attract a female.

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