Birdwatcher’s Diary No.58

Published on: 31 Mar, 2014
Updated on: 31 Mar, 2014

By Malcolm Fincham

Towards the end of March, I took a couple of trips on consecutive weekends to Farlington Marshes in Hampshire – a coastal location I have written about previously.

With temperatures touching 20c and a real spring-like feel in the air on Sunday, March 16, I was feeling optimistic at catching at least one of the few reported sightings of summer migrant birds, including wheatears and sand martins.

A skylark sings high over Farlington Marshes.

On my arrival I caught sight of a skylark high above the marshes singing its iconic song: ‘Hark! hark! the lark at heaven’s gate sings’, to steal the lines from a  Shakespearean poem. This only added to what turned out to be false hopes of seeing my first summer bird of the year.

Brent geese now on their 5,000 mile round trip back to Siberia.

There were fewer brent geese than on my previous visit back in January. The ones that remained were looking noticeably restless, preparing to make their 2,500-mile journey back to their breeding grounds in sub-Arctic regions of Siberia.

Yoga excercise for a shelduck at Farlington.

Although shelduck seemed to be in good numbers, there were just a few teal, wigeon and shoveler.

Wigeon at Farlington.

On my second visit there was a noticeable seasonal change, despite the weather having cooled down considerably. There was a cutting north-westerly breeze blowing, and although still without the fortune of catching sight of any summer summer arrivals, our winter visitors were thinning out considerably with no sign of the brent geese at all.

Cetti’s warbler at Farlington.

One bird I was pleased to get a rare sighting of on my second visit was the elusive Cetti’s warbler – a bird far more often heard than seen as it skulks deep within hedgerows singing in its alarming call.

It is one of only a few warblers that overwinter in the UK and only in most southerly regions, being more commonly adapted to Mediterranean climates.

Nuthatch – best viewed when tempted down to bird tables and feeders.

One of the most noticeable changes I have seen around Guildford during the past few weeks has been the sound of the nuthatch. It can be heard above most other species, tuning up for spring with its distinctive ‘wolf whistle’ type call, heard mainly while I’ve been walking through deciduous woodland areas.

Click to listen to a nuthatch. These birds can often be heard high in an oak tree, but not so easy to spot apart from those occasions when tempted down on to a bird feeder.

Great crested grebe now in full breeding plumage.

At Stoke Lake a pair of great crested grebes can now be seen in full breeding plumage.

Great crested grebes do their courtship dance.

And although not doing their full ritual of passing pond weed to each other – they did entertain me for a while in doing their famous courtship dance. Click to view a You Tube clip.

My long time friend Steve, now living in Scotland and now heading his own birdwatching safaris there, came to visit. Not having had the opportunity to see a great grey shrike for a few years, he set me up on a quest to find him the one still wintering on Thursley Common, with the hope it hadn’t already returned to its summer breeding grounds in Eastern Europe .

Male crossbill feeding on pine cones high in a tree on Thursley Common.

With the addition of Joe, another wildlife enthusiast, we made our way in a clockwise direction around ‘Shrike Hill’. As we walked our eyes looked skyward following the jip, jip, jip sound of a group of common crossbills. We counted 11 crossbills as they headed in the direction of a group of tall pines.

Although settling  high up in the trees, I was rather pleased to see them start feeding on the pine cones, giving me the chance to get a few distant record shots.

Lesser redpoll, also seen on Thursley Common.

In a smaller group of pines I took some pictures of some lesser redpolls as they also stopped off for a feed.

Woodlark – now seen and heard on Thursley Common.

Also to add to the day list, and in full spring-time song, we had a good view of a woodlark – a close relative to the skylark and in my view with an even more melodic song. Click here to view.

I even managed to get close enough to take, in my opinion, some reasonable pictures.

Having walked a compete circuit around ‘Shrike Hill’ and about to call it a day, I did one last scan across the heathland.

Great grey shrike in its familiar pose on Thursley Common.

At some distance I finally managed to pick out the great grey shrike sitting in a familiar pose on top of a dead silver birch stump.

Great grey shrike in flight.

Keeping to the footpath, we were able to get some much closer views and I was able to take some more rather interesting shots to add to my collection.

And finally, returning to the words of William Shakespeare (well sort of): ‘Two barred or not two barred? That is the question.’ Or at least it has been in the more dedicated world of birdwatching.

I am of course referring to the putative adult male two-barred crossbill, spotted by birdwatchers on many occasions in the last few weeks on Farnham Heath RSPB reserve.

There are several different species of crossbill, all with mandibles that cross at the tip.

These have evolved so the birds can eat seeds from pine cones.

Although on my two recent visits I have not had the fortune of seeing it, I find it interesting that most experts are not convinced, and on closer observations now believe it to be a common crossbill with wing bars!

For more information, click here.

The ‘two-barred crossbill’ photographed by Bob Smith.

I was especially grateful to Bob Smith who did far better thanme, and not only managed to view it but also sent me a picture he took on his bridge camera while on a visit he made.

Here’s more about two-barred crossbills.

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