Birdwatcher’s Diary No.61

Published on: 17 May, 2014
Updated on: 17 May, 2014

By Malcolm Fincham

Continuing with my self set quest to keep bringing up to date pictures to my reports can be quite a challenge. During the first week of May I decided to try to track down and photograph some of the less recognised of both resident and summer visiting species of birds that are  present now on a number of our Surrey heathland areas that surround Guildford.

As much as 80% of lowland heathland has been lost throughout the UK since the year 1800, mainly due to poor management and building. Therefore I am grateful for amount of heathland that surrounds us locally.

On the early evening of May 3 I decided on a cycle ride across Whitmoor Common, a small area of heathland north of Guildford, in the hope of getting for the third successive year a sighting of a cuckoo that makes an annual visit there.

Common whitethroat.

A common whitethroat could once again be heard singing its scratchy song close to the area where the heathland opens out.

Chiffchaff. Can you spot the difference from a willow warbler?

There were also several willow warblers in the silver birch close by, singing their tuneful summer song and chiffchaffs with their repetitive call.

Willow warbler. A much ‘cleaner’ looking bird. This one seen at Frensham.

A song thrush added to the chorus, while a small group of linnets made their rapid twittering sound as they flew over.

Female linnet.

But as with my the previous visit in my previous report, on my arrival there was still no sound of the cuckoo.

It wasn’t until the last hour of light, with the evening sun starting to sink low in the sky, that I first heard its distant call way across the common on the other side of the  railway track.

As I cycled in the direction of the sound I could hear it getting closer. This I soon realised wasn’t so much due to my cycling.

As I watched him fly low past me not more than 100 yards away across the heath, I stopped and took the opportunity to get some breath back into my lungs. Judging the distance of sound of his call, I could hear he had also stopped and had began to ‘cuckoo’ once again and not too far away.

Cuckoo on Whitmoor Common.

Soon after I tracked him down as he perched high in a silver birch calling, and grateful for the low sunlight, I was able to get what I thought were some rather pleasing pictures.

Cuckoo showing well on Whitmoor Common.

Another heathland destination is Ash Ranges. It is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust but is owned by the MoD.

Dartford warbler on Ash Ranges.

It is not officially open to the public while the MoD’s red flags are flying, but on a brief mid afternoon visit, which from experience is the most difficult times to spot wildlife, I did manage just the one record shot of one of many Dartford warbler that could be heard there.

Male redstarts are now on Thursley Common.

An invite from Dougal on a Thursley Common visit on Sunday, May 4, gave me the chance to see a few more summer visitors for the first time this year, including a male redstart as well as a view of a hobby as it hunted across the heathland but too distant to photograph.

Tree pipit on Thursley Common.

I was, however, able to get a record shot of one of several tree pipits that had recently arrived as they perched high in the pine trees singing.

Common lizard.

Along the boardwalks we counted more than 30 common lizards that had been tempted out to bask in the warmth of the sun.

Teal on Pudmore Pond.

While viewing the teal and a pair of tufted duck on Pudmore Pond by one of the boardwalks on the low lying part of the heathland, I was taken by surprise. Though they didn’t land, a pair of shelduck flew over the water. These were a first time sighting for me at Thursley Common.

One of a pair of Shelduck flies over Pudmore Pond.

The following day it was a trip to Frensham Great Pond, this time with my wife, giving me the opportunity of adding some pleasing shots of a female redstart.Having not long arrived from its winter home in Africa, it was already collecting feathers and such-like to line its nest.

Female redstart collects a feather to line its nest.

On the way home we decided to stop at Farnham Heath RSPB. Much work has been done there over the last few years felling trees and creating a heathland habitat.

Female stonechat on Farnham Heath.

And from my observations much success has been achieved attracting many of the usual heathland birds including stonechats.

Woodlark at Farnham Heath now pairing up.

As on all the heathlands I visited recently, linnets were also present. I was also pleased to get a picture of one of my favourite songsters the woodlark – as a pair displayed in a mating ritual with each other.

Swift.

By the evening of May 5, swifts had once again returned to the skies over Stoughton.

Swifts can now be seen over Guildford.

These birds are renown to be the last of our hirundines to arrive (which include swallows, house martins and sand martins). They will also be the first to leave in early August.

Swifts are are able to both sleep and mate on the wing, only landing to nest in roof spaces of buildings, often used in previous years.

One of a few swallows still arriving at Slyfield Sewage Works.

By May 10, on my local patch at Stoke Reserve, a few swallows and house martins as well as more than 100 swifts could, on some occasions, be viewed flying around over Slyfield Sewage Works, using it as as feeding station for flying insects before moving on to their summer nesting grounds.

A pair of mute swans with nine cygnets on the flooded scrape near Stoke Lock.

Across the other side of Stoke Lock on the flooded scrape, two adult mute swan were parading their cygnets. And rightly so. Swans usually, to my knowledge, only have a brood of between four and seven. I counted nine!

A grey heron looks for a meal.

Also out on the scrape, wading through the water, was a grey heron, seeking a meal.

Three Canada geese fly in to settle on the flooded field.

While three Canada geese also flew in and settled on the water.

Common buzzard. One of a pair over Stoke Nature Reserve.

As I took a distant photo of Stoke Lake from the far end of the meadow, I caught sight of a common buzzard pursued by a crow as it rose over the trees by the Spectrum leisure centre.

A view from the southern end of Stoke Reserve towards Stoke Lake.

Common buzzard.

Shortly after a second buzzard also drifted across, giving me a great opportunity of some action flying shots.

Finally, taking the chance of getting a soaking on a showery Monday, May 12. I took another trip over to Thursley Common.

Hobby hunting across Thursley Common.

This time on what turned out a successful mission to get some stunning views and several pleasing pictures of one of my favourite birds of prey – the hobby. A bird I wrote about in more detail in one of last year’s reports. (see quote I then wrote added below).

Hobby in classic pose.

Thursley is often considered a place of feast or famine in respect of bird life, and on my second visit it was certainly a case of the first. On show was a hobby, a summer visiting bird of prey. Its Latin name is falco subbuteo, of which the name of the once popular table top football game derived, as the creator of the game was not granted permission to call it ‘hobby’.

Hobby at Thursley. All the better to see you with.

The hobby is of a similar shape and size as the kestrel. Its most notable difference is its streaky body markings and rusty red colour at the point its legs meet its body.

What big eyes you have!

It is an extremely agile bird of prey and renown for catching prey on the wing, including dragonflies and even the odd swallow,and even swift to name a few.

Hobby close up.

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