Birdwatcher’s Diary No.71

Published on: 1 Oct, 2014
Updated on: 1 Oct, 2014

By Malcolm Fincham

The continued mass migration of our summer visiting birds, many now heading for their winter homes in Africa, visits of some passing migrants, as well as the arrival of a few winter visitors, gave me some great opportunities to get some up-to-date pictures. This was helped with the added bonus of some pleasant weather during the last few weeks of September.

However, with so much wildlife on show, I have had to be selective in my final cut.

As mentioned in my previous reports, southern coastal resorts can be some of the best places to visit at this time of the year. Especially to bid farewell and for a last wave goodbye to those summer visitors as they head for warmer climes.

For myself and a posse of five other good friends and enthusiasts it was a trip  to Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth on September 14.

One of four whinchats at Farlington.

Whinchats are always a pleasing sight for me, and to get a photo of four nicely lined up along a fence was real bonus.

Yellow wagtail at Farlington.

Also, a large flock of more than 80 yellow wagtails could still be viewed feeding on the flies among the cows.

Curlew sandpipers at Farlington.

Three curlew sandpipers could also be seen feeding in the shallow waters.

Grey plovers in various stages of moult.

Out on the mud flats a flock of 100 or more grey plover, now in various stages of moult, could be viewed.

Black-tailed godwits.

Along with large flocks of black-tailed godwits also arriving from their northerly breeding grounds.

Greenshank (left) seen with two redshanks.

A few redshanks and a greenshank could also be viewed as well as a kingfisher as it flashed by across the seawall from the harbour.

Kestrel with a takeaway meal.

At least three resident kestrels could be seen hunting around the reserve, and I was even fortunate enough to capture a few pictures of one as it made off with a small mammal in its talons.

Kestrel at Farlington with crow in pursuit.

Shortly after I even managed a few action shots of one as it was confronted by a crow!

Kestrel at Farlington duels with a crow.

Then, on realising another crow was about to join the conflict, it made off in haste escaping a mobbing.

Kestrel at Farlington mobbed by two crows.

Juvenile red-backed shrike on Hayling Island.

While on the last leg of the walk news came through on our pagers that a red-backed shrike had been sighted feeding just up the road from Farlington on Hayling Island. After a democratic vote we decided it was worth the trip to view it.

Dartford warbler Hayling Island.

Arriving at the location we were soon able to pick it out along with a Dartford warbler and a few wheatears feeding in a sandy gorse area close to the shoreline.

Wheatear.

The following day I visited the RSPB Reserve at Pagham in West Sussex with the addition of long time friends Steve and ‘Chippy’ and was able to add a few more birds to my latest portfolio of pictures.

A covey of grey partridges.

These included  a covey of grey partridge (rarely seen these days locally) as well as two red-legged partridges.

Red-legged partridge.

Along with more pheasants than I’ve ever seen before in one small area.

Common snipe at Pagham.

Looking out across the road on to Siddlesham Ferry Pool, gave us good views of a variety of ducks and waders.

Avocets on Siddlesham Ferry Pool.

These included a small number of avocets, lapwings, as well as a few teal.

A few of a Large flock of well over 100 wigeon fly over at Pagham.

Overhead, a large flock of well over 100 wigeon could be view on their arrival back from their northern summer breeding grounds.

Spotted flycatcher.

While in the hedgerows common whitethroats, willow warblers and a small family group of spotted flycatchers could be viewed.

Before the week was out on September 19 it was back to Farlington – this time with Mark – giving me the chance to add to a few bird sightings I had missed out on while on my previous visit there.

The sun battles to break though the morning sea mist at Farlington.

Although on our arrival an early morning sea mist made the air feel much more autumnal than the visit just a few days before, it soon turned out to be yet another pleasant day.

This allowed me some added pictures including several wheatears along the harbour wall preparing for their flight back to Africa.

Female bearded reedling.

Fifteen or so bearded tits (or bearded reedlings as the are now officially called) could be seen and heard moving around the reed beds. I hadn’t seen these birds since I last reported on them back in January in the very same reed beds.

Male bearded reedling.

With only an estimated 700 UK breeding pairs, for me just to see these delightful critters makes the trip a justifiable one.

Adult great crested grebe tends to its young assisted by an older sibling.

On a short visit to Frensham Great Pond I was interested to see two adult great crested grebes with a very young addition to their family and pleasantly surprised to see an older sibling assisting with the feeding.

Woodlark at Frensham.

While close to the lake I managed to get a few pictures of one of four woodlark grouped together feeding.

A view across Stoke Lake on a late September evening.

While on my patrols around my local patch at the Riverside Nature Reserve, things where now starting to become noticeably autumnal with the leaves on many of the trees now starting to turn in colour, and a few even starting to fall.

Female reed bunting in hawthorn by Stoke Lake.

Reed buntings could also be seen among the hawthorns now laded with berries, as well as a few meadow pipits in the field at the southern end of the lake.

Roe deer at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

While for those ‘keen of eyed’ roe deer can occasionally be viewed from the boardwalk area.

Kingfisher at Stoke Lake perches on the tern raft.

On the lake I continued to get some good views of our resident kingfisher as it skimmed over the water – even managing to obtain a photo of it as it decided to rest a while on the tern raft.

A lucky shot as the kingfisher flies past the tern raft at Stoke Lake.

And an even lucky shot after as it flew past the raft shortly after.

Kingfisher at perches in some sallows at the water’s edge at Stoke Lake.

Later that evening, as the light began to fade, I was also able to catch up with it for a third time at the far side of the lake sitting in some sallows.

Kingfisher at Shamley Green. A good year for kingfishers, certainly a good one for me.

My recent luck for kingfisher sightings continued just a few days later in the more rural parts to the south of Guildford in Shamley Green, when one decided to pose on a footbridge within camera-shot. A good year for kingfishers?

Jay preens its feathers after a wash in the stream.

Shortly after I also managed to pick out a jay as it flew up from a shallow stream to spend a while preening in the warmth of the sun.

A fox on a daytime mission in Shamley Green.

And a fox as it briefly slipped out into the open only to slink away on spotting me.

Latest record shots of a barn owl as night falls at Bowers Lock.

On September 22, as night fell at Bowers Lock, Burpham, I was able to get a distant record shot of the barn owl (that can often be seen sitting in a tree across the field) as it hunted over the long grass.

Sun gets ready to set viewed from the river by Stoke Reserve.

On my return home on that same evening I also observed a tawny owl as it few out from a tree by Stoke Lake, over my head – making it a first ever sighting of one there for me.

Finally with this time of the year for spiders, and with much disgust from some of my family, I came across a most unusual arachnid and one I have never seen before. This was while on a recent visit to Tice’s Meadow, a place I also visited and wrote about in my previous report.

The wasp spider is a fairly recent arrival to the UK originally only surviving in southern coastal areas but now spreading north throughout the Home Counties

Wasp spider.

This particular picture is of the larger and more colourful female. Often after the consummation of her marriage to the smaller and brown in colour male of the species she kills and eats him. Isn’t she delicious? Well, I’m sure he was!

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