Birdwatcher’s Diary No.100

Published on: 6 Jan, 2016
Updated on: 6 Jan, 2016

By Malcolm Fincham

With many (including myself) enjoying the festive lights on display in Guildford town centre (as pictured on the Dragon), I was also rather interested in another winter display of an avian, as well as of an urban kind.

Pied wagtail roost outside Frankie & Benny’s restaurant. Click on each pitcure to view larger in a new window.

A large flock of pied wagtails had decided to create a decorative display of their own kind, in what has become, for them, a regular winter roosting sight.

Pied Wagtails – like Christmas decorations.

This could be seen most nights in a tree outside Frankie & Benny’s restaurant by Woodbridge Meadows, as they were last year.

Winter can be a difficult time for wildlife, and in spite of the mild weather, the wagtails perched in almost complete silence on the twigs and branches with just a few making small movements to re-adjust their positions.

A spectacular sight first seen last year and repeated this Christmas.

In my opinion, such a wondrous winter gathering, looking like baubles decorating a tree, certainly out-shined any display of real lights and decorations I saw this Christmas!

It is possible that some of these birds have travelled from distances as far north as the Scottish Highlands to gather under the warmth of our ‘city lights’ and buildings.

The urban theme of wildlife watching involved a trip near to a Tesco store in Havant, Hampshire.

Our quest was to seek out water voles, following up on a tip off we had received when viewing the black water voles on our visit to Scotland earlier in the year.

We felt a little out of place as a small group of us made our way through the busy pre-Christmas crowded car park on a Saturday afternoon in our camouflaged gear, carrying binoculars and camera equipment. It did create some self-awareness issues, with me hoping that I wouldn’t be mistaken as an ‘extremist’.

Although in some doubt that we were in the right place, we found the clear running stream that runs behind the mega-store.

Water vole at Havant.

Having waited just a few minutes a water vole made an appearance swimming across the narrow stream.

Although water voles are prolific breeders, they are Britain’s fastest declining wild mammal. They have disappeared from many parts of the country where they were once common.

Did you know that water voles are very strong swimmers and can swim up to 500m on the surface or 15m underwater?

Threatened by habitat loss, they have suffered particularly from predation by the introduced American mink.

The Wildlife Trusts are working hard to save the water vole by improving riverbank habitats, controlling mink and being involved in water vole reintroduction schemes.

Volunteers are needed to help with everything from monitoring populations to riverbank restoration. So why not have a go at volunteering for your local wildlife trust? You’ll make new friends, learn new skills and help wildlife along the way. 

Ending the year was our annual trip to the Isle of Sheppey on the Kent coast.

The new Sheppey crossing with part of the older Kingsferry Bridge to the left.

Driving over the old Kingsferry Bridge was our best route to visit our first destination at Elmley Marshes. We avoided the relatively new Sheppey bridge (opened in 2006), which now provides the main highway to the island.

The greatest attraction there has to be the birds of prey.

Marsh harrier on the Isle of Sheppey.

Most abundant are marsh harriers.

Marsh harrier. Females are larger than males and have obvious creamy heads.

Good numbers can be seen, especially during winter months, attracted there to hunt for small birds and mammals.

Marsh harriers are recognised by their long, narrow tails, long legs and wings held in a ‘V’ in flight. This species is the largest of the harriers and has broad, rounded wings.

Shelducks on Sheppey.

Large swathes of wintering flocks of waders and wildfowl can also be seen there.

Part of large flocks of wigeon on the Isle of Sheppey.

Wigeon and teal can be seen in their thousands, spooked up on occasions by the birds of prey.

Lapwing on Isle of Sheppey.

Large flocks of lapwings and golden plovers also make their winter home there.

Fieldfare on Isle of Sheppey.

As well as several flocks of redwings and fieldfares.

Raptor view point at Capel Fleet, Isle of Sheppey.

Peregrine on Sheppey.

Ending the day at the ‘Raptor view point’ at Capel Fleet on the island we were able to add a ring-tail hen harrier and peregrine to the day list.

A trip out on New Year’s Day brought some unexpected picture opportunities my way.

I had counted a respectable (for me) 210 different species of birds on my 2015 year list. Encouraged once again by good pal Dougal, it was time to start again with a 2016 list.

With some apprehension, not believing I will match such a score, we started the year with a visit to Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth where we were able to start the new year with more than 50 species.

Moving on to Pagham RSPB in West Sussex the weather, unfortunately continued to deteriorate.

And without any decent photographs, I began to feel my day was incomplete.

It was while standing in the car park there that a twist of fate came my way.

My fortune appeared to be becoming another’s misfortune as a rabbit ran out of the hedgerow near by.

Baby stoats are called kits. A group of stoats is called a ‘caravan’.

It was pursued to my surprise by a stoat.

Stoat at Pagham pursuing a rabbit.

After a short struggle however, the stoat suddenly realised it had an observer with a camera, manically snapping shots of it.

Stoats are fierce predators and can move at speeds of 20 miles per hour when hunting.

The appearance of a stoat is similar to that of a weasel, although the stoat is considerably larger and has a distinctive black tip to its tail.

Stoats are largely carnivorous and their primary food source is the rabbit, despite being many times its own weight.

A stoat is capable of killing animals much larger than itself.

Looks like the stoat is kicking the rabbit up the backside in this picture.

Stoats kill their prey by a bite to the back of the neck and may travel as far as eight kilometres in one hunt.

Suddenly the sight of humans deters the stoat allowing the shell-shocked rabbit to live another day.

Driving back home though the rain I felt this year could indeed be another good one for wildlife watching.

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