Birdwatcher’s Diary No.142

Published on: 14 Aug, 2017
Updated on: 14 Aug, 2017

By Malcolm Fincham

As July came to a close, blackbirds fell silent of their fluty song for another year.

I continued my pledge to achieve my highest number of species of butterfly sightings in one year. On July 30, after a heavy fall of rain the previous night, Bob, Dougal and I took a trip to Guildford’s Pewley Down in an attempt to add a few more to my list.

Summer felt as it had already closed its doors early, as a cool, westerly breeze blew across the landscape, bringing with it showers of rain. This was in contrast to southern Europe where temperatures were being reported at over 40c.

Fortunately, there was still some heat when the sun shone as we walked along the grassy, south-facing slopes of Pewley Down, in more comfortable temperatures than our European cousins. It was enough, at least, to encourage our local butterfly population out on the wing.

Six-spot burnet on Pewley Down.

As well as butterflies, six-spot burnets, a daytime flying moth, seemed to be in good numbers there this year.

Six-spot burnets mating.

Many now pairing up.

Common blue butterflies mating.

Common blue butterflies were also now mating there.

Not easily distinguished from a female common blue and also, now just out on the wing, were reported sightings of brown argus butterflies.

Brown Argus butterfly.

Eventually after much ”sifting” through the common blues, I found one! And with ID conformation from Dougal and Bob, I was confident enough to add it to my ”year” list.

Male chalkhill blue butterfly on Pewley Down.

Chalkhill blues were also among the array of butterflies struggling in the breeze there.

Clouded yellow, (one of last year’s pictures).

All three of us were positive in the sighting of a clouded yellow butterfly as it got carried past us in a gust of wind lacking an option to settle.

Brimstone butterfly.

The brimstone butterflies now emerging (and present there), will have a 10-month lifespan. They will hibernate this winter, taking them into the spring next year.

The view from Newlands Corner.

Just a mile or so along the North Downs ridge later that day at Newlands Corner, we admired the resplendent views in the direction of Albury and beyond.

Red kites at Newlines Corner.

It was while doing so we caught sight of what turned out to be record of sightings for me locally of at least six red kites together in flight, hunting below us over a recently ploughed field.

Common buzzards at Newlines Corner.

It became something of a ”raptor- festival” as two common buzzards soared overhead.

Kestrel at Newlands Corner.

While a kestrel hunted along the slopes, close by.

Red Kite, one of six viewed from Newlands Corner.

Kites hunt on the wing, soaring and circling over open ground. They are mainly carrion eaters, with road-casualty pheasants, rabbits and squirrels forming an important part of the diet of this reintroduced species in England, although they are quite capable of killing small mammals.

Magnificent views of red kites at Newlands Corner.

Considering their size they are surprisingly lightweight and not very powerful, although they have been recorded robbing much bigger raptors. In the spring, adults weigh around 900gm, which is considerably less than a mallard duck.

Old English names for the kite range from puttock to gled and glead; a number of place names, such as Gleadthorpe in Northamptonshire and Gledehill in Yorkshire, are reminders of these names.

A robin sings short bursts of its song.

As August began, robins could be heard, tuning up having falling silent, while replenishing their feathers after wearing their old ones out during their breeding season.

On a rainy August 3, I finally caught up with a juvenile common buzzard. Its parents now nowhere to be seen and had, seemingly, not taught it to be scared of humans.

Juvenile common buzzard. An inquisitive look in my direction.

It was wary of my presence though, watching inquisitively as I sat in my vehicle watching, focusing my camera in attempt to get my best shots as it perched on a fence, not more than 50 yards away.

The young buzzards takes flight.

Nonchalantly it took flight, only to land in a paddock and poke about for a short while for bugs.

Juvenile common buzzard flies up from a paddock.

Still unconcerned, it took flight again, this time a short distance back to the fencing on which it had originally been sitting.

Having not heard its calling demands for food from its parents for several days, it now appeared to be adapting its skills of finding prey for itself.

Juvenile common buzzard hunting ‘big time’ looking for grubs and beetles.

A hungry buzzard is quite capable of killing a wide variety of prey, ranging from rabbits to birds up to the size of a wood pigeon. Like the red kite, despite its impressive size, the buzzard is not a major predator and any larger prey tackled would probably already be sick.

Buzzards have never been popular with falconers, as they tend to be far too lazy to be taught to fly at live quarry.

Unlike the family of peregrine falcons that I saw just a few days later, one of a number that have successfully bred within the Surrey Hills this year. These birds take no prisoners when it comes to live prey!

Peregrine with prey.

Watching one as it left its nest site, I didn’t have to wait long for its return. Carrying its freshly caught ”spoils” it returned to one of its favoured ledges on the chalk cliff-face.

Peregrine – the look of innocence.

Close inspection of the pictures I took left me to conclude, on this occasion, a green woodpecker had become its latest victim. Meanwhile, on a ledge close by, a juvenile peregrine was ”polishing-off” a meal of its own.

A swift over Stoughton.

On the evening of August 4, I could only view just two of what I could only guess to be our local swift population, over Stoughton.. And the last sighting from my garden since. It seems their short breeding season had now come to a close and they were already starting their journey to their winter home of Africa.

Denbies Hillside, Ranmore Common, near Dorking.

A pleasant Sunday August 6, brought with it some warm, sunny spells and the chance of a visit to Denbies Hillside near Dorking, with Bob and Dougal.

This was in the hope of viewing two more species of butterfly that were ”reportedly” just out on the wing. With plenty of chalkhill and common blues viewable, hopes were high.

Silver-washed frtillary at Denbies Hillside.

Plenty of small heath butterflies could also be viewed and even a silver-washed fritillary that had survived the previous day’s heavy rainfall!

Small copper butterfly.

And a small copper.

Silver-spotted skipper on Denbies Hillside.

Eventually, after much investigation, we stumbled on what eventually became a count of at least five silver-spotted skippers.

Adonis blue on Denbies Hillside.

Adonis blue put my sightings to a personal ”year” record of 44 different species, most of which I had seen within Surrey. And much of which was with thanks to Dougal’s incessant enthusiasm to inspire me to find them.

Completing a productive start to August, I managed to get a few ”photo-shots” of a pair of bullfinches. A species that seems to be increasing in number in recent years.

Adult male and female bullfinches are never usually far apart.

Due to their bud-eating habits, many thousands of these birds, used to be legally trapped and killed each year in English orchards, in the hope to yield better crops. However, research has since shown that a commercial fruit tree can lose up to half its buds without the harvest being affected – so the culling may well have been unnecessary.

Adult male bullfinch.

UK bullfinches are highly sedentary, seldom moving more than a few miles during their lives.

Adult female bullfinch.

They also form strong, lasting pair bonds and it’s unusual to see males or females alone. Similar to us humans, females usually show dominance over the males – is the cock bullfinch the original hen-pecked male?

Although more common, certainly locally, bullfinches are one of our shyest garden birds, I seldom get decent close-up views. Only their distinctive call, or the flash of their white rumps as the disappear from view.

Young bullfinches on feeding station.

Adding to getting such close-up photos of what I feel are real ”smart” looking birds, nearby was the added bonus of two juvenile bullfinches on a feeding station.

Female southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea).

Other photos taken over the past week, or so locally included a female southern hawker dragonfly.

Can a reader identify this bee?

And a bee of some kind that I did not recognise? Any Ideas? If so, please leave a comment in the box below.

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