Birdwatcher’s Diary No.155

Published on: 19 Feb, 2018
Updated on: 20 Feb, 2018

By Malcolm Fincham

Also known as perigee – (the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit). it was about 7% larger and 15% brighter than the average moon.

Was the blood super moon that lit the night sky as it rose over the Surrey Hills an omen for a change in the weather? Winter may yet have a sting in its tail?

The sun sets to the west of Guildford.

From my vantage point in Staple Lane near Shere on January 31, I watched it as it appeared over the trees, to the east of my view of the London skyline, minutes after the sunset on the alternate horizon to the west of me.

London skyline just after sunset.

A few days later I visited Clandon Downs, an area close by. This time with Bob and in hope of sighting the hawfinches we had seen there a few weeks earlier.

Although unsuccessful on this occasion, in the cold, early morning sunlight the view across the landscape was quite inspiring.

Wembey stadium, standing out from afar.

Looking north, several recognisable landmarks of London could be picked out and almost rested in one’s hands. “Satori must be something just the same!” I mused, as I took a deep breath and engaged in the moment.

Red kite.

Overhead a red kite came into view, colours radiating in the sunlight as it glided by.

Common buzzards over Clandon Downs.

While a pair of common buzzards could be seen from the hillside, putting on a display.

Newlands Corner.

Newlands Corner was more profitable for hawfinches that morning.

Although eluding my camera lens, two flocks flew out from a roost there, briefly seen though a gap in the canopy of trees overhead. I counted  about 30 birds in total.

Hawfinch at Newlands Corner. Photographed by Bob Smith on February 15.

Bob, making several return visits there managed to get some photos of one of these “flighty” critters perched in the early morning sunlight.

Great spotted woodpeckers at Newlands Corner.

Inspired by the slowly increasing daylight hours, the sound of a great spotted woodpecker could be heard drumming in the wooded area by the car park. On closer inspection I was able to pick out two, interacting in the tops of the trees.

Song thrush singing.

A song thrush sang from high on a protruding branch.

Bullfinch (male) perched in a line of small trees at Newlands Corner.

The sounds of numerous bullfinches calling in the area allowed me to home in on, firstly a male.

Bullfinch (female) comes into view nearby.

Then soon after, close by him, a female came within range of my camera.

Marsh tit calling.

During the first weeks of February I also had fortune to witness a pair of marsh tits in conversation, calling to each other from nearby trees.

Marsh tit in a flowering daphne bush.

While spotting one on another occasion, perched in a flowering daphne bush.

Snowdrops.

Carpets of snowdrops I saw in woodlands, meadows and gardens were, perhaps, a premature signal to the end of winter and the promise of spring.

Dartford warbler on Thursley Common.

On Thursley Common a Dartford warbler broke into song briefly as a spell of sunshine lit up the yellow flowers of the opportunistic gorse bushes on the heathland.

Kestrel on Thursley Common.

Despite national concern for the decline of kestrels, I was pleased to be able to observe them (many now already pairing up) at most of the Surrey locations I visited. Even sighting two mating on top of a telegraph pole by the roadside near Albury.

Kingfisher (female).

I also had the fortune of regular sightings of kingfishers while on my “travels” during the first weeks of the month, though only sighting females.

Siskins.

I also spotted siskins, occasionally still feeding in large flocks in the tops of alder trees.

While also getting a record shot on an overcast day of a smaller group feeding, in a mixed flock with goldfinches, in a silver birch tree.

A fox sniffing the air to pick up a scent.

February also brought my first sighting of a fox this year, sniffing scent in the air some distance away, as it ambled through a field in the village of Blackheath, near Guildford.

And by the middle of the month I heard my first blackbird of the year singing on several mornings as I left my house for work, just before sunrise.

Once in a while I’m drawn into what I feel is a somewhat less-inspiring side to birdwatching. To many these are the least attractive of bird species. Nonetheless they are not just “seagulls”, as they are often referred to!

There are indeed many types, that can be separated on closer observations.

The fact is, I do secretly admire them, picking out some of their more subtle differences. Especially when taking into account the variety of winter and summer plumages within the species.

On February 11 in the company of good friends, Dougal and Bob, we set off in the direction of the New Forest in Hampshire.

Gulls take flight at Tidpit Down.

A rare gull, known as a Thayer’s had been picked out and reported, feeding among many others on a pig farm at Tidpit Down.

Thayer’s gulls nest on high rocky cliffs in the Arctic islands and north coast of the Northwest Territories and extreme northern Greenland. In winter, they are usually found in bays, meadows, and beaches on the Pacific coast, from Alaska to the Baja Peninsula, and are a very rare visitor to the UK.

Yellowhammer.

The sighting of my first yellowhammer of the year as we got out of the car on our arrival there, felt like a good omen to me.

Fieldfare.

And a group of a dozen or more fieldfares, with a few redwings in-tow, added to my delight.

Interrupted by occasional heavy wintry showers, we walked the track alongside the pig farm. The classic gurgling croaking of ravens could be heard beyond the line of trees, eventually counting a least 10 during our visit.

Pigs, already with litters, graced the fields, rummaging around, as they do.

Ravens feeding among the gulls at Tidpit Down.

High on the hillside a large “scavenging” of gulls, were joined by several ravens.

My personal sighting of the Thayer’s gull was too brief for me to count. Before I could get my “eye-in” on it, it took flight along with the rest of the “squabble”.

Although Bob and Dougal got reasonable sightings of it, my attempts of getting an in-flight picture left me pondering. Fortunately I had a second chance!

It had also been reported roosting with a large “flotilla” of gulls on Ibsley Water at Blashford Lakes.

Thayer’s gull (juvenile) in the centre on its own at Blashford Lakes.

In a hide full of observers with “scopes” already honed in on it, it wasn’t too difficult for us all to pick it out this time and get some decent views.

A ‘gulp’ of cormorants on a small island out on Ibsley Water.

Beyond the “flotilla” a “gulp” of cormorants settled to roost of a small island.

Cormorant flies across one of the lakes at Blashford.

While one flew across the water to join them as the afternoon sun began to descend.

A ring-billed gull I previously photographed at Walpole Park, Gosport.

Also picking out a ring-billed gull, although not getting any photos on this occasion.

The Thayer’s gull was once considered a subspecies of the herring gull, but now is considered by many, a race of Iceland gull.

There is continuing debate about the taxonomic status of this species, and some authorities consider Thayer’s gulls to be the dark-mantled form of Iceland gulls.

With the fear of a grimace from a true, ardent “twitcher” I must confess my personal best bird of the day the a brambling.

Brambling often gather in large flocks in areas with plenty of beech mast or conifer seeds, and are often seen alongside chaffinches.

It was the first pictures I had been able to get of one for several years.

And probably the best photos I have achieved.

Their numbers fluctuate in winter visitors to the UK from year to year depending on the availability of beech mast (a season of high seed production) in Finland, Scandinavia and Russia, where they breed.

Brambling, showing off its stunning back markings.

Bramblings of all ages have a white rump which is very useful for telling them apart from the similarly structured chaffinches.

They also all have orange-brown shoulders, although these are more obvious in males.

In winter, the glossy black head of the male is obscured by buff-tips to its feathers, but this still helps to tell them apart from the females which have grey-brown heads.

Greenfinches and siskins on feeders at Blashford.

Entering a hide there, surrounded by feeding stations, we were also able to add a few other sightings to our day list, including greenfinches and siskins.

Bramblings on feeder with a chaffinch below.

And even three more of those delightful bramblings!

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