Birdwatcher’s Diary No.159

Published on: 22 Apr, 2018
Updated on: 20 Apr, 2018

By Malcolm Fincham

A mostly cool, overcast and murky start to April throughout most of the UK brought with it a slow progress of the arrival of our summer visiting birds.

On the first day of the of the month seeing just two sand martins on our visit to Frensham Little Pond.

Firecrest.

While the only other bird of interest that day being a resident firecrest.

Blackcap by Stoke Lake.

It wasn’t until April 6 that I heard and photographed my first singing blackcap of the year (some of which do overwinter in southern regions of the UK) at the Riverside Nature Reserve near Burpham.

First swallow of 2018 sighted over Stoke Lake.

It wasn’t until April 11, surprisingly, that I got to see my first, true migrant in the way of a swallow there. Although on another day of overcast weather, I only managed to capture a silhouetted photo as it flew over the lake.

Common buzzard mobbed by two corvids.

Only adding to my record shots that day, a locally resident common buzzard, being mobbed, as usual by corvids.

On the few brighter days, I was able to get a few other resident species there, some now nest building, while a few showing signs that they were already raising young.

Wren.

From the boardwalk wrens continued to be seen and heard making their vociferous, machine gun-like calls.

Cetti’s warbler.

Only out sung by the strident sound of a Cetti’s warbler, calling, elusively, from the other side of the river.

Blue tit in among the Blackthorn blossom.

Among the blackthorn, some still in flower near the lake, a verity of small birds, including blue tits fed on the blossom.

Treecreeper near Stoke Lake.

As daytime temperatures began to warm a little on the sunnier days, I watched from a distance as a treecreeper started to build its nest in a tree crevice.

Treecreeper with a twig for its nest.

Watching intently, as it broke small twigs from surrounding trees.

Treecreeper uses a spider’s web for its nest.

Even collecting cobwebs to use to bind and strengthen its home.

Small tortoiseshell butterfly by Stoke Lock.

A few hours of warm sunshine on April 7, I even spotted my first small tortoiseshell butterfly of the year by Stoke Lock.

Thursley Common.

On April 12, as spells of sunshine continued to warm the air into their mid-teens, I visited Thursley Common.

Dartford warbler on flowering gorse, on Thursley Common.

Among my best pictures there were of the usual sightings of Dartford warblers.

Male Stonechat on flowering gorse, on Thursley Common.

While listening to the constant chattering of goldfinches and linnets. And, of cause, a few of the many stonechats that reside there.

Common redstart on Thursley Common.

My best sighting that day was recognising a song I hadn’t heard since last year. My first male common redstart of the year, singing from a perch in the pines. Having safely made it back from Africa.

Inspired by such a sight and in the hope of adding a few more new sighting to the year, on April 14, I accepted an invite from Bob and Dougal to visit a sunny Staines Reservoir. And a worthwhile trip it was too.

Common scoters at Staines Reservoir.

Surprisingly, a couple of groups of common scoters could be viewed from the causeway that splits the north and south basins there.

Common scooters on Staines reservoir.

The common scoter is an all dark sea duck. The male is totally black and the female lighter, with a pale face. They are usually seen during winter months as bobbing rafts offshore, or long straggling lines flying low along the coast.

A few little gulls could also be viewed spread out among the black headed gulls out on the water. Too distant to photograph and only picked out though the telescope.

Black-necked grebe at Staines Reservoir.

Three black-necked grebes were closer to view now in summer plumage, though with the sun behind them, made them a tough one to get decent pictures of.

Dunlin at Staines Reservoir.

Along the edge of the water by the causeway was a lone dunlin.

Horned lark by causeway at Staines Reservoir.

While the horned lark that over wintered there, and which I wrote about in a previous report, was still present and very confiding, on the bank on the southern side of the causeway. http://www.guildford-dragon.com/2018/02/06/birdwatchers-diary-no-154/

Yellow wagtail on causeway at Staines Reservoir.

Just as we were about to leave, we were able to add another bird to this year’s list of sightings. A yellow wagtail had dropped in and perched on the metal fencing along the causeway. It hopped about from its vantage point, catching flies.

Common tern at Staines Reservoir.

Also adding to our year’s sighting was a pair of common terns.

From there we travelled the short distance down the road to Staines Moor. Two ring ouzels had been reported there earlier in the week. Previous days of overcast weather seemed to have held them back from completing the migration north.

“They have got to be still here somewhere,” said Dougal, sounding confident from his years of experience in birdwatching, as we explored the north-west corner of the moor, where they had been last seen, earlier that day.

Ring ouzel, in flight, on Staines Moor.

As often, in the past, he was correct. Two birds, similar to a blackbird flew across the field ahead of us.

Ring ouzel on Staines Moor.

Unlike a blackbird, the ring ouzel’s white crescent on the upper breast and its pale wing panels are particularly distinctive, especially in the males.

Ring ouzel on Staines Moor.

True enough, with clear skies that night, no sign of them were seen by the following day. Probably having completed their journey to their upland breeding grounds in Scotland and northern England where their habitat is open moorland and crags at high altitudes.

Wheatear on Staines Moor.

Completing an enjoyable time there, we also added three wheatears to our sightings before calling it a day.

On my return to the Riverside Nature Reserve on April 15 the feel of summer was seemingly within sight.

Swallow on wire by Stoke Lock.

A swallow perched on a wire near Stoke Lock, My first reasonable record shot of one this year!

Grey wagtail.

A pair of grey wagtails, the male showing a handsome black bib, chased one and other up and down the riverbank.

Long-tailed tit.

While long-tailed tits, busily flitted about in the wooded area by the towpath.

Lady’s smock.

Lady’s smock also known as cuckoo flower was starting to add some colour, along the boardwalk.

Mute swan with clutch of eggs.

At the far end of the boardwalk a pair of mute swans had built their nest, so far having laid four eggs.

Female blackcap at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

As many as seven or eight blackcaps could be heard singing around the reserve. I even managed to catch a photo of a female blackcap, showing its copper-brown coloured cap, as it flitted between some branches.

Coot on its nest at Stoke Lake.

On the lake several coots could also be seen sitting on their nests too.

Great crested grebe on Stoke Lake.

While a great crested grebe was looking rather dapper, in its summer plumage.

Barn owl.

And the barn owl continued to show well, in the bright sunlight in its daytime roost near Bower’s Lock.

Roe deer at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

Roe deer could also be seen, feeding on new shoots of vegetation, now rapidly growing in the marshy areas.

The only concern for me that day, was while walking back along the towpath of the River Wey. Swimming across to the far bank of river, towards the area where the old refuse dump used to be, was a mammal. I instantly recognised it to be a mink, taking a few record shots of it as it swam.

Mink on river bank.

On reaching the far bank, it stood up on its hind legs, briefly, looking about.

I last saw it perched on a the trunk of a fallen tree, before merging into the undergrowth, out of sight.

Mink swimming along the River Wey.

Mink in the are not indigenous to the UK. They are American mink, which originated from mink brought here for fur-farming.

They are active predators, feeding on anything they are big enough to catch, including our native water voles. They hunt on the riverbanks and are good swimmers, enabling them to enter the water-line burrows of water voles as well as nesting kingfishers.