Birdwatcher’s Diary No.161

Published on: 16 May, 2018
Updated on: 16 May, 2018

By Malcolm Fincham

Another unseasonable spell of weather returned as April came to a close.

Temperatures had dropped to a chilly 7c, as I took an amble around the Riverside Nature Reserve near Burpham on Sunday, April 29, well below the average for the time of year. Both breezy and overcast, it felt much like a winter’s day.

Reed warbler at Stoke Lake. Click on each picture to enlarge in a new window.

My thoughts went out to the many insect-eating birds struggling to refuel after their long flights from Africa, that had migrated here to breed here. At least four reed warblers could now be heard singing from the reed bed around Stoke Lake, although the reeds were barely tall enough yet for them to seclude themselves.

Swallow hawking over Stoke Lake.

Looking across the lake, hirundines could be seen, desperately feeding on any available insects they could catch flying low over the water. I counted at least 20 swallows, a few house martins and at least one sand martin. Although I was, as always, more fascinated by their agility as I attempted a few photos, rather than to make an exact count.

Within just a few days high pressure returned, pushing warm air in from the Continent, bringing with it, blue skies and sunshine. Many of our resident birds where well ahead of the summer arrivals.

Starling returning with food for its young.

Starlings were already collecting food for their young.

Long-tailed tit with food for its young.

So were the long-tailed tits at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

Grey wagtail catches a Mayfly.

While grey wagtails flew back and forth to their nest sites to feed their young.

Whereas although a good number of summer visitors had now arrived, most were still in song, trying to attract a mate.

Common whitethroat.

At least five reed warblers had set up their territories in areas around the reserve. While plenty of sedge warblers could now be heard singing from areas around the boardwalk. Although arriving much later than previous years, common whitethroats were also, now, in good numbers there.

Reed bunting singing by boardwalk at Riverside Nature Reserve.

Reed buntings, although resident, were still very vocal, males competing with each other by serenading their females in song.

On May 3, tales of interest, tempted me on a family trip back to Pulborough Brooks, RSPB, West Sussex. Although having only visited the reserve just a few weeks ago, news of a displaying family of tawny owls had been reported.

Tawny owlets at Unstead Sewage Farm, taken in my early days of wildlife photography.

It had been a good few years since I had witnessed such an event, recalling my early days of photography, taking a photo of two owlets that sat out together at Unstead Sewage Farm, near Godalming.

Tawny owlet.

It takes about five weeks from hatching before the young are capable of flying, but a week or so before this time the owlets will start exploring the world outside the nest, this behaviour is known as “branching”.

Adult tawny owl at Pulborough Brooks RSPB.

Their adults, as in this case will spend their day roosting nearby, keeping a protective watch over them.

Blackcap at Pulborough Brooks.

As on my previous visit, in my previous report, blackcaps continued to be heard in song.

Nightingale at Pulborough Brooks.

A few more nightingales had arrived and could be also be heard. One stood on show for a good 15 minutes, performing its melody to a gathering audience of admirers.

On Saturday, May 5 news came through of another interesting find. This time a little more locally, on Royal Common, in Elstead near Godalming, an area I hadn’t visited before.

A wood warbler had been seen and heard singing its delightful song there. These birds once used to breed in Surrey, a decade or so ago, in areas around the Devil’s Punchbowl at Hindhead.

Garden warbler.

Walking the track in the direction where this one had last been seen, with good friends Bob and Dougal, we first picked out the sounds of a couple of garden warblers. Elusive as they were, we eventually tracked one down.

It wasn’t much further down the track that we picked up on the infamous song of the wood warbler. Said to be reminiscent to that of a spinning coin on a plate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syRKFuETIYE

Wood warbler at Royal Common, Elstead.

It brought back memories of the ones I had heard, just a few year’s ago, when visiting the Scottish Highlands, where they still breed. Much of the population in the UK is predominantly found in upland western oak woods of Wales, Northern England and Scotland. This one was just gracing us with its delightful presence and song as it was passing through.

Holly blue.

The warm sunshine that day had also encourage a few butterflies out on the wing. Seemingly it was a good year for the holly blue, having seen a good few on my recent ventures.

Brimstone butterflies (male and female).

Brimstones where back out on the wing, males and females entwining in flight.

Green-veined white butterfly.

Also adding a green-veined white to our “day list”.

Continuing along the track from Royal Common we eventually came out on to Thursley Common. Out on the heathland, common whitethroats could be seen and heard making their “scratchy” calls.

Common redstart on Thursley Common.

While common redstarts still sang in the pines.

Stonechat on the heath at Thursley Common.

And stonechats perched in the sun on the gorse.

Adder on Thursley Common.

The warmth of the day had also encouraged a few adders out from their hidings.

Large red damselfly.

As well as my first damselfly of the year. A large red.

The distant sound of a cuckoo grew ever louder as we headed in the direction of the Parish Field.

Colin the cuckoo, out on the heath at Thursley Common.

It wasn’t long before we spotted him perched on a tall dead tree on the heathland. Judging by how confiding he was as we approached, it had to be Colin the locally named cuckoo. It was then, a second one could be heard cuckooing and not too far away.

Colin the cuckoo in flight.

An intruder had arrived on his patch and he wasn’t having any of it. Taking flight, I managed to get a few shots of him as he passed close by where we stood, as he saw off the interloper.

Paparazzi on parade in the Parish field awaiting the arrival of Colin the cuckoo.

Meanwhile at the Parish Field the paparazzi sat patiently, not realising he was too intent about defending his territory than to pay them any attention, at least, during the time we where there.

Hobby in flight.

A delightful addition to our sightings before we called it a day, was a hobby, our first one of this year!

Swifts.

It wasn’t until May 7 that I first saw swifts hawking flies in the sky over Stoughton. Our local population had arrived back! Counting just seven, though, hopefully, many more will soon be here to join them.

A few hours was spent at Farlington Marshes, near Portsmouth on the afternoon of May 10, although not adding anything new to my year sightings of birds, apart from a sandwich tern, too distant to photograph. It was a therapeutic one in many ways. A cool breeze blew across the sea wall, but sunny periods made it a pleasant walk.

Little egret with its plumes blowing in the breeze.

Little egrets were having a bit of a “bad hair day” with their plumes blowing in the breeze.

Reed warbler at Farlington Marshes.

Reed warblers could be seen, moving about, as they sang from the reed-beds.

Swifts over the lagoon at Farlington.

Swifts were busy, hawking flies over the reed beds on the main lagoon there.

Redshank.

Taking advantage of some good light, I added a redshank to the day’s photos.

Gadwall.

As well as a, nearby, gadwall.

Probably my personal favourite of the day, was, a chanced, in-flight shot of what is thought to be the hairy dragonfly. These are UK’s smallest hawker, emerging before other hawkers in May. It has a distinctly hairy thorax, hence its name.

Hairy dragonfly.

The hairy dragonfly’s flight period is short and early, beginning in mid-May and ending in mid-July. Having laid their eggs, it takes two years for their larva to emerge.

Back on my local patch, by May 11, at the Riverside Nature Reserve, life was moving on.

Orange tip butterfly.

A few orange tip butterflies were still present.

Hawthorn in blossom.

The Mayflower, (hawthorn) was now out in full blossom and was looking especially stunning this year.

Grey wagtail feeding young along the River Wey.

Some grey wagtail chicks had already fledged and could be seen being fed by their adults along the riverbank, on what looked to be a few Mayflies, now starting to emerge, along the River Wey.

Cetti’s warbler.

The Cetti’s warbler, continued to let its presence be known, vocally, though remained too elusive to get a decent picture of. Reed warblers proved a little easier, but most seemed a lot quieter, having wooed a partner.

Coot with chick on Stoke Lake.

A coot on the far side of the lake could be seen feeding one of its chicks.

Canada geese with two goslings on Stoke Lake.

While nearby them Canada geese could be seen on the lake with goslings.

Mallard with chicks, with a heron behind.

Out on the scrape near Stoke Lock a pair of mallards could be viewed, with chicks, although I wasn’t so sure, how much longer for, with that grey heron so close by?

Fox by the scape near Stoke Lock.

And a sly fox about too! Looking for a snack?

Kestrel hunting over the field by Stoke Lake.Looks like he’s caught a snail.

The most unusual event of the day was watching a kestrel as it hovered, hunting over the meadows by the lake. Taking a dive into the long grass, it grabbed its prey! Was it a vole of some kind? No! By the look of the picture I took, It was a snail? “Must have good eyes to see that moving”, I thought.

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