Birdwatcher’s Diary No.178

Published on: 6 Jan, 2019
Updated on: 7 Jan, 2019

By Malcolm Fincham

As another year of birdwatching drew to a close, weather began to settle down as we approached Christmas. Temperatures continued to remain reasonably mild around the local Surrey Hills, restricted by shortening daylight hours and mostly overcast days. I had long given up on my yearly quest of seeing over 200 species of birds.

For me, however, it’s more about what I had seen during the past months, rather than what I hadn’t. As well as reflecting on some of the photos I have achieved, and the karma that being at one with nature has brought my way.

Singing robin.

Just to hear a robin singing most evenings recently, after dark, by the street lights, in our otherwise quiet suburban cul-de-sac.

House sparrow in a winter flowering cherry tree.

Fortunate to have a small flock of house sparrows occasionally visiting my garden often perching on the branches of my winter flowering cherry tree is a bonus.

Pochard at Riverside Nature Reserve.

A little further afield on my local patch at the Riverside Nature Reserve, near Burpham, a surprise sighting for me, for a few days during the first week of December, was a drake pochard. Having many year’s ago being a common sight there, it was just the second one seen this year!

The common pochard is a gregarious bird, and usually forms large flocks in winter, often mixed with other diving ducks, such as tufted ducks.

Tufted ducks.

Tufted ducks are certainly the most common ducks that can be seen wintering on Stoke Lake.

Dabchick (little grebe).

And as many as three little grebes could be seen on the water on most visits.

Grey heron.

In the sallows bordering the lake, along the main footpath, a very confiding juvenile grey heron could regularly be viewed, often allowing close-up photos.

Just to the other side of the path, in the now leafless, winter hedgerow, numerous small birds could be seen flitting around, looking for wee insects to feed upon.

Long-tailed tit at Riverside Nature Reserve.

Among them a small flock of long-tailed tits worked their way enthusiastically through the thicket of interwoven branches.

Goldcrest at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

On several occasions a goldcrest could also be observed.

Teal by Stoke Lake.

While in the flooded ditches beyond them, numerous wintering teal could be seen dabbling in the shallow water.

Grey wagtail.

A walk along the towpath of the River Wey nearby on December 22 saw a regular sighting of a grey wagtail.

A little further down stream in the direction of Bower’s Lock, looking out toward Burpham Court Farm, with a reasonable pair of binoculars, a distant pool of flood water can be viewed. On it was a “raft” of mixed wildfowl, including wigeon, shoveller and teal.

Lapwings over Burpham Court Farm.

In the sky above them circled a “deceit” of lapwings. Counting in excess of 40 birds.

A similar sighting of them on New Year’s Day noted an increase to more than 70 lapwings.

Common buzzard mobbed by a crow.

Across the meadow, to the rear of the Slyfield Industrial Estate, a common buzzard could be seen, mobbed by a crow.

Firecrest on Broadstreet Common.

Elsewhere, a few miles away on Broadstreet Common, a firecrest could be found, as it flitted around one of its favoured holly bushes.

On December 24, on a small lake at Greywaters in a quiet part of Bramley, just to the south of Guildford, I spotted two drake red crested pochards.

Red crested pochard at Bramley.

The breeding habitat of the red crested pochard are lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and southern and central Asia.

Although somewhat migratory in status, in the British Isles they are much confused due to the fact that there have been many escapes and deliberate releases over the years, as well as natural visitors from the continent.

Gregarious by their nature, they can occasionally be seen mixed with other diving ducks. However, it is most likely that these were escapees that are now breeding wild and have built up a successful feral population. “Plastic” or not, in the eyes of a fanatical bird enthusiast, for me, they are always a delight to see.

I ended the year with a small posse of friends on our annual trip to the Isle of Sheppey on the north Kent coast.

Raptor view point, Harty marshes, on the Isle of Sheppey.

Apart from a change of scenery, it is a well known destination to “catch-up” with a variety of species that have rarely been seen in recent years around our local Surrey countryside.

It was also an opportunity of getting reasonably close pictures of a few species, by using the car as a mobile “hide” as we drove close by some of the wetland areas.

Lapwings on the Isle of Sheppey.

Lapwings were abundant, apparently having had a good breeding season there this past year.

Curlews on the Isle of Sheppey.

A variety of other waders probed the soft soil and waterways by the roadside. These included numerous curlews.

Greylag geese on Isle of Sheppey.

A small gathering of greylag geese.

Ruff on the Isle of Sheppey.

Looking around the edges of some of the nearby pools, we picked out at least six ruff. The males of this species are not only renown for their summer plumage, of which they get their name.

The ruff has three male forms, which differ in mating behaviour as well as appearance.

Some males have a white neck, which I’m guessing is the white winter plumaged one seen here.

Some males have a white neck, which I’m guessing was the white winter plumaged one in the picture above? There is also the very rare cryptic individuals which have female-like plumage.

Skylark on the Isle of Sheppey.

Among the starlings that surround the lapwing feeding in the grassy areas, I was also able to pick out a skylark, getting a picture of it with its crest up.

Marsh harrier on the Isle of Sheppey.

Occasionally a marsh harrier would fly through, scattering the waders in all directions.

Curlew on the Isle of Sheppey.

Even a few of the curlews felt uneasy of their presence and would scatter along with the smaller birds.

Red-legged partridges on the Isle of Sheppey.

Red-legged partridges are a common sight on the island, sometimes seen crossing the narrow roads, unperturbed by the traffic.

Red-legged partridges take flight.

Though taking flight in panic when disturbed by humans.

Redwing.

Also winter visiting redwings.

A flock of fieldfares.

As well as flocks of fieldfares.

Stonechat on the Isle of Sheppey.

And the “odd” stonechat perched up on show.

Corn buntings on the Isle of Sheppey.

My most memorable sightings of the day, had to be corn buntings; in a flock of well over 30 observed. Sadly a bird no longer seen in the Surrey countryside, due to changes in farming methods.