Birdwatcher’s Diary No.29

Published on: 13 Feb, 2013
Updated on: 13 Feb, 2013

By Malcolm Fincham

Wow! What a wonderful waxwing winter we are having. It has certainly has surpassed my expectations, or am I just waxwing lyrical!

Waxwings get a great reception in Aldershot Road.

I had decided to take a few days off from any birdwatching adventures to have some restful afternoons indoors before starting my latest report. However, at 2.30pm on January 30 I was alerted by a phone call from David Rose (old friend and also of The Guildford Dragon NEWS, of course) to say he had just seen what he was certain to be a group of waxwings feeding in a tree opposite Woodbridge Hill Club in Aldershot Road.

So it was a case of ‘camera in bag’ and on my bike to try to see if I could confirm his sighting and maybe capture a few pictures.

On arrival I was sure I was too late as as none could be seen. It wasn’t long though before I heard their gentle trilling song and caught sight of them sitting on a TV aerial and just managed a few pictures before they flew north in the direction of Stoughton Recreation Ground.

Barn Owl at Bowers Lock, February 1.

On February 1 I visited Bowers Lock with the hope that our resident barn owl had survived the cold weather; as on my previous trips while the snow was on the ground I was unable to see it. I was pleased to see him sitting in his usual spot in his favourite tree.

A second barn owl puts in a display.

As I watched I was suddenly taken by surprise by another bird flying in from the left of the field. It was a second barn owl. It spent a good 10 minutes quartering the field, occasionally diving into the long grass for prey.

Barn owl on February 6 at Bowers Lock, Burpham.

Barn owl at Bowers Lock, Burpham.

I was sure there would be some kind of interaction between the two, but alas (although almost certainly they were aware of each other’s presence) it continued to hunt unhindered and eventually disappeared out of sight way up the field to the right of me. But I was pleased to snap a few shots.

The following day I returned to the same spot, and although by the time I got there it was too dark for photos, I could distinctly see two barn owls – one in a tree and the other on a post a few hundred yards apart.

A scenic sunset looking across the River Wey towards the recycling depot at Slyfield.

View along the river towards Stoke Lock at sunset.

Lapwings circle before landing in a field.

I managed to take what I think are some nice sunset shots on my walk there. I also photographed a flock of more than 50 lapwing circling before landing in the field across the river in the direction of Burpham Court Farm. At Stoke Lake an increasing amount of fieldfares could be seen.

Fieldfares.

On Monday, February 4, I counted more than 30 feeding alongside starlings, as well as a few redwings and a mistle thrush in the field around and beyond picnic tables at the southerly end of the lake.

Fieldfares feeding by a picnic table at Stoke Lake.

Nearby, at Stoke lock Cottage, I saw at least three chiffchaffs and even heard one calling for the my first time this year. It has continued to be heard on sunnier days since.

On Wednesday, February 6, having a few free days from work I arranged an early morning trip with Mark, another long-time friend, to Pulborough Brooks in West Sussex.

Pintail ducks at Pulborough Brooks, West Sussex.

Although we didn’t manage to spot anything out of the ordinary, I did take a few shots of birds that haven’t appeared on my reports until now. These included a pair of pintail ducks and a pair of shelduck.

Shelduck.

I was also able to get some good shots of a water rail, normally a very elusive bird and as mentioned in a couple of previous reports.

Water rail feeding outside the visitors’ centre at Pulbrough Brooks.

However, this one has been living in the undergrowth by the pond outside the visitors’ centre. It is often tempted out by some meal worm sprinkled on the grass, if you ask the girl in the shop nicely, as I did.

Over the week I continued to hear reports of waxwings in various locations around the Guildford area and by February 7 I could no longer resist an opportunity of getting some more pictures of such photogenic critters. I ventured up to Ellis Avenue in Onslow Village where more than 50 had been counted in the previous few days.

Waxwings feeding on apples in Onslow Village.

As seen in some of the photos, on this occasion they were feeding on apples. As I was doing a rough count of the birds (just over 30) I noticed there was one with a blue colour ring tag on its leg. I made a point of taking a few photo of it and later that day e-mailed one of the pictures to the Surrey Bird Club.

Note the red ring on the Waxwing’s leg.

On closer inspection it was noticed that it had a red ring on its other leg, and and also on later inspection of my photos I also had one clearly showing a red ring on its right leg.

From further investigation by the colour coding, it was discovered that it had been ‘ringed’ in mid-Wales. This information is always gratefully received, especially with birds that travel such distances, and put together with sightings of other ringed waxwings that have been reported it is already starting to build up interesting data on their movements and dispersal from the registered sites.

On Friday, February 8, I revisited Bowers Lock still in hope of really good close-up barn owl photos. Although I spent a good hour standing around in the cold (and my boots were no longer lying about the cold around my feet), I can confirm they were still present.

Common buzzard flies home to roost at Sutton Place.

Common buzzard.

I was only able to get distant fleeting views but I was pleased to get a few shots at dusk of a common buzzard as it flew in – plaintively mewing as it glided across the field to roost in the grounds of Sutton Place; and one of a grey heron taking flight disturbed by my presence.

Grey heron takes flight.

And finally, I have added the picture of the leusitic chaffinch I took that I promised to feature when writing in the reply box to comments made by David Rose after my previous report. I have included a photo of an ordinary chaffinch to show the comparisons.