Birdwatcher’s Diary No.316

Published on: 18 Nov, 2024
Updated on: 18 Nov, 2024

By Malcolm Fincham

Although weather conditions remained mostly dry as we moved into the first weeks of November, it could only be best described as Dreich.

Another dull and overcast day while visiting St Catherine’s Lock, Shalford.

High pressure continued to hold its anticyclonic dank gloom over the UK over 10 consecutive days. On occasions not even producing enough energy to make my decorative solar lights outside my back door to shine as darkness fell.

For the most part daytime temperatures without sunshine only rose to low double figures, although night-time temperatures didn’t drop any lower than high single figures due the blanket of gloomy cloud cover keeping any warmth beneath it. Thus keeping average temperatures for the time of year above the norm. Strange days indeed!

Struggling to obtain photos beyond monochrome, or at the best early versions of technicolour, was becoming quite an achievement as I attempted to keep up with my sightings.

St Catherine’s Hill and ruined chapel viewed from the water meadows near St Catherine’s Lock.

On November 3, a lone female bearded reedling (formerly known as bearded tit) was reported at St Catherine’s water meadows in Shalford.

Previously taken photo of a bearded reedling, (female).

Rarely seen in Surrey, it stayed among the reedbeds for several days allowing several other observers to locate it. My only previous sighting in Surrey being a small group, well over a decade ago at Tice’s Meadow.

Kestrel perched up by St Catherine’s Lock.

While present, a kestrel flew overhead and perched up in a dead tree beside the river.

Wren.

Several wrens flitted about calling among the reedbeds. The only other notable sound was that of a water rail that remained out of view deep within the reedbeds making its ‘squealing pig’ sounds.

On November 4, and once again back in the company of Bob and Dougal, I found myself off to see another rarity. This time a Lapland bunting had been reported earlier in the day at Staines Reservoir.

Lapland Bunting at Staines Reservoir.

Confidingly, it was spending its time feeding at the far eastern end of the causeway, staying for several days thereafter, allowing many observers to view and photograph it.

This indeed was a rare and pleasant sighting for me, having last seen one on my trip to the Isles of Scilly in October 2020.

Another report we followed up on a few days later, was of four red crested pochard that had made an appearance at Papercourt gravel pits / sailing lake for several days during the first week of November.

In the company of Bob and Dougal we decided to pay them a visit.

Drake red crested pochard, Papercourt sailing lake.

Red-crested pochards are naturally found from southern and central Europe and across central Asia. Its attractive appearance however has made it a popular bird in wildfowl collections in the UK.

Over the years, like mandarin ducks, red-crested pochards have escaped from collections and nested in the wild, leading to a relatively small, but established population in England.

Female red crested pochard, Papercourt sailing lake.

It’s possible that some of the red-crested pochards seen in the UK, particularly in south-east England, have arrived from continental Europe.

Drake and a female red crested pochard, Papercourt sailing lake.

Over the last century, the European population has spread north into the Netherlands and Germany. They are migratory, flying between breeding grounds and wintering sites.

Within the UK, winter population are estimated to be around 600 individuals.

Common pochard, Papercourt sailing lake.

A few, more commonly, wintering common pochards could also be viewed while there.

Unstead Sewage Farm.

On November 9 we visited Unstead Sewage Farm, near Godalming.

Water rail, Unstead Sewage Farm.

Although light conditions remained subdued, we were able to attain some rather confiding views of not just one, but two water rails.

Water rail and moorhen, Unstead Sewage Farm.

Also enabling me to achieve a shot of one beside a moorhen allowing a good opportunity show their size comparison.

St Mary’s churchyard, Perry Hill, Worplesdon.

At Worplesdon churchyard during the first weeks of November the depletion of berries from the yew trees continued.

Redwing in a yew tree, Worplesdon churchyard.

Although continuing to be secretive in their presence, small groups of redwings continued to arrive. And with the need of patience in my observations a few eventually gave themselves up to my camera lens.

Mistle thrush.

A mistle thrush also made an appearance, first perching up in one of the trees bordering the churchyard, then diving deep within the dense cover of a yew tree.

Fieldfare.

The sound of a fieldfare could be heard, eventually getting my first sighting of one this autumn.

Nuthatch, Worplesdon churchyard.

The sound of nuthatches continued about the grounds.

Greenfinch.

And a few greenfinches with their presence.

Firecrest, Worplesdon churchyard.

A firecrest allowed me a few photos.

Goldcrest Worplesdon churchyard.

While a goldcrest made an appearance.

Green woodpecker, Worplesdon churchyard.

And a green woodpecker perched up in one of the trees bordering the churchyard.

A few brief moments of blue sky allowed some slight improvements in several of the photos I achieved, only to see grey clouds return, which continued to the middle of the month.