Birdwatcher’s Diary No.322

Published on: 2 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 2 Mar, 2025

By Malcolm Fincham

What was appearing to become an immovable flow of an easterly airmass with its cold Siberian tentacles flexing in the direction of the UK from the eastern continent, was eventually met by the irresistible force of an Atlantic jet stream. This was once again fired up by a cold weather system moving down through Canada.

Some much-awaited milder weather was the eventual outcome in southern counties of the UK, at least for the latter weeks of February. Although low pressure systems brought some heavy precipitation, it also allowed me a few bright and sunny spells to get out and about locally with my camera.

Revisiting Prews Farm at Send on February 16, once more in the company of Bob and Dougal, we continued to see plenty of bird flocks still wintering there, feeding on the large fields of sunflower seed heads.

Brambling, Prews Farm.

Also present still were several bramblings.

Male reed bunting (above) and female (below), Prews Farm.

As well as various other birds, including male and female reed buntings.

Linnets, Prews Farm.

While large flocks of linnets continued to be observed, both descending and reascending from the wilting sunflower heads on the far side of the fields.

Yellowhammer, Papercourt water meadows.

On Papercourt water meadows on the other side of Tannery Lane and adjacent to Prews Farm, a handful of yellowhammers could be found among the brambles.

Corn bunting, Papercourt water meadows.

Also to my delight was a brief glimpse of a corn bunting that had been reported there in recent weeks.

Elsewhere about Surrey by the last week of February the first shoots of spring had begun to appear, with daytime temperatures rising close to the mid teens centigrade.

Snowdrops at St Mary’s churchyard, Perry Hill, Worplesdon.

Snowdrops were already in flower at various locations.

Blackthorn starting to flower by Stoke Lake.

On a visit to the Riverside Nature Reserve near Burpham, the first few sprigs of white blossom on the blackthorn bushes by Stoke Lake were starting to appear.

Stoke Lake.

Tufted ducks on Stoke Lake, Riverside Nature Reserve.

A dozen or so tufted ducks continued to winter on the lake.

Gulls on Stoke Lake.

While flocks of gulls made an appearance on the water from time to time for a wash and brush-up before returning to feed at the near by recycling centre, just to the other side of the River Wey.

Black-headed gulls, (spring plumage bird on right), Riverside Nature Reserve.

A few of the black-headed gulls were already showing signs of transforming into their summer plumages.

Sparrowhwk over Stoke Lake at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

A sparrowhawk flashed by flying low across the lake allowing me an opportunistic shot.

Blue tits.

The chatter of blue tits and great tits could be more regularly heard.

Chiffchaff, Riverside Nature Reserve.

Although still seemingly a little apprehensive, a few chiffchaffs had begun to make their calls.

Song thrush in song.

A song thrush was a pleasant addition to the chorus.

Grey wagtail on the roof of Stoke Lock Cottage.

While at Stoke Lock Cottage a pair of grey wagtails had re-bonded and could be viewed dancing together on the roof tiles.

A curious addition to my sightings that day was an unusual looking species of waterfowl out on the scrape viewed from near Stoke Lock.

I had previously observed it there during the later months of last year and assumed it to be leucistic coot due to the shape of its beak.

Leucistic coot or a hybrid species?

However, on this occasion, viewing it alongside a normal coot, it was almost certainly larger and perhaps some kind of coot-hybrid?

Tufted ducks, Pudmore Pond, Thursley Common.

A visit to Thursley Common included several tufted ducks that could be seen on Pudmore Pond while viewing from the boardwalk.

Thursley Common.

Further out on the heathland, around the area locally known as ‘shrike hill’, I was able to count at least four pairs of woodlarks.

Woodlark singing, Thursley Common.

Some were now singing their delightful song, both in flight and while perched up in the surrounding pines.

Dartford warblers, Thursley Common.

A few Dartford warblers could be heard and seen about the heath, some already with partners.

Stonechat, Thursley Common.

And several pairs of stonechats put in an appearance.

Firecrest, Thursley Common.

Also adding a few bonus pictures of a firecrest I found on my return to the car park.

Lydling Farm, Shackleford.

Continuing to take advantage of the dry and pleasant weather, I also visited Lydling Farm at Shackleford, near Godalming.

Bullfinch, Lydling Farm.

My first sighting and probably my ‘bird of the day’ was a bullfinch. A species seemingly fewer in number now, certainly in my sightings of them locally in recent times.

Kestrel, Lydling Farm.

A kestrel had flown down and across one of the fields, probably attracted by a small mammal it had spotted.

Skylark.

A few skylarks could briefly be heard in song.

Red kite at Lydling Farm.

While several red kites circled about the fields.

Common buzzards, Lydling Farm.

And common buzzards were also showing signs of their mating displays.

Filedfares (above) and a redwing below.

A few wintering fieldfares and redwings continued to feed within the fields.

Britten’s Pond.

Further signs of early spring could be observed on several visits to Britten’s Pond as the sun continued to shine during a majority of my visits.

Egyptian goose with goslings, at Britten’s Pond.

My biggest surprise was to see the Egyptian geese had already produced five goslings. My first sighting of a young brood this year, as they displayed them on the pond.

Treecreeper, Britten’s Pond.

Treecreepers about the trees surrounding the pond could be heard.

Goldcrest, this one seen at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

And a goldcrest also attracted my attention with its song.

long ta[led tit at Britten’s Pond.

Nuthatches, Britten’s Pond.

Nuthatches there were also starting to pair up.

Great spotted woodpecker.

The sound of great spotted woodpeckers drumming could be heard in the woodlands beyond.

Cormorant, Britten’s Pond.

Occasionally cormorants would continue to visit the pond.

Grey heron, Britten’s Pond.

And a grey heron would make an informal appearance from time to time.

Kingfisher, Britten’s Pond.

The kingfisher continued to make the odd visit.

Female tufted duck, Britten’s Pond.

And a female tufted duck also graced the pond for one afternoon.

My last venture of the month on February 27 was in the company of Dougal. It involved a trip to an area of Cranleigh we hadn’t ever visited before. The hope for me was just to find the pond as it appeared to be in the middle of nowhere!

We were following up on reports that a female ring-necked duck had made a return to the pond at Pallinghurst / Little Wildwood Farm, Alfold.

The duck made a brief appearance there back in January. Thus allowing the opportunity for Dougal and I a second ‘bite of the cherry’ in the hope of viewing it.

Female ring necked duck at Pallinghurst / Little Wildwood Farm.

After a long trudge across a sodden grassy field that had claimed to be a footpath, we were most grateful to find both the pond as well as the bird in question.

The ring-necked duck is a small diving duck whose native breeding grounds are in boreal forest territories of the northern United States and Canada. During winter months they are usually found in the southern parts of North America.

Female ring necked duck at Pallinghurst / Little Wildwood Farm.

Vagrants are quite rare to see in the UK although some are known to be kept in captivity.

The previous one we saw and I reported on was back in February 2022, in Reigate.

Female ring necked duck pictured with a tufted duck at Pallinghurst / Little Wildwood Farm.

Given that their lifespan can be up to 20 years, and this one also being a female, it could even possibly be the same bird!

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