Birdwatcher’s Diary No. 324

Published on: 3 Apr, 2025
Updated on: 3 Apr, 2025

By Malcolm Fincham

Cyclonic atmospheric high pressure conditions continued to keep the weather dry, for the most part, in southern regions of the UK as we moved into the latter weeks of March.

While daytime temperatures remained in the mid to low teens Celsius, it felt quite warm when the sun shone. Thus giving me little in the way of excuses not to get out and about with my camera.

Britten’s Pond.

Most frequent of my visits were to Britten’s Pond, a quiet oasis just the other side of the railway line from Whitmoor Common where, over recent years, I have got to know and chat to many of the anglers who keep me up to date with any unusual sightings when fishing there.

The ground temperatures around the pond were also starting to warm enough for my first sighting on March 19 of the solitary bees that I have mentioned sighting at this time of the year in previous years, emerging from the soil by the water’s edge.

Solitary bee, Britten’s Pond.

As with many of the early spring bees, this species I believe to be andrena clarkella emerging synchronistically to forage on sallow blossom.

Chiffchaff, Britten’s Pond.

A sense of spring in the air continued as we passed through the spring equinox and several chiffchaffs started to break into full song at Britten’s Pond, as well as most other places visited as the days progressed.

Nuthatch, Britten’s Pond.

While other birds including nuthatches had begun calling their varied repertoire of songs.

Mute swans’ ‘pincer movement’ to evict a Canada goose at Britten’s Pond.

Testosterone levels were increasing in the resident mute swans on the pond, chasing off any new arrivals of geese, yet still accepting the presence of the resident greylags and Egyptian geese that had wintered there.

Greylag goose, Britten’s Pond.

Most of the arrivals were Canada geese, but even they chased a greylag that had briefly settled before being given its ‘marching orders’.

Cormorant, Britten’s Pond.

Less bothered were they with the occasional cormorants that visited.

Grey heron with fish, Britten’s Pond.

And the resident grey heron was often seen fishing from its favoured floating raft.

Two drake and a female tufted duck on Britten’s Pond.

And neither was it put out by the occasional spring movement of a few tufted ducks visiting the pond.

Coot in flight, Britten’s Pond.

Not a regular sight there were a pair of coots that had recently taken up residence.

Kingfisher, Britten’s Pond.

While a kingfisher continued to make irregular visits, with a pair reportedly having been seen on a couple of occasions.

Common buzzards, displaying.

Common buzzards could often be viewed over the fields beyond the pond.

Rooks, Britten’s Pond.

While a small colony of rooks had constructed their nests, once again in the tall trees to the rear of the pond.

Green woodpecker, Britten’s Pond.

And a green woodpecker flew over the water, perching high up in the line of trees on the western side of the pond.

The fishing had been quite dire during winter months, but with water temperatures warming, a few fish were once again beginning to feed.

Some of the anglers were once again starting to reel in a few decent sized carp.

The highlight of the fortnight there, at least for one of the anglers on March 26, was a common carp.

Clive’s 33lb carp at Britten’s Pond.

It being one of the largest fish in the pond and weighing in at 33lb.

It was caught a released back into the pond by Clive, one of the “top” anglers there.

Red kites over Lydling Farm.

A visit to Lydling Farm at Shackleford, near Godalming during the last weeks of the month gave me sightings of displaying red kites and common buzzards over the fields.

Redwing.

Fieldfares, Lydling Farm, Shackleford.

A wintering flock redwings and fieldfares continued to be present, although soon to be making their return journey back to their summer breeding grounds in Scandinavia.

Skylark, Lydling Farm, Shackleford.

There was at long last a feeling that summer would be soon returning, aided by the sounds of skylarks about the fields.

Roe deer, Lydling Farm, Shackleford.

A couple of roe deer made an appearance, with me catching a photo of one in “courant” motion as skipped across a field.

Little owls, Lydling Farm.

Also achieving a distant photo of two little owls together perched in one of the mature oaks.

Bramling, Prews Farm.

Another visit to Prews Farm in Send allowed me a few more photos of some of the dozen or more, wintering bramblings still present.

Little bunting, previously photographed on Ockley Common.

Although having seen the little bunting on a few occasions, and like numerous other keen observers, I had been unable to take a good photo of it. It continued to be present, if only briefly.

Male reed bunting, Prews Farm.

The number of reed buntings once there have now continued to decline, and I assume they have returned to their breeding grounds. However, some remained now in in spring plumage.

Yellowhammer, Prews Farm.

A few yellowhammers also continued to be present.

A visit to Moor Green Lakes just across the Surrey border at Finchampstead, Berkshire, in the company of Bob and Dougal on March 23, allowed me the delights of a few more photo opportunities.

Goosander, Moor Green Lake.

A pair of goosanders continued to be wintering on one of the lakes, although only managing a photo of the drake.

Wigeon, Moor Green Lake.

On some of the other pools there were groups of wintering wigeon.

Shelduck, Moor Green Lake.

A pair of shelducks.

Little egret, Moor Green Lake.

And several little egrets.

Mandarin ducks, Moor Green Lake.

Along a small brook there, an obliging pair of Mandarin ducks allowed me a selection of photos to choose from.

However, the most photogenic of all had to be the tawny owl that we “jammed-in-on”.

Tawny owl, Moor Green Lake.

Surprisingly, it was perched up the other side of a stream just 25 yards or so from one of the main footpaths. It seemed totally unperturbed by the people and dog walkers regular passing by.

Tawny owl, yawning, Moor Green Lake.

Not even flinching when our concerns were raised when a dog briefly started barking.

Tawny owl having a scratch, Moor Green Lake.

This completing my set of photographing all the five recognised species of UK owls within the first three months of the year, when most years I’m lucky to see just three species all year!

Song thrush and redwing.

Also adding a few redwings and a song thrush to our day-list on our return to the car park.

Stoke Lake, viewed from the meadow.

I made a couple of visits to the Riverside Nature Reserve, near Burpham during the last week of the month.

Moorhens mating.

A pair of moorhens could be viewed from the towpath, mating in the water along the navigation.

Shoveler ducks, on scrape, viewed from Stoke Lock.

While several, still wintering shoveler ducks could still be viewed out on the scrape from Stoke Lock.

Blackcap, Riverside Nature Reserve.

On March 27 I heard and photographed one of two blackcaps there for the first time this year.

Sand martin, Stoke Lake.

Also adding the sighting of four sand martins circling briefly over Stoke Lake.

Gulls on Stoke Lake.

While large flocks of gulls continued to visit the lake from the recycling depot across the river, for a wash and brush up.

Common buzzard.

A common buzzard also flew at tree height over the lake while I was there.

Great crested grebe, Stoke Lake.

And a pair of great crested grebes were nest building on the lake.

Peacock butterfly, feeding on blackthorn blossom, Riverside Nature Reserve.

And peacock butterfly, one of several also seen in the days to come, added to my year list.

Male stonechat in the meadow at the southern end of Stoke Lake.

While out in the meadow to the southern end of the lake, a pair of wintering stonechats could still be viewed.

Wren in song at Riverside Nature Reserve.

Also adding a wren, perched up in full song, by the boardwalk.

Swallow feeding over Unstead Sewage Farm, near Godalming.

At Unstead Sewage Farm, near Godalming, on March 29 I was able to add my first sighting of two swallows flying together.

First sighting this year of mallard chicks, seen from the boardwalk, Riverside Nature Reserve.

While on March 30 I had my first sighting this year of three mallard chicks, dabbling in a pool, from the boardwalk at the Riverside Nature Reserve.

Black-necked grebe.

Wrapping up the month, and back in the company of Bob and Dougal, we revisited Staines Reservoir where at least three black-necked grebes were still present and now almost in summer plumage.

Slavonian grebe, Staines Reservoir.

As well as a Slavonian grebe that was still present and showing signs of coming into full summer plumage.

Common sandpiper, Staines Reservoir.

A common sandpiper, missed from view on our previous visit, was at last allowing us to view its presence as it fed along the water’s edge.

Blue-headed wagtail, Staines Reservoir.

The best sighting of the day, however, had to be a blue-headed wagtail.

Blue-headed wagtail, Staines Reservoir.

It is a rarely seen UK subspecies of our summer visiting yellow wagtail and a great addition to our year’s sightings.

Speckled wood butterfly.

While a speckled wood added a fifth species to this year’s butterfly sightings.

And with many more summer visiting birds hopefully soon to be arriving, and more butterfly species hopefully soon to emerge, it gives me great optimism for new photo opportunities in the weeks to come.

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