Birdwatcher’s Diary No.326

Published on: 4 May, 2025
Updated on: 4 May, 2025

By Malcolm Fincham

Low pressure remained in charge as we moved into the third week of the April. For the best part, in southeastern parts of the UK, precipitation didn’t amount to much, allowing me to continue my adventures with nature unabated.

And a busy few weeks for photos it turned out to be.

A trip to Pagham, West Sussex in the company of Bob and Dougal on April 17 gave me just my second opportunity ever to photograph a hoopoe that had been visiting the area.

Hoopoe, Pagham.

Although hoopoes are not native to the UK and have only rarely been known to breed here sightings of this species occur annually.

Hoopoe, in flight, Pagham.

This is mostly in the spring as birds migrating north to Europe from Africa sometimes overshoot and end up on the south coast of England.

This year there had been a larger than normal influx with more than 100 having been reported, mostly in southern regions of the UK.

Sandwich terns at Church Norton.

Other birds added to my ‘firsts’ for the year were unfortunately mostly distant and included sandwich terns.

Little tern (previously photographed).

And two little terns that were too distant to photo.

Marsh harrier, Pagham.

While also adding to the day list photos of one of a pair of marsh harriers.

Cattle egret in breeding plumage.

As well as cattle egrets now in their breeding plumages.

Mediterranean gulls in summer plumage.

With summer plumage Mediterranean gulls being among my personal highlights of the day’s sightings.

Most days during the latter weeks of the month were spent closer to home within the Surrey countryside.

My visit to Thursley Common during the third week of the month saw temperatures remaining in the mid-teens Celsius.

Four-spotted chaser dragonfly, Thursley Common.

Some pleasant warm sunshine started breaking through my first sighting and photo this year of a dragonfly on the wing.

Common lizard on the boardwalk, Thursley Common.

The warmth of the sun had also tempted several common lizards out to bask on the boardwalks.

Common redstart, (male) Thursley Common.

Having photographed a distant male common redstart on my previous visit, on this occasion I was able to photograph one much closer as I walked one of the many tracks across the heathland.

Common redstart, (female) Thursley Common.

Also to my delight was a female common redstart, quite probably the other bird’s mate, perched up not a stone-throw away from him.

Willow warbler, Thursley Common.

At least five willow warblers could be heard at various points across the common, snapping a few shots of one perched up in a mixed clump of silver birch saplings and gorse.

Linnet, Thursley Common.

Small groups of goldfinches and linnets could be heard chattering about the areas at the foot of ‘shrike hill’.

Tree pipit, Thursley Common.

And several tree pipits continued to be heard in song.

Woodlark, Thursley Common.

Even an impeccably camouflaged woodlark was unable to escape my camera lens!

Kestrel, Thursley Common.

Even more keen-eyed than I was a kestrel perched up with its eye out for a lizard or two for lunch.

May flower, by Stoke Lake.

At my local Riverside Nature Reserve, near Burpham the mayflower was starting to break into flower on the hawthorn bushes around Stoke Lake.

Coot on its nest at Stoke Lake.

A coot could be viewed sitting on its nest among the reedbeds.

Great crested grebe on its nest.

While the great crested grebes continued to be viewed about their nesting site.

Blackcap, Riverside Nature Reserve.

Although several of the blackcaps had temporarily fallen silent, one was still singing incessantly near Stoke Lock hoping to attract a mate.

Common whitethroat, Riverside Nature Reserve.

A few common whitethroats had at long last arrived and could be heard in song.

Cetti’s warbler.

And the abrupt vocal calls of several Cetti’s warblers continued to be infrequently heard and even less frequently viewed.

Common sandpiper, Stoke Lake.

On April 23 another common sandpiper could be viewed on the island at the lake, having previously seen two there on April 14.

Grey wagtail, Riverside Nature Reserve.

A pair of grey wagtails continued to be viewed feeding over the River Wey near to the lock gates. The male recognised by its black bib.

Stonechat, (female) Riverside Nature Reserve.

While a pair of stonechats continued to be viewed on the meadow at the southern end of the lake.

Red kite, Riverside Nature Reserve.

Red kites continued to drift across the from the recycling centre where they spent much of the day scavenging with the gulls.

Common buzzard by Stoke Lake.

And a common buzzard was regularly present.

I visited Elstead Common on April 19, once again back in the company of Bob and Dougal. While walking the track that leads through Royal Common and eventually out on to Thursley Common we heard our first two garden warblers of the year.

Garden warbler, Elstead Common.

After some patience eventually getting a photo of one of them.

Grey heron on its nest at Elstead Common.

At a pond by the track a grey heron could be viewed perched in a tree above its nest.

Young grey heron on its nest, Elstead Common.

A young heron, well camouflaged, could just about seen as its head poked up between an array of twigs and branches.

Brimstone butterflies, Elstead Common.

A group of three brimstone butterflies tussled and spiralled together as two male could be seen chasing a female in the sunshine.

A cuckoo could be heard but remained too elusive to view.

Common redstart, Elstead Common.

While common redstarts could still be heard singing.

Tree pipit, Elstead Common.

And tree pipits continued to be heard in song as we approached the heathland.

Little ringed plover, Unstead Sewage Farm.

We also took the opportunity to visit Unstead Sewage Farm on April 21. This afforded us some good views of a little ringed plover that was showing very well on the south meadow.

Canada goose with goslings, Unstead Sewage Farm.

It also gave me my first sighting this year of a Canada goose with a clutch of goslings.

Egyptian geese with goslings, Unstead Sewage Farm.

Across the scape a pair of Egyptian geese could be viewed parading their goslings.

Although both sedge and reed warblers could be heard in song about the reed beds and brambles, neither on this occasion could be picked out by my camera.

Greenfinch, Unstead Sewage Farm.

Always nice to photo while there was a greenfinch as it perched up, wheezing on some overhead utility cables.

Blackcap, Unstead Sewage Farm.

And a blackcap could be heard and seen in song.

Little gull, Staines Reservoir.

Meanwhile, a visit to Staines Reservoir and Moor on April 26 added a little gull.

Lesser whitethroat, Staines Moor.

A lesser whitethroat.

Yellow wagtail.

And two yellow wagtails to our year’s sightings.

As we entered the last week of the month a high pressure system continued to push up a plume of warmth from the south bringing temperatures up into the mid-twenties Celsius, the warmest of the year so far.

Wood white butterfly, in flight, Chiddingfold Forest.

A visit to Chiddingfold Forest on April 28 saw our first wood white butterflies of the year.

However, being fresh out on the wing they were constantly in flight and never settling long enough to photograph.

Garden warbler, Chiddingfold Forest.

At least five garden warblers could be heard in song during our walk there, while two even showed well enough to photo.

Slow worm, Chiddingfold Forest.

At one point a slow worm slithered across the track allowing a few close-up shots.

Although a grass snake I also saw was less willing to be photographed as it rapidly slithered into the undergrowth.

Two nightingales singing were too elusive to view. And a cuckoo remained heard, but not seen.

A return to the Riverside Nature Reserve on April 29 I was pleased to note several additions of birds that had arrived and which could be heard and seen since my previous visit.

Common whitethroat, Riverside Nature Reserve.

Along the towpath near Stoke Lock a common whitethroat could be now be seen perched on some brambles, in song.

Sedge warbler in song.

While nearby a sedge warbler occasionally joined in.

Little egret on the flooded scrape.

Viewing out across the flooded scrape, a little egret was feeding in the shallow waters.

Canada geese with goslings, on Stoke Lake.

From the lakeside, two families of Canada geese in unison were parading their goslings out on the water.

More interesting to me was the pair of great crested grebes, although staying in close proximity of their nest site, had produced at least four young.

Great crested grebe with chicks, on Stoke Lake.

The little ‘humbug-like’ chicks staying close to their parents’ side and often seen riding on their backs.

Reed warbler, Stoke Lake.

While walking around the pond I heard just one reed warbler occasionally singing, with the other three or four usually heard about the lake hopefully soon to arrive?

The last day of April was another fine, sunny, dry and pleasant one.

Temperatures locally briefly rose to 27c and a perfect opportunity to keep up with some new local butterfly species starting to emerge.

A visit to Clandon Wood Burial Ground, near West Clandon, as well as Sheepleas, East Horsley, didn’t disappoint.

Adding to this year’s sightings of butterflies now newly emerging included…

Green hairstreak butterfly, Clandon Wood.

Green hairstreak butterflies on the wing, counting over a dozen while on my travels.

Small heath butterfly.

Also adding my first small heath butterfly of the year.

Grizzled skipper butterfly.

And after chasing several small individuals around, eventually getting a brief view of a grizzled skipper butterfly.

Common tern, Britten’s Pond.

A brief visit to Britten’s Pond on my return saw, for my first time this year, the arrival of one of the pair of common terns that have regularly visited the waters in recent years.