Birdwatcher’s Diary No.334

Published on: 3 Sep, 2025
Updated on: 3 Sep, 2025

By Malcolm Fincham

By the latter weeks of August the long hot, dry summer welcomed by many in southern regions of the UK had begun to draw to a close.

Atlantic low pressure systems now began to dominate the weather pattern, bringing showers, as well as longer spells of rain as we entered the last week of the month.

My local adventures resumed, as I continued my attempts of photographing some of my sightings, while linking up on occasions with some creditworthy friends along the way.

Black-headed gull, Britten’s Pond.

At Britten’s Pond a few black-headed gulls could be viewed over the water, these all now in varying stages of losing their summer plumage.

Common tern, Britten’s Pond.

And a common tern made its last notable appearance for me on August 16.

Cormorants, Britten’s Pond.

Several cormorants continued to fish the pond, counting three perched up together during one of my visits.

Chiffchaff.

Chiffchaffs could be seen and heard making their contact calls from trees surrounding the pond.

Long-tailed tit, Britten’s Pond.

While long-tailed tits, now in groups, added to the calls.

Grey wagtail, Britten’s Pond.

In the outlet stream a pair of grey wagtails continued to be viewed.

Treecreeper.

And a treecreeper showed itself briefly as it worked its way up the bark of a tree.

Blue tit feeding on blackberries, Britten’s Pond.

Blue tits could be viewed feeding on the now over-ripened blackberries.

Hornet.

And a hornet, the apex predator of the insect world, absorbed my interest for a short while as it hunted its prey.

Swallow.

From time to time swallows hunted over the pond.

Egyptian goose, Britten’s Pond.

The resident pair of Egyptian geese could be viewed out on the water.

Contiguous to Britten’s Pond and accessed from a car park further along the Salt Box Road lies Whitmoor Common.

Swallow, Whitmoor Common.

On August 18 large groups of swallows descended about the heathland flying low over bushes and the treeline catching the many tiny insects.

Swallows, Whitmoor Common.

As many as 80 or more could be counted on occasions on the utility wires that cross the heath.

Swallows, Whitmoor Common.

While about 80 or more flew about me, also settling briefly in some of the taller trees. They continued to be seen in varying amounts about the heathland during the remaining days of the month.

Linnets perched high up in a silver birch tree on Whitmoor Common.

A group of a dozen or more resident linnets were also present during most of my visits.

Dartford warbler, Whitmoor Common.

And the ‘scratchy’ calls of Dartford warblers could occasionally be heard from within the heather and gorse.

Juvenile stonechat, Whitmoor Common.

Stonechats perched up and posed on shrubs and bushes and sometimes on the ground.

Raven, Whitmoor Common.

During one visit there even adding a raven to my day list as it flew over common.

On August 22 reports came through of a pied flycatcher that had been seen on Whitmoor Common feeding among a group of spotted flycatchers.

Alerted to the sighting, I revisited the heathland with my old school-time pals David Rose and Chris Burchell.

Quite a selection of birds could be seen flitting about the leaves of a tall silver birch, as well as the surrounding trees – no doubt full of insects to feed upon.

Spotted flycatcher, Whitmoor Common.

Alas, although unable to pick out the pied flycatcher with any certainty, and not aided by the constant movement of other birds within the tree foliage, I did, at least, manage a photo of one of the spotted flycatchers.

Common whitethroat. Whitmoor Common.

As well as a common whitethroat within the group.

Willow warbler, Whitmoor Common.

And one of several willow warblers present that also briefly settled on the ground alongside two stonechats.

Willow warbler (right), with stonechat, Whitmoor Common.

Chiffchaffs and even long-tailed tits were also among the gathering. Although seeing them for long enough to get a photo was a challenge as they flew back and forth.

Spotted flycatcher, Whitmoor Common.

Further visits during following days allowed me a few better photos of the four spotted flycatchers before they moved on to continue their migration.

Green woodpecker, Whitmoor Common.

One of several green woodpeckers seen and heard ‘yaffling’ continued to be noted around the heathland, with one perched up in a usual pose on a distant silver birch.

Buck roe deer, Whitmoor Common.

As well as a buck roe deer that ambled out into the open as the evening light faded.

Common crossbill, one of four, at Farnham Heath.

On August 23, and this time in the company of Dougal, I visited Farnham Heath getting my first pictures, although distant, of one of four common crossbills present.

Although having previously seen a pair at Dick Fock’s Common earlier this year, these birds are renown to be highly irruptive and have been largely absent from the Surrey countryside during previous months.

Red kite.

Adding to my photos at the Riverside Nature Reserve near Burpham was the opportunity of capturing numerous shots of the five or so red kites. This was as they continued to glide around the recycling centre, and were looking even tattyer than the various species of ever-present gulls.

Gulls in flight at Slyfield recycling centre.

Those gulls seen here with their plumages looking tatty after their summer breeding season.

Kestrel, Riverside Nature Reserve.

Also adding several in-flight shots of a kestrel near Stoke Lake.

Jay, Riverside Nature Reserve.

A jay in flight.

Sparrowhawk, Riverside Nature Reserve.

And a sparrowhawk over the meadows.

Family of stonechats, Riverside Nature Reserve.

While in the meadows a family of stonechats continued to be viewed.

Green sandpiper, Tice’s meadow.

A visit to Tice’s Meadow, near Farnham on August 24 allowed the opportunity to photograph one of two green sandpipers that had returned there in recent weeks.

Common snipe, Tice’s Meadow.

As well as four common snipe that had also recently returned.

Grey heron, Tice’s Meadow.

Resident grey herons could be viewed feeding along the water margins with one allowing particularly close views.

Adonis blue butterfly, Pewley Down.

Several visits to Pewley Down in the hope of adding another brown hairstreak butterfly to this year’s sightings left me wanting. Although a few Adonis blue butterflies could still be found on the wing as we moved into the last week of the month.

Meadow brown, Pewley Down.

Other butterflies still present, although by then greatly dwindling in number, were a few meadow browns.

Small heath butterfly, Pewley Down.

Half a dozen or so small heath butterflies.

Holly blue.

And a holly blue while on a brief transect along the top of the downland.

Of more importance to me on this occasion, however, were recent reports of migrating birds that had been sighted stopping off on the northern side of the downs.

Credited to most of these reports was Alan, of whom I once again had the pleasure of meeting up with on Pewley Down on the afternoon of August 26.