Birdwatcher’s Diary No.42

Published on: 31 Jul, 2013
Updated on: 31 Jul, 2013

By Malcolm Fincham

With daytime temperatures continuing to hover around 30c and our young common terns now fledged from Stoke Lake (a good week earlier than last year) I turned my attention to a few invitations I’d had to visit some other places.

Dartford warbler.

With a long time friend Simon, alias ‘wood chip’, and Charlie, the first trip was to find whether Dartford warblers still exist on at least one of our remaining Surrey heathlands.

These birds have been living in Surrey on what is some of the most northerly points of their breeding range. They have enjoyed many years of successful breeding, and at one time even increasing in numbers in some areas, with even a few pairs resident on Whitmoor Common at Worplesdon.

However, due to the combination of  heathland fires destroying their habitats of dense gorse in which they can find insects to feed on during cold spells and several harsh winters recently, I had not seen or heard one singing its scratchy call for a good five years.

Here’s a You Tube clip of a Dartford warbler.

Nor had I heard them on Thursley Common where they were once in good numbers. I had convinced myself that none now existed on any of the heathlands surrounding Guildford.

One stretch of heathland I had overlooked and had not set foot on since my teenage years was Ash Ranges. An area of well over 2,000 acres owned by the Ministry of Defence but leased to Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) for the grazing of cattle and even a few goats! Check out the SWT website.

Dartford warbler on Ash Ranges.

We met soon after 5am and with the guidance of Charlie, who knows the area far better than me, I found myself being led to the first of a number of sightings of Dartford warbler within a few minutes. Although most of our sightings were just fleeting ones, followed by a scratchy call as they disappeared deep into the heather or gorse, I was ‘well happy’ to walk away having even managed to take a few ‘record shots’.

Woodlark on Ash Ranges.

A few woodlark were present on the heathland, while a skylark could be heard singing high above. Even a small flock of crossbills flew over to add to the day list.

Common blue butterfly.

In addition, there were various species of butterfly and I took several photos of the common blue which were in good numbers there.

Re-introduced great bustard on Salisbury Plain.

The second of our outings was on Wednesday, July 17, and a pre-arranged booking to a location in Wiltshire where an on-going project is under way to re-introduce what is probably the heaviest bird in the world that is capable of flying. The great bustard was once a common site on Salisbury Plain, until the last one was shot in 1832.

The pre-booked ride in a Land-Rover to the viewing hide was rather bumpy but enjoyable. I was just a little disappointed with myself for not being brave enough to request a stop to take a few pictures of small groups of corn buntings and marbled white butterflies we passed along the way. But this was soon forgotten once we were viewing across the field from the hide and able to focus our binoculars on several of the great bustards on display.

Great bustard on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

Although in some circles of birdwatching there is perhaps some dispute that these birds can’t be counted as a ‘life list’ tick due to how they are still monitored, I personally found it a very educational and rewarding venture. I will certainly be adding them to my list of  ‘have seens’. For more information about them, click on this link, and this one.

In an attempt to take me away from my passion of wildlife for a few days, the next day I found myself being abducted by my wife and driven to Cornwall to visit relations who live on Bodmin Moor. But I was able to smuggle my camera on board and pleased I did so.

Yellowhammer on Bodmin Moor.

Being quite used to early starts, once down there I was able to get up early and sneak out well before anyone else awoke. I got a few rather pleasing photos, especially of several yellowhammers singing their charming ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’ song. Click here for a You Tube clip.

Long tailed tits.

I also saw a young family of long-tailed tits feeding on flower blossom. Having missed out on a photo of a marbled white butterfly on Salisbury Plain, it was good to have one settle long enough while in Cornwall to add it to the collection, as well as several other species of butterfly.

Although only having a basic knowledge of butterflies, they have always taken my interest. I recall as an eight-year-old smiling  at one as it fluttered around my classroom during a lesson and  then receiving a slap from the teacher for my daydreaming. Something that would cause an outcry in this day and age (and rightly so.. but I digress).

The view from Noar Hill near Selbourne in Hampshire.

This basic knowledge certainly revealed itself at the following location I visited…. Arriving back from Cornwall my first job was to check my emails for any important news or updates and indeed there was… A message from ‘wood chip’ inviting me on another venture – a morning out to Noar Hill, an area just outside Surrey, near Selbourne in Hampshire. Click here for details.

Gate keeper.

Lots of Marbled white butterflies at Noar Hill too – this one affected by a red parasite common to the species.

Although not a vast area, it is an excellent one to visit at this time of year – if you like wild flowers and butterflies and a nice variety of birds thrown in for good measure.

Skipper.

Small tortoiseshell butterfly.

I decided to close this report with an evening walk on Sunday, July 28, along my local patch from Stoke Lock to Bowers Lock in Burpham.

On my return along the towpath having seen very little of significance, just a pair of mistle thrush and a few recently fledged warblers of different types, and not taken a single picture, my thoughts drifted for some reason to whether a sparrowhawk might put in a performance and flash by.

Just at that moment I heard several blackbirds sounding their alarm calls from the wooded areas on both sides of the river, click here if you are not familiar.

Sparrowhawk with its prey.

As I paused to listen, a sparrowhawk carrying its prey landed just 20 yards away, allowing me my best ever shots of one. What luck! or was it … synchronicity?  Well, Carl Jung and Albert Einstein both believed in the phenomenon.

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