Birdwatcher’s Diary No.73

Published on: 2 Nov, 2014
Updated on: 2 Nov, 2014

By Malcolm Fincham

Although remaining very mild during the last few weeks of October, it was very much a case of mixed fortunes for me in terms of photography, with both weather and the wildlife working against me for much of it.

First autumn record shot of a redwing – something to improve on!

By the middle of October the first influx of redwing arriving to winter in the UK from Scandinavia started to be recorded in Surrey and surrounding counties. I recorded my first autumn sighting of 35 on October 16 in Wonersh, but only managing a few record shots when a number of them landed in a distant tree.

A ring ouzel flies by in Scotland.

An unusually high number of ring ouzels were spotted in Surrey and surrounding southern counties on their migration south. Most of these are thought to have bred in Scandinavia and have been making their way through the British Isles to winter in southern Spain and northwest Africa.

Click here for details of ring ouzels.

Ring ouzel. This picture I took a few years ago in the Cumbrian hills.

Although missing out on some of the ones reported locally, I have been fortunate to have seen and photographed them on some of their mountainous northern breeding grounds both in Cumbria and Scotland.

Red kite glides low over Wonersh Park.

Having written about my sighting of red kite in my previous report, I continued to have sightings on October 17 and 24, when a red kite drifted low over Wonersh Park and the second as it drifted over Shamley Green.

Little owl – a photo I took a few years ago.

In Northcote Lane, Shamley Green I was pleased to get my first sighting this year of a little owl as it perched on a telegraph pole in broad daylight, in spite of my initial annoyance that it decided to take flight before I could capture it on my camera. I was at same time pleased as it was the first I had seen this year. I have added one from my archive collection.

Grey heron.

While still no sightings of little egrets being reported in the Guildford area yet this autumn, grey heron continue to be a common sight.

Great grey shrike.

On October 20, a great grey shrike made a reappearance on Thursley Common, back from its summer breeding grounds in more northern parts of Europe.

The great grey shrike (northern shrike) is also known as the butcher bird. It is renown for catching small rodents and beetles, and so on, and to hang them on spikes of shrubs or trees – like a butcher using meat hooks and hanging meat in a larder for later consumption.

Having got some rather pleasing pictures early in the year, I haven’t been in too much of a rush to get back over there, but will no doubt be tempted to try to improve on some of my previous pictures before the year is out.

Leaving the sun-filled skies of Guildford behind for a few days break with my long suffering wife turned out to be a challenge for me as we arrived in a fog-bound Devon and Cornwall.

Determined to get some pictures of some kind, I managed to persuade a slight detour on-route to a place called Labrador Bay with a rather desperate hope of some photos of cirl buntings, a now rare UK bird that can only be seen in a few selective areas of Devon.

Cirl bunting on a foggy day at Labrador Bay in Devon.

With visibility down to about 50 yards, I was beginning to feel it might be a fruitless mission as I left my wife and daughter to use the best of their imaginations as to how the view across the bay might look.

Cirl bunting at Labrador Bay in Devon.

Arriving at the far end of the first field, and aware of not wanting wandering too far in fear of not being able to retrace my steps, I heard and saw a small flock of about 15 cirl buntings fly up from the field and into the hedgerow.

Keeping still and with some patience, I watched as a few both male and female appeared seemingly curious of my presence.

Female cirl bunting at Labrador Bay, Devon.

Slowly moving closer to the birds, and under the circumstances of the weather conditions, I was finally able to get what I felt were some reasonable shots of a female.

Male cirl bunting.

And even eventually a few of the more colourful and distinctive males.

Although far from award winning, I was rather pleased to bring home some memorable pictures.

A Cornish robin poses for a picture.

Nothing more of renown could be added in our few days stay on the moors of Bodmin as the fog persisted, however my own persistence and obsession did get me a delightful photo of a robin.

A dunnock sings in the fog.

And even a signing dunnock.

Stoke Nature Reserve started to show a build up of wintering birds toward the end of October.

More than 20 tufted duck now on Stoke Lake.

Tufted duck now numbered more than 20 on Stoke Lake.

Teal on scrape near Stoke Lock.

While out on the flooded scrape viewed from by Stoke Lock, more than 70 teal could be counted.

Drake shoveler also on scrape by Stoke Lock.

With even my first sighting this autumn of a shoveler there.

Long-tailed tit near Stoke Lake.

While mixed flocks of small birds, including long-tailed tits, can be seen and heard as they work their way though the trees around the reserve.

Brent goose feeding on the grass on scrape by Stoke Lock.

My most pleasing sighting, and a first for me at the site, was on October 30 when I spotted a dark-bellied brent goose happily feeding out on the scrape.

Brent Goose.

These birds are often seen in large numbers during winter on southern coastal reserves such as Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth having made their 2,500 mile trip from their breeding grounds in Siberia. I have written about them in some of my previous reports.

Brent goose has a feed.

Although only a few miles short of an epic journey, perhaps this young looking one decided it was time to stop off for a snack.

It’s certainly a rare sighting in this part of Surrey.

The last day of October brought with it the warmest Hallowe’en day since Met Office records began in 1914.

Barn owl snoozing in his daytime roost.

For me it was an afternoon cycle ride out to see the barn owl at his daytime roost at Bowers Lock.

a view across Stoke Lake on the last day of October.

And with no sign of the brent goose seen on the previous day, it was one last photo of Stoke Lake to end the month, as well as my latest report, as low afternoon sun began to fade, and then home.