Birdwatcher’s Diary No.77

Published on: 28 Dec, 2014
Updated on: 28 Dec, 2014

By Malcolm Fincham – a Christmas special

A winter walk along the towpath to Stoke Nature Reserve.

There was minimum time for my birdwatching in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Grey heron.

Making a brief afternoon walk along the towpath on a pleasant sunny afternoon (December 13) my first sighting was a grey heron fishing in some shallows of the River Wey.

The heron takes flight.

I was rather pleased with this walk, with the few record photos and sightings and making notes of new winter arrivals at Stoke Nature Reserve.

Drake and duck gadwall.

I recorded a pair of gadwall for the first time this winter there, seen out on flooded field near Stoke Lock.

Common buzzard at Stoke Nature Reserve.

The common buzzard is soon escorted by a crow.

Shortly after, near to the lock gates, a common buzzard flew over the pylons chased by a carrion crow.

Arriving at the lake I counted a personal record there of 37 tufted duck.

Dabchick on Stoke Lake.

Along with another first winter sighting on the lake of a dabchick (little grebe).

kingfisher still seen at Stoke Lake.

While to the keen-eyed, or with a pair of binoculars, a resident kingfisher was (as always) a pleasing sight sitting in the sallows at the water’s edge.

Barn owl at Bowers Lock.

And at Bowers lock I was also pleased to see the barn owl still showing well in his regular daytime roost.

Many people have probably been admiring the decorative lighting displays on houses and trees around Guildford. For me the greatest highlight of this festive period has been in an urban part of Guildford.

A decorative display of nature’s kind.

There is one particular small long-tailed black and white bird that seems to be taking advantage of our modern way of life here – the pied wagtail.

I have seen them in recent years gathering to roost in large numbers at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, and previously on the other side of the river to the Ladymead Retail Park.

Pied wagtails galore looking like Christmas baubles.

They have now, to my surprise, chosen to take up a nightly winter roost in a tree outside the Frankie & Benny’s restaurant and the Travelodge hotel  in Ladymead, near the entrance to Woodbridge Meadows.

A fantastic seasonal display.

With as many as 500 or more in the roost, it is possible that some of these birds have travelled from distances as far north as the Scottish Highlands to gather under the warmth of our ‘city lights’ and buildings.

In the 30 minutes or more I observed them on December 20 (and on several evenings since) they perched in almost complete silence on the twigs and branches with just a few making small movements to re-a just their positions.

One of the many pied wagtails at Ladymead.

I was most surprised as people passed by unaware of their presence. In my opinion, such a wondrous winter gathering looking like baubles decorating a tree certainly out-shined any display of lights and decorations I have seen so far this Christmas!

The summertime sight of a pied Wagtail collecting Mayfly at Stoke Nature Reserve.

I hope you are enjoying very merry Christmas. I have added a You Tube clip I uploaded of the pied wagtails in their roost.

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