Birdwatcher’s Diary No.94

Published on: 25 Sep, 2015
Updated on: 25 Sep, 2015

By Malcolm Fincham

It gave me great delight to received some marvellous information from the hard working staff at The Guildford Dragon NEWS. A few technical hitches had now been resolved and my readers can now click on my photos to enhance and view them to a respectable size.

On the flip side however, I suddenly realised that the quality of the pictures will have to be at least as good as in my previous reports now that they can be enlarged.

With this challenge in mind I continued on my ventures.

Brimstone on Thursley Common feeding on buddleia. Click on these images to enlarge and then close window to go bak to this page.

On September 7 while enjoying some early autumn sunshine on Thursley Common, I walked passed a buddleia bush, with a few stems still in flower. Several peacock and brimstone butterflies could be viewed feeding on its blossom.

A painted lady feeding on heather still in bloom on Thursley Common.

As I continued my walk across the heathland, I was also soon able to add a painted lady (one of only a few I have seen this year) to my day list.

Red admiral also seen on Thursley Common.

Soon adding a red admiral also feeding on a patch of heather, still in bloom.

Roe deer on Thursley Common.

A short while after, within a dense thicket of gorse and silver birch scrub, I was also delighted to spot a roe deer.

Adult male and female stonechats.

Stonechats remained abundant since my last visit, just a few weeks ago. Adult males and females could be seen perched prominently on gorse bushes making the sound of two stones clanking together (hence their name, stonechat).

Young stonechats on Thursley Common.

While their young could be seen on bushes nearby, still hoping to be attended to with food.

Eye level shot of a kestrel.

Several kestrels were also viewable, hunting over the heathland.

Kestrel on Thursley Common.

Occasionally perching high in a pine tree to rest from hovering.

Wheatear.

A few migrant birds such as wheatear, now making their way back to Africa, could also be seen.

Spotted flycatcher on Thursley Common.

Ending my walk that day I was delighted to pick out and photograph a spotted flycatcher, enjoying a last feed on insects near The Moat Pond, readying itself for its long journey back to its winter home.

It seems I wasn’t the only one doing the watching on Thursley Common.

Taking one last glance across an area of heathland, fenced off for grazing, I realised I wasn’t the only one doing the looking that day.

Thursley Common.

The following day I got a call from fellow enthusiast, Bob. Having just arrived back from his summer stay in the Scottish Highlands, he was hopeful not to be too late to get to see some of the butterflies I had featured in some of my previous reports.

A veiw from Denbies hillside.

Although not very optimistic, I agreed to a revisit to Denbies hillside near Dorking.

It was quite overcast that day, but to my surprise, although some of the butterflies were now looking rather tatty as they started to come to the end of their life cycle, we were still able to pick out a few in good condition. These included some of the species he was most wanting to see and photograph.

Adonis blue still seen on Denbies hillside.

The Adonis blue was top of his list.

Silver-spotted skipper.

I also managed to find a silver-spotted skipper.

Chalkhill blue.

Numerous chalkhill blues.

Small heath butterfly.

And a few small heath butterflies.

Hornet in flight.

We then went to Bookham Common. Although I was not able to help him find a brown hairsteak there, which I featured in my last report, I was able to photograph one of a few hornets there.

Dragonfly on Bookham Common.

As well as various dragonflies.

Dragonfly.

Dragonfly.

And even a red kite as it flew close, over our heads.

Black-necked grebe on Frensham Great Pond.

On September 15 on a visit to Frensham Great Pond I was also able to see and even get a photo of a black-necked grebe that had spent the day there. Quite a rare sighting for Surrey!

A view from the beech at Church Norton, Pagham Harbour in West Sussex.

Saving my best adventure, so far this Month until last, was a day trip with a couple of long standing friends, Steve and Joe, on September 17 to Pagham Harbour, RSPB Nature Reserve, West Sussex.

Enthusiasts gather by Sidlesham Ferry Pool.

Looking out across Sidlesham Ferry Pool we were soon joined by a group of fellow keen birdwatching enthusiasts.

Avocet on Sidlesham Ferry Pool.

Having picked out an avocet moving its long curved bill from side to side feeding on crustaceans.

Dunlin on Sidlesham Ferry Pool.

And a few dunlin wading in the shallower areas.

Pectoral sandpiper on Sidlesham Ferry Pool.

We were soon alerted to what we had hoped to see, just below us, probing in the reeds was a pectoral sandpiper. A scarce passage migrant from America and Siberia.

Here’s is a short video I took of the pectoral sandpiper.

Pectoral sandpiper.

It is the most common North American wading bird to occur here and has even started to breed in Scotland very recently.

Grey phalarope on Sidlesham Ferry Pool.

An added bonus to us all, also on the Ferry Pool, was a grey phalarope.

These birds breed in the high Arctic regions. Taking on a unique migration route, they winter in the tropics.

Spotted flycatcher at Pagham Nature Reserve.

A short walk around the reserve also gave us a few more sightings of migrating birds. As well as another autumn picture of a spotted flycatcher making its way south.

Willow warbler at Pagham Nature Reserve.

I even got a few willow warbler pictures as they refuelled themselves on insects before making their leap across the Channel, heading back to their winter home in Africa.

Holly blue at Pagham.

Still holding on to the remaining fragments of belated warmth of summer sunshine was a holly blue butterfly.

A view across Medmerry RSPB.

Moving on to Medmerry RSPB Nature Reserve, just a few miles away, near Bracklesham.

Wheatear in flight at Medmerry.

It wasn’t long before we recognised the unmistakable rear views of  wheatears as their white rumps glistened in the sunshine. Strangely named one may think? In pre Victorian they were commonly known as white arses.

Wheatear.

These birds have no association with wheat, neither is there anything unusual about their ears.

Whinchat at Medmerry.

Checking out the fence posts along the way, we were also able to pick out several whinchats.

Black swan.

Among the ducks and waders on one of the lagoons, I was surprised to pick out two black swans. Non-native to the UK, these swans breed mainly in the southern regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand but later reintroduced.

Bar-headed geese at Medmerry.

Also noticing two bar-headed geese close by them. I think it is logical to presume that both species had escaped from someone’s wildfowl collection. A pleasant sight nonetheless.

Yellow wagtail at Medmerry.

At this time of the year, when seeing cows grazing, especially in areas near the south coast, it’s always worth checking out their cow-pats as I always do! As shown in my pictures it is often a good place to spot yellow wagtails, as I did, feeding up on flies around the cows before their long flights to their winter homes.

Just as we fed on the last of our sandwiches from our travelling lunch boxes, readying ourselves for our journey home.

News came through that a wryneck that had briefly been sighted earlier that day at the ‘Severals’ near Church Norton had been sighted. Insisting we should retrace our steps from earlier back past Pagham, I managed to persuade both my friends that it could be the chance of a lifetime for them to see one (and a photo opportunity for me, as my only previous sighting of one I was unable to catch on camera).

I must confess the walk from Church Norton car park was a little longer than I had anticipated. And with tired legs all round from our day’s walking, I was starting to feel a bit guilty that I had made them walk so far. And even more so when we arrived at the spot, to be told it hadn’t reappeared since it was last reported at 4pm.

Where’s Wally! wryneck, hidden in a thicket at Church Norton.

The people there, still hopeful to re-sight it, told us that they were sure it was still within the thicket of shrub and gorse where it had last been seen. Suddenly after much patience and scrutiny, I was able to pick it out in my camera lens, as it sat deep within the undergrowth.

Wryneck shows itself.

Having taken several shots, we were all taken by surprise and delighted as the wryneck obligingly popped out to feed in the open right in front of us.

Wryneck with its distinctive plumage.

Although they don’t breed in the UK, they can occasionally be seen passing through this time of the year.

Wryneck looking quite ‘snake-like’ from behind.

The wryneck gets its name from the ability to turn its head through almost 180 degrees. When disturbed at the nest, it uses its snake-like head twisting and hissing as a threat display.

The wryneck is only about the size of a house sparrow.

Taking advantage of such an excellent photo opportunity and the good news that they can be viewed on this website in greater detail.

As you can see, I have added a few extra pictures of what I believe to be a truly stunning-looking critter.

A rare sighting of a wryneck.

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