Birdwatcher’s Diary No.98

Published on: 29 Nov, 2015
Updated on: 29 Nov, 2015

By Malcolm Fincham

Continuing my quest to keep bringing up-to-date pictures for my reports is most certainly a challenge at this time of year, with fewer hours of daylight and the inclement weather November can bring.

Teal on flooded scrape by Stoke Lock. Click on all pictures to enlarge in a new window.

On my local patch at the Riverside Nature Reserve, wintering teal were now starting to accumulate in larger numbers, counting more than 40 in recent days on the flooded scrape near Stoke Lock. Click on pictures to enlarge in a new window.

Black-headed gulls winter gathering as a brief cold spell puts a thin layer of ice on the flooded scrape by Stoke Lock.

While the black-headed gulls now gathering there included a Mediterranean gull reported among the flock on November 15. This I unfortunately missed out on due to being elsewhere that day.

Tufted duck on Stoke Lake.

On Stoke Lake the wintering flock of tufted ducks now exceeded 25.

Cormorants on tern raft at Stoke Lake.

While as many as six cormorants could be seen most days resting on the tern raft.

Grey heron at Stoke Lake.

Grey herons seem to be a more regular sight at this time of the year, seen regularly both along the river and occasionally visiting the lake.

Red kite drifts high over Stoke Lake.

While on November 27 high above the lake I spotted a red kite drift over.

Dabchick (little grebe) on the River Wey.

Also that day I had my first sighting this winter of a little grebe, hardly visible to the naked eye, feeding along the River Wey on the stretch between Stoke and Bowers Locks.

These tiny members of the grebe family I much prefer to call by their formerly known name dabchick. Far more fitting for such a tiny critter I feel.

Long-tailed tit near Stoke Lake.

Mixed flocks of small birds made up of long-tail tits, blue and great tits along with a few gold crests could occasionally be heard and seen calling as they made their way through the hedgerows, leaving a silence in their wake.

Thursley Common in the winter sun.

Another location I always like to visit, despite it often being so quiet this time of year, is Thursley Common. ”It’s not always about the birds”. This I always remind myself before going on any of my walks, especially when I start getting too expectant on seeing something in particular.

Thursley Common.

Often just taking in the beauty of the landscape and being at one with the countryside is more than enough.

With only a handful of reports of the great grey shrike being present since I last saw it and having the fortune of getting some pictures in my October report,  I wasn’t too disappointed that it wasn’t present on this visit.

Fieldfares, Thursley Common.

It certainly seemed quiet in the way of bird life on November 11 when I visited. However, making the most of what was one of just a few pleasant days during the first half of the month, I was able to pick out a small group of fieldfares as they flew over.

Lesser redpoll on Thursley Common.

As well as a group of lesser redpolls feeding in some silver birch.

Goldcrest on Thursley Common.

Similar to Stoke Nature Reserve, small groups of tits and gold crests and other small birds could occasionally be seen gathered in flocks as they passed through seeking food.

Taking in the serenity of the landscape that surrounded me, I ambled toward the tumulus mound beyond shrike hill. It was there I caught sight of a bird quartering low across some marshy grassland a little way off. Raising my binoculars I instantly recognised what it was.

Having already seen two this autumn (one at Stoke Lake and one at Farlington) and photographed them both just a few weeks ago, I found myself privileged, once again, to have another sighting of a short-eared owl.

Short-eared owl, Thursley Common. The short-eared owl is largely nocturnal and crepuscular (dusk and dawn), but it is still one of the most active British owls during daylight.

With some patience and while using some surrounding trees as as a backdrop to stay out of its view, I was able to get some closer shots.

Short-eared owl, Thursley Common.They have a flight style like no other.

Short-eared owls have made quite an influx so far this winter, coming in from Europe on the brief spell of easterly winds we had back in early October.

Great skua (bonxie) Island Barn Reservoir.

A call from a good birdwatching pal Dougal on November 15 took us both on a trip to Island Barn Reservoir in north Surrey.

Great skua (bonxie) takes flight at Island Barn Reservoir.

A great skua had been reported there. Although seeing them at close quarters on our visit to Scotland, they rarely visit Surrey and so was a good addition to our ‘Surrey Sightings’ lists.

Ring-necked parakeets on Bob’s garden feeders.

While another friend, Bob, invited me to see and take a few pictures of the ring-neck parakeets that invite themselves to his garden feeding station in Wood Street Village.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t there when, on occasions, he has, in the last few months, had a red kite come to visit, perching in a tree at the foot of his garden.

Red kite perched in tree in Bob’s garden.

Often posing for some stunning pictures as shown.

Red kite once persicuted to the brink of extinction in the UK. Pictures by Bob Smith.

Although quite envious of the pictures he had taken, with my dreams of them once more gracing the Surrey hills starting to become a reality, I’m ever hopeful that such close encounters will soon come my way too.

With Farlington in my thoughts and a possible opportunity of getting some more short-eared owl pictures, (somehow alluding my wife to think I was becoming obsessive about them) I managed to persuade her on another trip to Portsmouth, hoping to improve on the ones I had previously taken.

Viewing across the reedbeds at Farlington.

However, for me, a visit to Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth is much more than that.

Brent geese wintering at Farlington.

One of my main fascinations are the large skeins of brent geese that arrive there from their breeding grounds 2,500 miles away in Siberia.

Brent geese coming in to feed on the grass at Farlington.

The type regularly seen at Farlington are the sub-species called dark-bellied brent geese, spending the winter on the east and south coasts of England, about 100,000 come to the UK, with about 30,000 coming to the Solent harbours and coast. Up to 6,500 geese use Langstone Harbour, and about 2,700 use Portsmouth Harbour.

Brent geese feeding in the fields around Farlington.

The first arrivals for the winter are mainly in mid September. In autumn they eat algae and eelgrasses in the shallow waters of the harbours. As these sources become depleted, they move on to grass pastures, winter wheat and other crops.

One of the many flocks of brent geese seen around the reserve at Farlington.

In spring, most geese migrate back to Siberia by the end of March.

It’s always a great opportunity to see large gatherings of wintering ducks and waders too.

Pintail at Farlington.

These included pintail.

Drake and female shoveler duck.

Shoveller duck.

Wigeon at Farlington.

As well as good numbers of wintering wigeon.

Pair of teal at Farlington.

And also teal.

Black-tailed godwits take flight.

Black-tailed godwits in their large flocks. Taking flight in unison as the tide starts to turn.

Curlew at Farlington.

Curlew can also be viewed, feeding on the mudflats while the tide was out.

Dunlin feeding on the mudflats.

A group of dunlin could be viewed feeding on the mudflats.

Large flocks of dunlin at Farlington.

Suddenly taking flight together as the tide rushed in. Then joining up with others, they could be seen wheeling and spinning in flight out in the harbour.

Kestrel in flight.

Kestrels are almost always a guarantee to see there.

Kestrel at Farlington.

With some very obliging to the camera.

Female stonechat with leg ring at Farlington.

A few stonechats could also be observed on various parts of the reserve.

Little egret – a common sight at Farlington.

Little egrets are also a common sight around the reserve at this time of the year.

Spoonbill at Farlington.

On my recent visit a spoonbill was also present there, although quite distant, with its long spatula-like bill tucked in.

Short-eared owl at Farlington. Bird ringing recoveries suggest that a proportion of the birds seen on the east coast in autumn originate from Scandinavia, with some remaining for the winter.

I must confess, however, that the highlight of the day was indeed the sighting of not just one, but at least three short-eared owls.

Short-eared owl at Farlington. Short-eared owls don’t need trees, they nests right on the ground!

Watching them for over an hour, I felt not a minute was wasted as they glided gracefully back and forth, quartering the fields and marshland in their quest to find food.

Short-eared owls are best looked for in winter on coastal marshes and wetlands.

Like other members of the owl family, these birds hunt mostly at night, however the short-eared owl is known to be diurnal and crepuscular as well.

Short-eared owl at Farlington. Ringed birds have been discovered coming from as far away as Russia.

Their daylight hunting seems to coincide with the high-activity periods of voles.

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