Thursley Common, Surrey

Brian, Dad, and I headed into Surrey this morning, with an early morning visit to Thursley Common. We arrived shortly after 6am and walked past the Moat Pond out onto the common.  

Tree Pipits and Woodlarks were singing as we reached the start of the trail, and a distant Cuckoo was heard. As we walked south, Woodlarks and Linnets were dropping down onto the sandy path in front of us. Then two Dartford Warblers appeared from thick cover to feed close to the path.

We had three targets in mind as we left the car park, and we had found two of them within minutes of entering the common. The third target was Redstart, which proved to be much harder to locate. Eventually, we had good views of a single female bird perched right at the top of a lone pine tree. Unfortunately, I only had my phone with me today, and Brian had forgotten his camera battery, so no bird photos.

We walked the shorter circuit and, after two hours, headed back to the car. We made a fifteen-mile journey further south, hoping to see Honey Buzzards. It was still early when we arrived, but there were plenty of birders already on site. As we set up the scopes, we could hear Tree Pipits, Woodlarks, and Yellowhammers singing. Common Buzzards and red Kites were showing well, and eventually we enjoyed good, if somewhat distant, views of two Honey Buzzards. A Goshawk was also seen, which was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise. 

Eastern Subalpine Warbler: Beachy Head, East Sussex

Early Tuesday morning, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found at Beachy Head in East Sussex. Brian had seen several Westerns, but had tried and failed to add Eastern in 2014, when one was found at Landguard in Suffolk. He was keen to go, but family commitments kept him close to home. I had only managed to see two Western Subalpine Warblers and was also keen to go, but apprehensive regarding the walk.

We watched the news closely, as the bird was still present yesterday evening, we decided to make the trip this morning. Brian picked me up at 5am, and after a trouble-free journey, we were parked up at Cadence Clubhouse car park at 7am. The bird had been reported at Cow Gap, but we didn't know where that was. Luckily, as we scanned the area from the hilltop, Brian spotted a birder with a scope. The walk down to the cliff edge was eventful, but we made it down and could hear the bird singing before we climbed down the slope. Seconds later, the bird popped up onto the top of a small bush. 

We spent the next two hours enjoying the bird. It would follow the same circuit each time, allowing us to predict where it would appear. It sang almost constantly and would eventually return to the area where caterpillar nests were attached to the hawthorn bushes. While on site, we also saw Lesser and Common Whitethroats as well as a family of Stonechats.

The hike back to the car was strenuous, to say the least, and required several stops before reaching the top of the hill, but we did have a Peregrine fly directly overhead on the walk back.

Subalpine Warbler was split by the British Ornithologists Union Records Committee (BOURC) in 2014. Two species of Subalpine Warbler ( with four subspecies), Western and Eastern, and Moltoni's Warbler. 

Andy Stoddart, vice chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and member of the BOU Records Committee (BOURC) until 2022, provided information and photo ID  to help separate these species in the field. A link can be found here

View from the hilltop before the descent

The slope to reach the Warbler

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Where the warbler was seen

Stonechat

The climb back to the hilltop, far steeper than it looks!

KGV Reservoir and Dotterel: Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire

On Sunday, Brian had finally managed to see the Barn Owl at the KGV Reservoir

This morning, I joined Brian for another trip to the KGV Reservoir, hoping the Barn Owl would make another appearance. It was a cold start as we walked the east side of the south basin, noting four Common Terns. As we continued walking, Brian spotted what looked like a small wader flying low across the reservoir. It flew along the bank towards us, and we suddenly realised it was a Kingfisher, a new bird for the KGV. Reaching the north-east corner of the north basin, I scanned the marsh, but there was no sign of the owl. Then Brian spotted it flying low behind the trees at the back of the marsh. I've been looking for the owl on every visit for a month, and finally I've seen it.

Barn Owl

The Ravens have recently bred, and the chicks have fledged, and we spotted one of the adults flying around the pylons calling. Then the other adult with the two youngsters landed on the bank close to where we were standing. 

Raven

On Friday, we failed to see the Dotterel at Gamlingay, and when they weren't reported the following day, we thought they had departed. Sunday, and not only are the Dotterel present, but ten are reported, then twelve, and then thirteen! 

After returning from the reservoir today, two Dotterel had been reported again. Brian and I had walked all the fields and surrounding areas on Friday but failed to see them, so we decided to wait for a second sighting. When they were reported again, we decided to make the trip. We arrived on site and could see a small group of birders in the distance. We walked the track to join them and spotted the two Dotterel in the middle of the field. 

I tried to get a photo through the scope, but it was very windy, and the haze wasn't helping. 

Dotterel

American Golden plover, Old hall Marshes

It's been a very rewarding past week, with limited time for birding, mainly due to Brian's ongoing family commitments, we have managed to spend an afternoon in Suffolk, adding my second lifer of the year with the Tawny Pipit at Landguard. A thirty-minute drive and a very brief visit to Hunsdon in Hertfordshire to see the Hoopoe. A couple of hours at Rainham to relocate the Ring Ouzel, ending with another short trip to bag a county tick, when the Ross's Gull was reported in Thurrock.

On the same day the Ross's Gull was reported, an American Golden Plover was also reported, and again it's in my home county of Essex.

There was no time available yesterday, and Brian only had the morning free today. The AGP was at Old Hall Marshes, but the reserve gates aren't open until 9am, unless you want to walk in from Salcott village. We decided to start the morning at Abberton, where we enjoyed views of Spoonbills, Grey Herons, Great Egrets, Little Egrets, and Cattle Egrets, which were a year tick. 

Cattle Egret

We left Abberton and headed to Old Hall Marshes, only five miles away. We arrived at 8.45am to find the gates unlocked. It's about a mile walk to where the AGP had been seen, but the hedgerows along the way were full of Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers. We climbed the wooden steps onto the seawall. where we were told by the only other birder present that he had seen the AGP earlier, but not for a while. I scoped the area known as the breach and found the target bird almost immediately. It was distant, but really stood out among the Lapwings. Other birds of note were Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, and Avocets in the channel, along with a single Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ruff, Snipe, and twenty-plus Common Terns.

Old Hall Marshes were bought by the RSPB in 1984 from the estate of Brigadier R Colvin for £780,000, the RSPB's most expensive purchase at the time. You can read a brief history of the site Here

 

Salcott Channel

American Golden Plover

A cropped hand-held phone to scope image.

It's my 4th record of American Golden Plover, but my first since 2019.

Ross's Gull: Golden Gates Lake, Thurrock

I checked the news services shortly after 9am this morning, and the only birds reported locally were two Black-winged Stilts at Rainham, which I had seen on a previous visit. So I decided it was a day to relax at home, that was until the phone rang. It's Brian. 

"Have you checked the news?

"Yeah, just the two Black-winged Stilts locally." 

"Ross's Gull at Thurrock!"

Brian had a pre-arranged visit to see his granddaughter, and decided to try for the gull before the visit. That left Dad and I to decide whether to go or not. It would be a lifer for dad. However, I had seen the  Dorset bird at Radipole Lake in 2018. But it would still be a year and a county tick for me.

Dad wasn't sure he wanted to drive, so we were still debating it when Brian phoned to say he had seen the bird. and offered to take us tomorrow if the bird was still present. When the news services reported the bird was still present, we decided to make the trip. The thirty-mile journey took forty-five minutes before we parked alongside the Thameside Nature Discovery car park. It was almost a mile walk from the car park to Golden Gates Lake. Upon arrival, we were told the bird was still present but had swam along the near bank and was currently out of view. We didn't have to wait long before it reappeared, and we managed to get some nice views. For the next 15-20 minutes, it hugged the bank, and we followed it along the footpath, catching brief glimpses of it through the trees. It then decided to take flight, but it only flew back a short distance, which allowed me to get excellent scope views.

We made our way back towards the car park, picking out a singing Nightingale for a bonus year tick on the way.

We were safely back home when the Ross's Gull was reported to have "flown off north-east and lost to view."  That was the last time it was seen today. 

Thankfully, we had made the right choice, not to wait until the following day.

Signage just outside the car park

View of Golden Gates Lake

Ross's Gull

Waders at KGV Reservoir

Brian and I made another early visit to KGV Reservoir this morning, arriving at 6am. I was hoping to add Arctic Tern to my year list, and after a couple of scans of the south basin, we did just that. Three flew past us at close range, but carried on heading north. Another Scan of the south basin revealed seven Common Terns resting on the buoys. Scanning the eastern bank as we walked towards the causeway added a new site tick for me when we found two Whimbrel. A single Oystercatcher flew across the basin heading south, and a single Common Sandpiper was also seen.

As we approached the north-east corner of the north basin, we could see some waders resting on the bank. Looking through the scope, we could see several Common Sandpipers and two Greenshanks. We counted sixteen Common Sandpipers before a Thames Water vehicle came along the top path and flushed them all. Other birds seen during the four-mile walk were Peregrine, Cuckoo, Yellow, and Grey Wagtails, Redshank, and Wheatear.

Greenshank & Common Sandpiper

Whimbrel

Grey Wagtail

The same afternoon, while sitting at home, a Hoopoe was reported at Hunsdon in Hertfordshire. Only 14 miles from home, I phoned Brian to ask if he fancied going. As soon as he agreed, we met up and headed towards Hunsdon. We found the parking area without any trouble, but finding the footpath proved more challenging. Luckily, a birder returning to his car gave us directions, and we were soon looking across a large lawn running alongside a stream. The Hoopoe was seen immediately, but remained distant throughout our visit. It spent the entire time we were there feeding along the bottom of the tall hedge in the middle of the photo. The homeowner was happy for us to stand at the bottom of the garden, but didn't want people walking across his lawn, so we stayed an hour or so before heading home.

The garden

Tawny Pipit, Landguard NR

I awoke this morning with no intention of going birding, but that all changed when I checked the news services and saw a Tawny Pipit reported at Landguard in Suffolk. The first report was vague to say the least. It just said "Tawny Pipit, Languard, one". Not knowing if this was just a flyover, I decided to wait for a second report. Once a second report came through, it was time to phone Brian. I  knew he had been on the school run with his grandchildren, and when I rang him, he was at Rainham Marshes. "Tawny Pipit at Landguard, are we going?"  Of course, the answer was yes. 

We arranged to meet Brian in Brentwood, and Brian drove the remaining seventy-five miles to Languard. After parking the car, we headed out onto the common towards the roped-off area. There was a small group of birders already present. We were told the bird hadn't been seen for 10-15 minutes, but was probably below the bank. Thirty minutes passed, and suddenly the bird appeared. We enjoyed watching it for several minutes, until a Ringed Plover flushed it. 

The bird was found again on the common, where it stayed for a few minutes before heading back into the roped-off area. The bird became more elusive and wasn't seen again before the car park ticket ran out.

Brian had dipped this species twice before, and I was with him when we made the trip to Cogden in Dorset the day it decided to leave, having been present for five days previously!

Tawnt Pipit

Can you see it?