BIG SIT 2010

May 20th

As I settle down on the Greensand Ridge at 3.35am, a Tawny Owl hoots from just below the Deer Park. It is cloudy and still, as I gaze over the scattered lights across the Weald. The croaks of Marsh Frogs, the occasional vehicle and now the call of a Little Owl are the only sounds I can hear, for the time being, but it is pleasing to have heard the two owls already – there is no chance of a Barn Owl, the local birds haven’t been seen since October. A cockerel crows, a Pheasant calls and I fantasize about hearing a migrant wader calling. A couple of stars appear high in the western sky and a fox barks.

The first Blackbird sings at 3.53am, another Tawny Owl hoots in the distance, near the reservoir, a Mallard quacks from the direction of the lake and the dawn chorus commences with more song from Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. A Woodpigeon coos and a Carrion Crow caws, but other species seem slow to join the chorus of thrush song. A distant Moorhen calls and the first Robin sings, followed shortly by a Wren, a Yellowhammer and the call of a Common Whitethroat. A Carrion Crow, that flies into the rarity hedge ash, is the first species to be seen and a Jackdaw flies towards the Deer Park just after 4.30am. The volume of song is such that it is now difficult to identify new species; but I can hear a Turtle Dove ‘purring’ and a pair of Canada Geese call noisily, as they fly from the lake in the Deer Park. A Green Woodpecker yaffles, a Magpie calls from the barn dell, a Chiffchaff joins the chorus and a Chaffinch also sings.

Through my telescope, I can just make out a Mute Swan on Monks Lakes, shortly before 5am, though it is still gloomy. A cock Bullfinch alights on top of the hawthorn by the gate – a welcome sight, as it was missed last spring. I don’t know why I’m not hearing Blackcap song yet and I fear that the Garden Warbler territory is probably just too distant for its song to be heard. A Common Whitethroat sings from the much favoured hawthorn and I wonder how many species will visit it. Two Rooks call as they fly SW and a pair of Turtle Doves display on the power lines over the old orchard. An early fisherman parks by the reservoir, on which I can see a pair of Tufted Ducks and while scanning the water to see how many are present, I glimpse a movement in the ash and a rapid re-focus reveals a Long-tailed Tit – another species missed last year. There are 18 Tufted Duck, though only five ducks, and while focused on the reservoir, I wonder what I’m missing elsewhere; what might be flying overhead or appearing in the nearby vegetation. To achieve a total in the high 50s you really need two or three pairs of eyes and ears. A Collared Dove alights on one of the dead branches in the nearby oak and coos. I might be seeing a GC Grebe on Monks Lakes but the light is still poor and I’m wasting valuable time, which could be spent concentrating on other aspects.

A cock Yellowhammer and a hen Chaffinch are now visiting the hawthorn and at 5.43am I can hear a few bursts of song from a Blackcap in the barn dell. The cloud cover is slowly clearing and a wide expanse of pale blue sky is appearing to the southwest. A Chiffchaff is now singing from the hawthorn and three Stock Doves fly by at 6am, as I am beginning to feel a little peckish. A cock Bullfinch reappears on the hawthorn and a Blue Tit and another LT Tit are feeding in the small ash beside it. I begin to prepare for breakfast as a Great Tit appears – number 30 at 6.22am – about half-an-hour later than last spring’s 30th. A Cuckoo calls from the Deer Park at 6.34am. Sadly, the expanse of blue is diminishing and a mackerel sky is replacing it, which means the visibility across the Weald remains poor and the lack of wind usually means that few gulls fly over, but I only want four – one of each of the anticipated species! A lone Swift flies N, as I look up, followed shortly by a Herring Gull NW and a Black-headed Gull N just before 7am.

While scanning over Monk’s Lakes in the gloomy conditions, really struggling to find species like Coot and GC Grebe, a gull flies into my telescope vision and I’m able to add the third of the four gulls, a LBB Gull – number 35 at 7.17am. I can just hear the weez of a Greenfinch, but any other finch, or sparrow species are going to be nigh impossible to add. A couple of BH Gulls visit the reservoir, just after 7.30am, and a Starling flies by – quite a rarity here at present and the three or four breeding localities are not visible from here. Its around 8am and blue sky has appeared overhead, making it more worthwhile scanning Monk’s Lakes, where a pair of Greylag Geese can clearly be seen. Though continually scanning the lakes, I’m suddenly aware that I can hear the song of a Garden Warbler at 8.08am – it must have moved a little closer. About ten minutes later I pick up an unexpected bonus species, a Common Tern, only the second in the eight years of spring Big Sits and number 40 at 8.21am. A short while later, a Swallow flies through my telescope vision and a Mistle Thrush flies from the top of the rarity hedge ash.

I’m wondering how many more species I can anticipate and where I should concentrate my attentions. Probable additions include GC Grebe, Grey Heron, any one of four raptors, Coot,      GS Woodpecker, Dunnock and Jay; and possible: Cormorant, the other three raptors, Lapwing, Mediterranean Gull, House Martin and Nuthatch.

Just before 9am, while still scanning the lakes, I suddenly see the Barnacle Goose, which has been associating with a Bar-headed Goose and they visited the patch several times in 2009, but I’m still struggling to find either Coot or GC Grebe. At 9.45am, a pair of GC Grebes swims into view, with two well-fledged young and shortly before 10am a Dunnock deigns to sing, showing just ten metres from me. Little more than five minutes later a Jay flies N along the rarity hedge. I need to confirm possible earlier sightings of Coot and Lapwing, when the gloomy conditions made it impossible to be 100%. I hear a distant Cuckoo calling again, as the sun disappears behind cloud.

It is after 11.15am, when a Coot swims into view for long enough to confirm the identification. There are now only three missing species that have been seen every year: Grey Heron, Kestrel and GS Woodpecker. What little wind there is, is now blowing from the northeast and I feel a few spots of rain. Fortunately, it doesn’t come to anything. There are still nine drake and just two Tufted Duck on the reservoir, with a pair of Canada Geese. Two more Swifts appear and disappear, and three Swallows likewise, offering hope that a House Martin or two might also be seen, though the only ones noted to date were on May 1st. A Grey Heron flies high SE, number 48 at just after noon. Last year the 50th species was a Kestrel at 12.15pm and I’m encouraged to think that a few more additions shouldn’t be too hard to note. Two more Swifts fly north, as I start eating lunch at around 12.30pm. I am puzzled as to why I haven’t seen or heard a GS Woodpecker yet, but I imagine they are still incubating – not feeding nestlings as they were this time last year – and they have certainly become much less obvious recently and the nearest nesting locality is probably no nearer than 300 metres. A Green Woodpecker keeps visiting a nearby power-line pole, but not a Great Spotted and surely a Kestrel must appear soon. The sun is shining again, as I enjoy my delicious egg and lettuce rolls, but there is only a small break in the clouds and it soon disappears again. 

At 1.15pm, I hear a Kestrel calling, a number of Jackdaws are spiralling high into the sky, but I can’t see any sign of the raptor. Ten minutes later I pick up a speck in the sky, high over the reservoir and, through my telescope, I’m able to see that it is a Kestrel, not a much preferable Sparrowhawk or Hobby. Two more Swifts fly N just after 2pm, which means that when I find the 50th species it will be the latest time so far recorded. Two more Grey Herons circle high, one glides down SE, the other flies NW, as I see a LT Tit in the hawthorn again. Following more sunshine, by 2.30pm it is cloudy again, but still warm, though I am sheltered from the northerly breeze. I suddenly glimpse a Nuthatch as it flies down from one of the dead branches on the nearby oak and heads towards a known territory – number 50 at 2.55pm and a welcome addition, being only the third during spring Big Sits. It had the distinction of being number 55 last year. The cloud is slowly drifting south and by 3.30pm blue-sky is overhead and the sun shining again. Seven more Swifts fly high against the blue, but no sign of a House Martin yet. A lone BH Gull flies high S at 3.45pm and groups of corvids keep thermalling high, but without an accompanying Sparrowhawk. Another BH Gull visits the reservoir – why can’t it be a Mediterranean Gull, they have been seen there recently. While following two more Swifts and a Swallow overhead, I’m conscious of a call from a GS Woodpecker – number 51 at 4.05pm – so all the species recorded annually during this event have maintained their status, just.  

More cloud drifts over, obscuring the sun again and I’m beginning to wonder whether any more of the missing species might be found. It would be nice to reach the mean of 52, but raptors are remaining invisible and I am unable to confirm the possible sighting of a Mediterranean Gull at Monk’s Lakes. After two hours with no additions, I am happy to call it a day. A little frustrating but enjoyable, as always.