19th January 2010

Early morning start, with a Goldcrest heard along Norton Lane. At the lakes, was pleased to see a Great Crested Grebe had arrived at Engine Pool since my last visit (my first at Earlswood this year!), whilst the 5 Mute Swans were present for a while and 6 Goosanders flew over towards Terry's Pool. There were 9 Tufted Ducks at Windmill Pool, with a Green Woodpecker heard to the south, but the Pochard had gone. Along the track from Windmill Pool to Malthouse Lane, counted 2 Bullfinches and 20 Greenfinches - a decent number. More finches were at Terry's Pool, including 30+ Siskins, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 13+ Goldfinches and 2 more Bullfinches; there was also a male Goosander on the small amount of liquid water and 2 Reed Buntings were along the pool's dam. A total of 8 Herring Gulls was notable, probably because I made a special effort to ID two first-winters there! Just before leaving, 2 Ravens landed in a tree along Valley Road. Heading home through Manor Farm, noted a Lapwing, presumed Lesser Redpoll and 2 Stock Doves fly over.
M.P. Griffiths

17th January 2010

Today was a bit warmer and the only thing of note was a Mute Swan family - 2 adults and 3 young on Engine Pool. Apart from that it was mainly Black-headed Gulls.
Kevin Bates

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Did my WeBS at the lakes during the morning, but prior to reaching the lakes saw a Goldcrest and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers in New Fallings Coppice. Terry's Pool had few waterbirds, but I heard a second Goldcrest in spruces at Mereside Pools. Saw a Coal Tit and a third Goldcrest around Engine Pool, whilst a Tufted Duck in a flooded field along Valley Road was unusual. A male Pochard at Windmill Pool was nice to see, whilst 6+ Redwings and 4+ Fieldfares were in a nearby horse pasture. 3 Skylarks passed over the lakes during the survey period. WeBS finished, I returned to Engine Pool and was pleasantly surprised to see 12 Goosanders fly over towards Terry's Pools (no sign there when I later checked), as well as a Raven a little later.
I then proceeded through Big Clowes Wood, and noted single Marsh Tit and Coal Tit. Forshaw Heath was largely quiet, apart from 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers near the M42, a Jay in Graves Coppice, and 1+ Skylark over, but things soon improved. For the first time, I took the footpath from Poolhead Lane northeast to Malthouse Lane and saw good bird numbers along there at sheep pastures near Small Lane Farm, including 360+ Starlings, 60 Fieldfares, 37 Redwings, 2 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk, whilst 3+ Stock Doves and a Skylark flew over. Certainly an area I'll be visiting again.
M.P. Griffiths

16th January 2010

Best spots were around Terry's Pool and were a large flock of Long-tailed Tits and a lone Nuthatch.
Kevin Bates

14th January 2010

A brief visit to the lakes with my mom to check out the Coot during the late afternoon didn't produce much, apart from 5 Mute Swans and 7 Tufted Ducks still. There was no sign of any stuck Coot at Windmill Pool, but fewer waterbirds there and newly broken twigs nearby on the path suggested that someone had somehow managed to free it (yesterday I'd told a local who feeds the ducks regularly about it).
M.P. Griffiths

P.S. Thanks to John Sheppard for sending me this photo taken at the lakes:

Robin, 10/01/2010 (© John Sheppard)

13th January 2010

During the late afternoon, I noted 5 Mute Swans at Engine Pool; whilst at Windmill Pool saw a Coot apparently stuck to overhanging branches at the only unfrozen part of the lake (no doubt bl**dy fishing line involved as usual!!!), plus a Kingfisher along Spring Brook again.

I then got home and found a link to this Angling Times article posted on a bird email group I'm in - made me extra cross, especially as the whole article seems to have been written on the presumption that the assault was committed by a birder! Note the bit about anglers discarding hooks and line described as "utter nonsense"!!! Well, not in my experience at Earlswood: I've now seen 2 Coots, 1 or 2 Mallard and 1 Wren caught by the stuff in the last 10 or so months, plus a gull and Woodpigeon seen in flight with line trailing behind them, and picked up discarded line on a number of occasions, and who knows how many other birds have suffered unnoticed. Sorry for the little rant, and I do know some anglers are careful with their equipment and litter.

M.P. Griffiths

12th January 2010

During the morning, saw the Barnacle Goose x Greylag Goose hybrid, 7 Mute Swans and 11 Tufted Ducks at Windmill Pool, plus a Kingfisher along the adjacent stretch of Spring Brook. Saw a second-winter or adult Common Gull at Engine Pool, plus 2 Ravens flew over. Springbrook Scrubland (south of Windmill Pool) held 2 Siskins, 9 Goldfinches and 4+ Stock Doves.
M.P. Griffiths

10th January 2010

An early morning one-hour visit wasn't too bad, with 5 Mute Swans at Engine Pool again but no sign of the hybrid goose nor most of the Canada Geese. At Windmill Pool, 2 Ravens flew over (1 landed briefly), whilst a Reed Bunting was seen along the western side.

I then moved on to Earlswood Moathouse NR, but the best I could manage in there were 3+ Redwings, a Coal Tit, 2 Nuthatches and a Jay. Along Earlswood Common, saw 2 Coal Tits (1 perhaps NR bird) and perhaps the biggest flock of Long-tailed Tits I've yet seen - 25 counted near the Reservoir pub.

Back at the lakes, saw 3 Herring Gulls (beware: one is rather small and a Common Gull look-alike!) and an impressive 50+ Siskins at Engine Pool, plus 10+ Goldfinches and 2 overhead Ravens (probably same birds seen earlier) at Terry's Pool. I'm very concerned about what this cold, snowy spell is doing to our wild birds and wonder what numbers I'll be noting once it's over, which I hear will be early February. I've noticed that Moorhens are much less evident around the lakes than in November and December - have the rest dispersed or perished?

M.P. Griffiths

P.S. I've started a thread on BirdForum about the hybrid goose here, in which I've uploaded some photos I took yesterday. I now think it's probably a Barnacle Goose x Greylag Goose, as I believe this is one of the more common goose hybrids, but I'm open to suggestion.

9th January 2010

Another pretty good visit to the lakes during the morning. The hybrid goose was again at Engine Pool with its Canada Geese friends, plus 2 Greylag Geese, 1 Skylark (over), 1 Grey Wagtail and 8 Long-tailed Tits; also 2 Ravens landed on the ice during the early afternoon, which was particularly notable given that I usually see this species in flight only. Whilst at the causeway, saw a wader disappear below the dam on two occasions but each time too briefly to be sure what it was.
M.P. Griffiths

8th January 2010

Walked to Earlswood early morning, and had 3 Treecreepers and a Coal Tit in New Fallings Coppice. Like on my last visit, the lakes were almost all frozen with one small unfrozen area each at Engine and Windmill Pools. Saw 3 more Treecreepers around Terry's Pool, as well as a number of Siskins and 2+ Lesser Redpolls. 5 Mute Swans were at Engine Pool, along with a large number of Canada Geese, among which was a small goose hybrid, plus 2 Ravens flew over, and later 3 Greylag Geese appeared; 1 Grey Wagtail and 2 Coal Tits also noted. Star bird today though was a Common Snipe (patch tick!) seen over Windmill Pool and disappearing down among trees along the brook along Valley Road (I later saw probably the same bird distantly over Engine/Terry's Pool). Also seen at Windmill Pool were 3 Lesser Redpolls along the western side, whilst a Kingfisher was seen at the stream next to the Valley Road car park.
So, quite a good visit - I take back what I said in the previous post!!!
M.P. Griffiths

4th January 2010

Well I haven't got my patch birding off to a good start this year, I'm afraid. This was my first visit to the lakes this year and it was quite brief, but 7 Mute Swans was almost certainly my best count of the species at Earlswood to date, 5 of which were a family and, according to someone who regularly feeds the birds, they'd arrived today. A first-winter Common Gull and 13 Tufted Ducks all at Engine Pool were also noted.

With all this cold weather freezing up the lakes and forcing birds to congregate at the unfrozen areas next to paths, I'm not hopeful of anything very good turning up until things warm up a little. I'd love to be proved wrong though, so would be grateful of updates. In the meantime, I'm busy sending my records to the BTO and county recorders, and currently have a backlog going back to November 2007!!! Don't forget that I'm still very interested in receiving people's 2000-2009 records for the Earlswood Bird Report.

M.P. Griffiths