[] Nature Notes  -  Usually updated at the start of each month. Reverse date order entries below:

Newdigate Brickworks Nature Reserve: April 2024

The weather in April started out extremely mild, with daytime temperatures up to 20^oC in the first week or so. Spring was therefore moving on apace – until it all hit the buffers from April 14^th with the onset of colder weather and northerly winds. Daytime maximum temperatures were then 10 to 12^oC; while at night it was often in the range 2 to 5^oC. There were occasional windy spells; and the traditional April showers; but no sustained rain, so everywhere began to dry out – especially most of the paths.  The wildlife followed the temperatures, with various species appearing seasonally for the first time up to mid-month; but then a distinct slackening while everything battened down to wait for warmer conditions.

Early Purple Orchids, in the east of the Reserve, continued to flourish after their early appearance at the end of March. By the middle of April, I counted a total of 31 flower spikes in the few locations where they occur within the Reserve boundary. I think this is quite an increase on previous years. (Others were probably still present in one area to the east of the stream, on private land, where they have occurred for many years.)

Butterflies remained very scarce, especially after the temperatures dropped. Just a few Brimstones and Peacocks were seen. Elsewhere in the parish had a much wider variety including Comma (March 20^th in garden); Orange Tips from March 31^st; Red Admiral and Holly Blue (both in village on April 8^th); Speckled Wood (near Ewood, April 17^th); and probably ‘Small White’ (in garden, April 24^th).

The song of Chiffchaffs was present in all the wooded areas all month, and will be expected to continue through the summer. Another ‘migrant’ warbler (which may also nowadays over-winter in or close to UK) is the Blackcap. A pair of these was first seen on April 6^th (in the garden); and then quite commonly down the Brickworks from April 12^th. They can be identified by their Stonechat-like sharp calls, and their short warbling song. When seen, they are grey, and Robin-sized, with a large black cap in males (red-brown in females)

Wildfowl on the Lakes continued to include large numbers of presumed non-breeding Tufted Ducks. There were between 7 and 14 of the white-sided males on the Main Lake on every visit, accompanied in the close-knit group by similar numbers of the browner females. (Except that on April 24^th, the 7 males only seemed to have 2 or 3 females). ‘The’ Great Crested Grebe was present – and largely inactive, with little diving for fish – on every visit. At the start of April, I’m told that the fisherman saw two together; but if so the romance must have been short and broken-off as no sign of nesting has been seen.  Unusually, single male and female Gadwalls remained on the Lake until mid-April, but were not seen on my last visit.

It is well over a year since I have seen any Cormorants at the Main Lake – on the water and/or in their favourite perching tree on the Island – though several months ago someone else did see one there. On April 24^th, what was very probably a Cormorant by appearance flew over our garden heading in the general direction of the Brickworks. However, when I was there a couple of hours later it was not around, so must have already left again!  

Two Mute Swans, both immatures with grey beaks, turned up on my first visit of the month and stayed throughout. On April 12^th (only), another Swan in adult plumage was also present. Canada Geese numbers were consistently low with between 7 and 10 seen on each visit; with no nesting observed. There were also occasionally one or more Greylag Geese present. On April 12^th a pair of Greylags toured the Main Lake along with 4 goslings, which may have been about a week old. It is possible that the nest had been in the reeds of the Wild (south) Lake, where one goose had been seen previously out on the water, maybe ‘on guard’. (On April 25^th, a different pair of Greylags were noted – on Newdigate Facebook page – wandering in the road with 8 very young goslings in Hogspudding Lane and Church Lane).

No other sign of nesting has been seen anywhere round the lakes and ponds – whether geese, swans, moorhens or coots. This seems to me unusual by this date.

There was still no reptile and very little amphibian activity. Slowworms and Grass Snakes normally appear in mid-April, but this year may have been delayed by the relatively low temperatures. No Lizards were on the car park rails; and no Newts have been seen in the scrapes. Just a few Common Frogs were present around some of the ponds and scrapes in the second half of the month. On April 12^th, a small area of the shallows near where the small frogspawn patch was noted in mid-March was writhing with >1,000 very small tadpoles. However, they must have soon dispersed deeper into the pond as I haven’t seen any since. The quacking call of the non-native Marsh Frog was heard briefly from the Wild Lake also on April 12^th, a few days after hearing them at two other places in the parish, but there have been only faint sounds since. They are more usually heard through May.   

One very unusual visitor was a male Mandarin Duck on the Wild Lake. This is also non-native, having been introduced from China; and the wild birds probably originate from ornamental collection escapes. The male is a small, orange duck with a broad cream stripe on its head (while females are mainly light brown). This one was seen on April 12^th and 24^th, though not on 17^th. It probably retired rapidly to the shelter of the reeds once it noticed it was being watched.  I’ve never seen a Mandarin at the Brickworks before; though there were a pair on the Mole up by Mickleham when I saw them three years ago at the same time of year.       

Several years ago there was a Nightingale on the Reserve, singing during the day in dense shrubs near one of the large ponds. More usually I hear them at this date in the north of the parish, especially in the ex-Schermuly ‘waste’ ground towards Ewood. Sure enough, on April 17^th one was singing there in mid-afternoon. This is despite the continued mechanical clearance of this shrub-land from the east by someone, even in this day and age, who considers wild nature should be destroyed in favour of sterile horse paddocks.

Another migrant, often seen and heard on the Reserve, is the Cuckoo. None have turned up so far this year, but I did hear my first of the year on April 22^nd , again from further north in the parish. 

Working Parties at the Brickworks organised by Surrey Wildlife Trust have been mainly notable by their absence. However, there will be one (which I won’t be around to attend) on Wednesday May 1^st. The ‘task’ will be to [drag from the unsatisfactory storage heaps and] burn the material generated by Working Parties earlier in the year.

Work to ‘replace’ the path around the [Main] Lake, to be funded by the Parish Council, was initially delayed by the need for a statutory Newt Survey. It will now be done ‘in September-time’ to minimise ecological disruption.  Recently, the fishing club have done a good job of spreading extra wood chips on the worst areas.    

                                                                                                Pete Lilley 26^th April 2024

Newdigate Brickworks Nature Reserve: March 2024

After a very wet February, it wasn’t too difficult for March to turn out a little drier. However, the weather was mostly unsettled, with rain never far away. It remained mild, or very mild, for the time of year. There was possibly the slightest frost on March 3^rd; but some nights didn’t dip below 10^oC – more typical of summer! Daytime temperatures of 10 to 15^oC were frequent. Despite the (relative) reduction in rain, the Brickworks pond levels stayed very high, and the paths (apart from the main track and boardwalks) deep in mud, making walking around challenging while avoiding falling over. The paths condition may be the worst they’ve been since the Reserve was created about 25 years ago.

During the month Spring was very much on the agenda, but confirmation has been patchy, with notable absences. At home, good quantities of frogspawn appeared in our garden pond from March 3^rd (even though it had been the one frosty night) closely agreeing with dates for the past 10 years. However, careful searching failed to find any at the Reserve until March 16^th – when a rather small clump was seen in one of the ponds north of the car park and may have been laid 2 or 3 days earlier from appearance. No frog activity, or further laying, was observed however.

Spring really started for me on March 16^th, which was the first sunny day for a week. A visit to the Reserve found Chiffchaffs suddenly singing from nearly every bush or tree. It is arguable nowadays if some of these ‘summer visitors’ actually migrate any significant distance; but for whatever reason they had arrived en-masse from somewhere. (I had, in fact, noted a probable Chiffchaff in the garden the day before – though silent.) Their ‘chiff-chaff’ call continued to be heard from all parts of the Reserve for the rest of the month. Correspondingly, my last sighting of Redwings (winter visitors) had been 5 days earlier when a flock of more than 50 were seen in trees on the north edge of the Reserve.

Butterflies began to appear from the middle of the month as they were tempted out from hibernation. Brimstones were seen (so far, only the yellow males not the cream females); and several Peacocks. In our garden Commas can be added to these (from March 20^th); and one male Orange Tip (31^st). The food plant for the Orange Tips had been seen flowering on verges and in the woods from 10 days earlier. (This is the white/mauve Cuckooflower, Cardamine pratensis, also known as Lady’s Smock – or to us as ‘Milkmaid’, a Devon name for it I’m told.)

Bluebells were well advanced by the end of March in the woods, for example in the SE corner of the Reserve, and should be fully-out very shortly. Wood Anemones, along with Celandines and Stitchwort, were also seen there.  A couple of dense patches of white flowers in the grazing area (near the shallow intermittently-watered scrapes) were seen in earlier years and were flowering again by the end of March. Seemingly unlike those in the woods in form and location, nonetheless these too were Wood Anemones – though not near any current or recent woodland.

Another flower which appeared, as usual in one of its very few areas in the east of the Reserve, was the Early Purple Orchid. Of six rosettes seen there from mid-month, one flower spike was almost open on the 24^th (and fully open on my next visit on the 30^th). This was the earliest date in the past 8 years since I started recording it, as they usually flower from the second or third week of April.

There seems to have been little sign of reptiles and amphibians, apart from the single small patch of frogspawn. Walking around, there were very few ‘plops’ as frogs escaped into the water. I thought I saw just one 2” Smooth Newt in one of the scrapes (March 11^th) but wasn’t able to spot any more after that. There was no sign as yet of Lizards (on sunny car park rails); Slowworms (often under refuge plates) or Grass Snakes (sometimes seen in ponds/lakes) so perhaps they will be seen in April

Very little if any bird nesting activity has been noted so far at the Brickworks – which seems rather surprising. There were variable numbers of Canada Geese – from none to 25 – on each visit, which seemed to be mostly in pairs, sometimes on the Island, and in mid-month very vocal as if ‘courting’; but no settled nesting. There were also occasionally one or more Greylag Geese. One of the resident Coots was seen building a nest by the east bank of the Main Lake, but was not there on my next visit (though a Moorhen instead was nearby). At the end of the month the nest was still unoccupied, and probably unfinished. No Swans were seen at all during March, so if they are breeding they will be doing it elsewhere this year. The single Great Crested Grebe was seen on every visit – diving for fish, preening, or just dozing near the Island – but unlike previous years no mate has turned up.

Coot numbers were consistently up to 10, plus a few more on the Wild Lake (south lake); but their associated Gadwalls continued their reduction noted in February, and there was only a single male noted by the end of March. However, Tufted Ducks though were still present, which I think is unusual for the site by this date, as they have normally left by now. The males are easy to pick out with their white sides and there were at least 5 on each visit (except that none were seen on March 16^th). They were in a group with similar numbers of the browner females, though I hesitate to say they were ‘paired’. Having looked them up, I found that they would nest in a scrape on the ground, preferably in an ‘island situation’ close to water; but that when breeding they are territorial so drive off other birds of their own and other species. Therefore, while the Island might be ideal nesting habitat, the fact that they are still in a group suggests that they will not be breeding.

Unusual sighting of the month, though away from the Reserve, was a small bat (almost certainly one of the Pipistrelles) flying on an overcast, cool day (March 9^th, 8^oC) at midday over one of the fishing ponds at Henfold Lakes. With the cold conditions, and lack of insects to eat, it was probably not in good condition and unlikely to survive long.    

                                                                                                Pete Lilley 2^nd April 2024

Newdigate Brickworks Nature Reserve: February 2024

February appears to have been the “wettest on record” for some parts of the UK, notably the South West; South Wales; and East Anglia. Hereabouts can’t have been much short of it, though. Frequent rain, little in the way of sun, and mostly extremely mild. Daytime temperatures often reached at least 15^oC, which is crazy for this time of year. Similarly, night time frosts were almost completely absent – with the only occurrence dipping just below zero on the 24^th.  Indeed it has just been announced that February was the “warmest on record” in England & Wales. For the whole month, many of the Brickworks paths were usually under water, and always deep in mud.

For once, I don’t think I can report any particularly unusual sightings this month: it just seemed to be the usual list of suspects – getting through Winter as best they could; or preparing for Spring – depending on your, and their, levels of optimism.

After not seeing through most of January, Canada Geese (10 to 16) were present on the Main Lake on almost every visit in February. There were none just after lunchtime on 24^th; and on all the other occasions some were seen either arriving or departing – so remaining mobile as expected with much time spent away grazing in fields somewhere. Two Greylag Geese were among them on the 15^th February.

Gadwall numbers seemed to decline slowly from their end-January level of about 35 down to 24 by mid-month. There was then a sudden drop, and I saw only 8 and 6 on two visits towards the end of February. In contrast, the Coots with which they usually associate stayed at the same number – about 14 – throughout. The two pairs of Tufted Ducks seen at the end of January expanded to a maximum of 8 pairs through February, and unusually one or two of these pairs were on the Wild Lake.  Swans were not seen until the end of February, when a pair arrived on the Wild Lake (noted on 24^th and 28^th); feeding in and possibly investigating the reeds.  Single Herons were also seen, always waiting for fish by the Wild Lake, and on 28^th perched 15 feet up a tree overlooking the water.

The single Great Crested Grebe was resident throughout February, and now looks in bright breeding plumage. I keep a note of ‘first dates’ seen, which has always been late-January/early-February, but this year it was in December. In recent years a mate has turned up in the first week of March, so we wait to see whether he/she does, and if they manage to breed this year.

I wasn’t lucky enough to see a Kingfisher during the month, so don’t know if any are still around. No breeding has ever been noted here, as there are few places – small holes in banks near the water – that might be suitable. Elsewhere, nest-building activity has been reported from Slimbridge (Feb 4^th) and Warnham (Feb 14^th), which is understood to be about 3 to 4 weeks earlier than normal.

Other signs of Spring have been slow to appear, despite the mild weather. Bird song (Great Tits; and Dunnocks; adding to that of Robins) is now widespread; and Blackthorn blossom is already out in places. There was a dark butterfly (probably a Peacock) at tree-top level near the Pier on February 15^th, the same day as a male Brimstone was seen in our garden. Both will have been tempted out of hibernation by the warm conditions, despite the scarcity of sun. In the SW woods, willow blossom was over the ground from 24^th, joining fallen hazel catkins torn off by the winds.

It will soon be time for amphibians. No frog activity has been noted as yet. In previous years the first frogspawn has been seen (in our garden) in the first days of March, plus or minus a week or so. I would also have expected to spot a few Common Newts by now in the scrapes at the Brickworks; though they might be more difficult to see with the water at flood levels.

Redwings and Fieldfares were seen on most visits. Redwing in flocks of great number (many hundreds together) occurred by the field boundaries to the North of the Reserve and in trees in the NE woods. Their mass chatterings seem the same in size and volume to that known for Starlings, and then they similarly fall silent and relocate to trees further away. (However, I don’t know of Redwing ‘murmurations’!)

The slots of Roe Deer can be identified in the plentiful mud of the paths. Two or three deer were often seen in the woods. From one seen elsewhere in the parish, the males have now grown their new antlers – whilst earlier in the Winter they couldn’t be distinguished from the antlerless females – and these are ‘in velvet’ (fur coated) to minimise damage while they harden.

Back on Dec 11^th I saw Redpolls in a birch by one of the ponds. None have been noted since (nor Siskins in February in the birches or alders) but there were a few Redpolls again on Feb 4^th in birches a mile north of the Reserve. [Late addition: Wildlife follows me home! While writing up these notes a single female (presumed Lesser) Redpoll was seen just outside the window feeding for 10 minutes on dead seed heads of Great Willowherb. So much for “feeds high in birch trees”. A first for the garden!]

A medium-sized brown/streaked bird disturbed from a path in the east woods on February 5^th may possibly have been a Woodcock. Identification was not helped by the trees obscuring clear sight of it as it flew (jinked?) away. Right size, colour and habitat; but not certain. I have seen the occasional Woodcock, but rather rarely – every year or so – in the woods a mile away.

The Surrey Wildlife Trust Working Party of February 21^st was severely hampered by soaking rain. The hardy (or foolish) souls that turned up concentrated on ‘tree-popping’ (continued Blackthorn thinning); and moving the debris from recent path clearance to a bonfire site. However, attempts to establish a fire were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, a small sub-group of two carried on with the brambles removal at the top of the (thick clay) slope above the Pier – until enthusiasm ran out at lunchtime when we gave up and went home to dry out.                                                                                                 Pete Lilley 1^st March 2024

                 Newdigate Brickworks Nature Reserve: January 2024

The weather in January was prone to extremes. It started very windy (Storm Henk) and wet with widespread flooding; but the second and third weeks turned cold, with some light snow, and then very cold. A sudden increase of 10 deg.C preceded more winds of Storm Isha on the 21^st/22^nd, with the weather then remaining mild, mainly dry, but overcast till the end of the month.

Whenever there is a cold snap, lakes and ponds both at the Reserve and over the wider area become frozen, which must be troubling for the waterfowl. On the Main Lake it has become obvious over many years that some birds seem to be ‘recruited’ to paddle round continuously to keep a small part of the lake surface clear of ice. This duty seems to fall mainly on the Gadwalls and the Coots; while Mallards arrive in large numbers but stand around the edge of the ice (…and cheer them on?!) In previous years during the hardest frosts there have been 100 – 200 Mallards there, instead of the very few usually present; though only up to 30 were seen this time.

Gadwall numbers remained mostly steady through January, in the range 20 to 35, despite the temperature changes. They are always closely associated with Coots, from which they try to steal food. Coot numbers swelled slightly during the freeze, from a base of about 15 to a peak of up to 25. There were also 2 Swans present throughout the month; and two or three pairs of Tufted Ducks from mid-month onwards. The single Great Crested Grebe (first seen on Dec 17^th) was seen again on two occasions (Jan 10^th and 30^th); and the male Shoveller (and possibly a female) from Dec 23^rd/30^th were noted again on most visits – though not on my final visit on the 30^th. On one occasion only (Jan 10^th) there was one male Wigeon. There were no geese, except for 10 Canada Geese that were there during the afternoon of Jan 22^nd, though they remain common elsewhere in the parish and are also often seen in skeins flying to or from the area, so probably go to the Brickworks at times that I don’t!

I happened to go past the Main Lake on two successive days – on January 21^st when it still was mostly frozen despite the increased air temperature; and 22^nd when it was almost ice-free. The chief difference was the sudden lack of Mallards – reduced from 27 to only one. The Swans that had been present (one in the water; one on the ice) had by then decamped to the Wild Lake – where they stood on the small amount of remaining ice at the west end.

I can’t recall having seen a Cormorant at the Reserve at any stage over the past year. That hasn’t (yet) changed, but I am reliably informed that one or more was fishing in the Main Lake just prior to Jan 30^th; and coincidentally I did see birds in flight then and the day before (elsewhere) that I couldn’t identify but might have been Cormorants…?

Everyone is still keen to see the Kingfisher(s). On Jan 10^th, I saw a small piece of bright blue plastic decorating a tree at the water’s edge at the corner of the Island, 200 yds away. I was inclined to blame littering fishermen, before considering if so how it could have got there? Focussing the binoculars showed it instead to be a preening Kingfisher, which I was able to watch for several minutes, including as it turned to show its fluorescent orange front instead of it electric blue back. It then took off towards me; dived at a shallow angle to the water surface without apparently much serious intent; and flew up to another tree higher up along the south shore of the Island, where I later lost sight of it. The usual chance encounter. Despite standing to watch at likely places, I didn’t see one otherwise during the month.

Redwings and Fieldfares were a constant presence on all my visits in January, mainly in the trees and bushes of the grazing area. Away from the Reserve, Redwings especially have been seen congregating on rough, wet grass (e.g. in horse paddocks) in their hundreds; not obvious until disturbed but then they seem to be carpeting the ground. A couple of probable Siskins were seen, in a tree eating birch seeds, on Jan 30^th; but I failed to see any on other visits. Great Spotted Woodpeckers can usually be seen (and heard calling), particularly in the East woods; but so far not ‘drumming’ (territorial signalling) at the Brickworks, though I did hear one on Jan 13^th nearer to home. Goldcrests were seen on two occasions; and one or more flocks of Long-Tailed Tits were noted towards the end of the month.

One notable sighting in the north of the parish on Jan 14^th was a Little Egret, flying from near a small pond. (I have only once seen one at the Wild Lake, but now several years ago). At the same location at single Swan flew purposefully, and low, across a ploughed field – perhaps aiming towards Fourwents Pond a further mile away? On the same day, a stubble field NE of Henfold Lakes held about 84 Greylag Geese, and several Canadas and two Egyptian Geese. Most of the Greylags were still there on Jan 29^th.

News is in that – after many months of negotiation  – the Brickworks Reserve will now be managed as a partnership between Surrey Wildlife Trust and Newdigate Parish Council. It is as yet unclear what this will mean in practise for any improved maintenance of the site; including possible increased frequency of Working Parties? However, the first item to be addressed may be the state of the boardwalks; and a fund to support their replacement has been opened. General site attention will continue in February with a Working Party that had already been arranged by SWT for Feb 21^st.

                                                                                                Pete Lilley 1^st February 2024

                Newdigate Brickworks December 2023

Happy New Year!

After rather variable, often cold, weather in the first week; December turned out to be another extremely mild month, with no further frosts. Daytime temperatures were generally around 10^oC, but touched 15^oC before Christmas. There were several days of sustained rain, and the month ended with two separate periods of very strong winds. As could be expected, conditions underfoot at the Reserve were poor, with widespread mud on paths and floods in the east woods.

Every visit durung December revealed plenty of Redwings, and also Fieldfares. Both are shy thrushes which come to Britain from Scandinavia for the winter. They were frequently seen, but more often heard concealed in the bushes, or as they flew away usually in small flocks. The Redwings make a quiet ‘chook’ call; while the Fieldfares have a Magpie-like rattle (though less harsh).  

On December 11^th, there was a flock of 10 or more small birds high in the top of a birch tree by the Oblong Pond. Helped by illumination from the low sun, they could be seen to have pink breasts and a red brow patch. My first thought was ‘Linnet’, which I have very occasionally seen locally, though singly, and not at the Reserve. However, the bird guide books are clear that Linnets feed only on the ground. Feeding high in birch trees (on the seed cones) is characteristic of Redpolls – which look otherwise identical, at least to me.  According to the Wildlife Trust website the Redpolls most often seen in the southern England have recently been split out from other close relatives as ‘Lesser Redpolls’ (Acanthis cabaret).

On the same visit Siskins were reported. I had been keeping a look out for these, but still failed to see them that day. They typically feed on Alder cones, and look like small Greenfinches. I did however manage to see just a few on December 17^th in the top of small trees not far from the Pier.

Numbers of wildfowl on the Lakes remained slightly lower than expected – possibly due to the mild weather? Around 20 Gadwalls were present most of the time; along with 10 or more Coots and some Mallards. Only between 0 and 6 Tufted Ducks were seen; and either one or two Swans. After an absence of more than 6 weeks, some Canada Geese were seen, on December 23^rd (6) and 29^th (10).

From December 17^th there was one Great-Crested Grebe – in winter plumage featuring bright white feathering – on the Main Lake. It was seen, alone, also on the two subsequent visits; though there was a report (around 20^th) of two being present. It would in any case be too early for pairing and breeding which usually doesn’t occur until late February/early March.

December 23^rd also featured one pair of Shovellers, seen on the Wild Lake during a brief period of when they were on the water. They seemed to spend most of the time flying around together. Presumably it was the same pair that were there on 30^th, though again very ‘flighty’ – easily disturbed. (I had seen one male and two females also on a single visit in mid-November)

I saw no Kingfishers during November, nor during most of December; but I did eventually catch a glimpse of one as it flew from near the Pier to the island on December 23^rd. As is the way, I was concentrating on looking at the wildfowl on the Main Lake at the time….!  

There was a very well-attended Surrey Wildlife Trust working party (>25 present) on December 20^th – encouraged no doubt by Julia’s sausage baps and SWT providing ‘festive food’ (and it wasn’t raining!). Tasks included reducing Blackthorn thickets to the east of the Oblong Pond; and bramble/willow clearance at the top of the slope up from the Pier. Both need repeated attention – though progress will remain slow as SWT, in their wisdom, will not be running another working party there until Wednesday February 21^st.                                                                                                  Pete Lilley 1^st January 2024

Newdigate Brickworks November 2023

November began with a pair of named storms – ‘Ciaran’ and ‘Debi’ – which brought periods of heavy rain around 2^nd and 13^th. Ciaran had been announced with warnings of severe gale gusts in SE England to rival the famous storm of 1987, so all things were firmly battened down – but in the event it passed slightly further south than expected so winds were not a problem for us, though the Channel Islands were a different story! The rest of the month stayed unsettled but mainly mild, until the final week which had cold daytime temperatures and several nights of air frost. Very light ‘snow drizzle’ fell on the morning of Nov.30^th.

The early winter months are always a disappointment for wildlife, though it can be difficult to remember that from year-to-year. Looking back at my reports for Novembers 2021 and 2022 (then in the Parish Magazine) I see them headed “limited wildlife interest” and “depressing; little to see” – so this month’s shortage of notable sightings shouldn’t be a surpise.

There were no geese to be seen on the lakes at all. I did wonder in the past whether they were absent during my daytime visits but perhaps roosted there in numbers at night. However, I don’t recall hearing skeins flighting in at dusk; so they may just be absent. I haven’t seen any at other lakes and ponds around the parish either. Where do they go? The reports for 2021 and 2022 confirm that this isn’t unusual (“maximum 3” and “few, if any geese”).

Other wildfowl built up slowly towards normal winter numbers through the month, though they are still a little down on the previous two years. Up to 6 Coots and about 10 Mallards were seen; while Gadwalls started as 3 or 4, and ended the month at about 24. (There were up to 30 and 25 in 2021 and 2022). Similarly, 4 Tufted Ducks first appeared at the beginning of November, and there were at least 13 on my last visit. (There were about 25 in previous years.) A pair of Swans were present on most of my visits, though always on the Wild (south) Lake, not the Main Lake.  

Absentees from my notes: no Cormorant (ever-present in Novembers 2021 and 2022); no Heron seen at the Wild Lake (though they were common enough elsewhere in the Parish); and no Kingfishers – despite substantial time waiting for one to appear (yes, it seems my luck did run out), so apparently they’ve gome away for now.

There were two wildfowl highlights to report:-

On Nov.17^th one male and two female Shovellers showed up on the Wild Lake, and then flew to the Main Lake; but were not seen on subsequent visits. Back in 2021, a pair were seen for the first time on exactly the same date; were later joined by another pair; and then these were continuously present on every visit though to late-March 2022. In March 2023, a pair and one male were seen, but only once.

The Wild Lake on Nov.30^th had one (and maybe two) male Teal. These can be identified by their red-brown head, with a large dark green patch; and because they are far smaller than other ducks such as Mallard or Gadwall. I only remember seeing Teal once before at the Brickworks, and it turns out that was on October 17^th, 2022, when there were 6 to 8 present briefly.

Elsewhere on the site, Redwings (winter thrush visitors to UK from Scandinavia) were heard all month – a quiet ‘chook’ call – but only once did I manage to focus binoculars on them to identify positively. They are very shy and fly away from feeding spots, often in thorn bushes and roses, at the slightest disturbance. Mixed flocks of tits including Long-Tailed Tits were seen commonly in the wooded areas; and Great-Sotted and Green Woodpeckers were usually around.

The next Surrey Wildlife Trust Working Party has just been announced, and will occur on Wednesday 20^th December; at 10am in the Car Park.                                                                                                 Pete Lilley 1^st December 2023

Newdigate Brickworks October 2023

October was a month that started off as if it was a late extension of summer: warm and dry; before turning colder with ground frosts in mid-month. From about October 21^st it became milder again but very wet. Parched ponds through much of the month suddenly found themselves at winter flood levels by the end. Inevitably, the site is now becoming very muddy and will remain so all winter.

A variety of wildfowl were seen on the Main Lake, though numbers were not yet large, probably reflecting the continuing mild conditions. There were usually 20 to 30 Canada Geese present (though none on October 31^st!); with one Greylag (Oct.18^th) and two Egyptian Geese (Oct.5^th). One Swan appeared mid-month, and on the next visit there were two. One of these was then seen flying away south, so clearly they are sharing their time with at least one other location and so may not always be around. On October 31^st there were again two Swans, but they were both on the ‘Wild Lake’ (south lake), with one of them dipping, washing and preening.

Small numbers of Gadwall were seen from the beginning of the month (up to 5 males; and a few females less easy to identify from a distance). On Oct.31^st there were two males and two females, apparently already paired-up for next spring. Otherwise, there were up to 7 Mallards and a few Coots and Moorhens.  

On the Wild Lake, a Heron could usually be found; and Moorhens were always present (maximum 5), often seen but also heard from the reeds. There were normally a few Mallards as well. I can be confident that at least one Kingfisher is resident on or around this lake, as it was seen on four out of my five visits this month. (On the other occasion, one of the fisherman said he had seen one “5 minutes ago” near the north edge of the Main Lake.) If you find this frustrating, having failed to spot one, a word on technique may be useful. I find a place with an unobstructed view across the Wild Lake – there are two suitable places, though take care as their approaches are by now getting very slippery with mud. Usually things seem unpromising but I think “I’ll just give it five minutes” – and within two minutes a Kingfisher flies past! Characteristically a very small bird flying fast and low over the water; though often also perching and sometimes ‘fishing’ with a plop from a perch or from interrupted flight. Am I just lucky? Perhaps; but it worked four times this month!

The season for butterflies was past, except for an occasional Red Admiral, seen basking on sunny brambles for example, on a few occasions including the end of October. Late-flying dragonflies were mainly Migrant Hawkers; on one occasion a Southern Hawker; and continuing numbers of Common Darters including egg laying into ponds and scrapes. The wisdom of laying into ephemeral ponds seemed questionable; but by looking them up I found that (post-September) their eggs do not hatch until next spring; and that the Common Darter larva which results completes its life cycle within a year (whereas larger dragonflies have a two or three year underwater larval stage), and so is less at risk from ponds drying out.  Willow Emerald damselflies also fly very late in the season. On Oct.31^st I saw two, probably mating, on the head of a Reed Mace by the Wild Lake.

During sunny weather it was still possible to see a few Lizards on the wooden rails along the north edge of the car park. Up to three were present, all of them dark and medium-sized (2 to 3” long) – this year’s youngsters.

The ‘last’ Chiffchaffs were heard calling on October 5^th; and we await the arrival of winter migrant birds. I thought I heard Redwings, among Blackbirds on Hawthorns and Blackthorns, twice during the month but couldn’t get a sighting to confirm. Meanwhile, other birds were still around, including Green Woodpecker; Great Spotted Woodpecker; several flocks of mixed tits largely made up of Long-Tailed Tits; and a few Buzzards. Until recently, as well as the ‘mewing’ adult, a young bird could also be heard calling more harshly from the fields/woods to the east.

The delayed Working Party was re-scheduled for October 16^th; and carried out major clearance of the Blackthorn that was shading the path north of the car park; extended the wooden handrail to the bottom of the slope to the Pier; and carried out some limited mowing of the grazing area bramble patches. I was not able to attend; but an additional session has now been arranged for Wednesday November 8^th (10am at the car park) to continue the work.As I compile these notes, Storm Ciaran has passed through, with yet more heavy rain. The worst of the winds, though, seem to have been further south.

Newdigate Brickworks Notes for September

The first half of the month was very warm and dry, and unexpectedly Sept. 9^th was noted as the warmest day of 2023 (around 33^oC). There were then quite a few downpours, including violent thunderstorms, so the scrapes on the Reserve had some water in them for a time. The rest of the month was mostly dry, and remaining mild.

Surrey Bat Group did a survey on the evening of Sept. 8^th from 8pm to past midnight. This involved two ‘Harp Traps’ and an ultrasonic microphone. I gather that the traps, checked half-hourly, caught only two bats (pipistrelles) – which was a poor result for the time period involved, reasons unknown. However the microphone recorded large numbers of calls from both Common and Soprano Pipistrelles; frequent calls from Daubenton’s bats (which hunt exclusively over water); and also one or more Noctules and Brown Long-Eareds.

Wildfowl on the Main Lake remained very sparse for much of the month, with about a dozen Canada Geese; a few Mallards; and one or two Swans to be seen usually. Later, the numbers and variety began to increase. There were 36 or 37 Canada Geese on Sept. 23^rd and 29^th – given the co-incidence in numbers presumably the same birds each time – which seemed to be casually in pairs for the most part. The Swan(s), Moorhens, Mallards (now coming out of eclipse plumage) and two or three Coots were also present, plus (on 23^rd) two single birds which may have been a Gadwall and a Little Grebe (= ‘Dabchick’) but were too far away to be certain. The Wild Lake had Moorhens, a few Mallard, and often one Heron.

After seeing Kingfisher(s) on two occasions during August – having not seen any for many months previously – I saw one again, at the Wild Lake, on Sept. 11^th.  As is often the case, I was by the side of the Lake to observe something else and saw it flying low over the water in the distance. Unmistakeable, even when too distant to see the blue on its back, combining this flying habit with its very small size. Then on Sept. 29^th it was like open season, as I spotted them on 5 occasions over a short period! From the same lakeside position one flew past a few feet away at head height going east; then 30 secs later what must have been another flew east just above the water. Not long after, one of these flew back west above the water. I moved on, and from the far side of the Lake, looking back into the sun (not ideal), I could see one perched for several minutes on one of the dead branches sticking up from the water – though I didn’t see it fishing. Later, while beside the Main Lake, I was therefore able to tell an interested couple that the Wild Lake was the place to be today – only to feel slightly guilty when a few minutes later a Kingfisher flew across the NE corner of the Main Lake!

Butterflies were only seen in low numbers despite the continuing ‘summer’ weather. Most often they were Small and Green-Veined Whites; Speckled Woods under the trees; a few Red Admirals, and Small Coppers on two occasions. In contrast, dragonflies and damselflies were still well-represented. At this time of year, they were Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters (still mating and egg-laying while paired, onto the water); one or two ‘blue’ damselflies; and quite a few Emerald Damselflies on willows. The latter group, including the Common Emerald and the Willow Emerald, fly late into October/November and are also known as the ‘spreadwings’ as they hold their wings angled out from the body when perched, unlike other damselflies where they are held along the body. When they can be seen close to, they have a dark emerald green body; but I can’t tell the members of the group apart. The Willow Emerald leaves egg-laying scars on lakeside willow branches, but I still haven’t spotted these at Newdigate.   

Other notable sightings during September:

–           It seems to have been a relatively good year for breeding Moorhens. As well as seeing the ‘adults’ on all the lakes and ponds during September, there were also good numbers of full-size immature birds (greyer, and not yet having developed the red on their beaks). For example, there were still at least three youngsters from the family group on the Oblong Pond by the end of the month.

–           A possible Sparrowhawk was seen on Sept. 11^th in shrubs up the slope from the Pier. A chorus of small bird chatterings from a bush suddenly fell silent when a larger bird flew off to a nearby tree – so the immediate threat was gone.

–           Lizards, both 4-5” adults (2) and 2-3” young (up to 5), could usually be found on the car park rails; though only by looking very closely and silently.

–           One 24” Grass Snake was seen from a few feet away swimming in the thick algae at the edge of the Wild Lake. It swam slowly away leftwards and I was able to note the clear yellow on the back of its neck. A few minutes later one calmly swam back past the same point – but this time I couldn’t pick out the yellow patch! So was it the same one, or not?

–           Chiffchaffs continued in full song throughout the month, except that none were heard during my last visit (though there were still one or two elsewhere in Newdigate). They must soon be ‘heading south for the winter’ – except those that nowadays stay here. Either way, it should be expected that the song will fall silent. Also still around were House Martins, usually at least 3 or 4 above the car park area. These will definitely leave any time now – although several were still seen today further west in the parish.

Unfortunately, the Surrey Wildlife Trust Working Party on Sept. 18^th, which I was able to give notice of in my previous set of notes, had to be cancelled at the last minute due to a family bereavement for the SWT task leader. Apologies if you turned up and found no action. (For the best, as it was raining anyway!) At present, no new date for the work has been arranged.

                                                                                                Pete Lilley October 1^st 2023     

                                    Note from Mid-Wales

From September 2^nd to 9^th I was the Volunteer Warden at Dolgoch, an independent walkers’ hostel remotely-situated in the Elenydd of Mid-Wales, 10 miles east of Tragaron.

As of 45 years ago (when I first went to the area) the Elenydd was one of the few places to see Red Kites. Since their re-introduction all across the country, and reduced pressure from gamekeepers, they can now be seen far more widely. In fact on this trip I don’t think I saw a single Red Kite in the hills, unusually. Instead, I saw them mainly near Basingstoke, Newbury and Swindon!! Maybe they have ‘concluded’ that hard living in the remote hills is no longer required when they can get fat with less effort from landfill sites and similar in the lowlands.

At Dolgoch hostel, there was an active Swallow’s nest just above the front door, with at least three nestlings peering out fearlessly a foot or two from peoples’ heads going in and out. There were large groups of Swallows swooping around and above the hostel area – such a change from SE England where Swallows seem to have become infrequent. Suddenly on the morning of September 5^th the nest was empty. These late Swallows had finally fledged.

Also at the hostel, there were many, many House Martins. Towards the end of the week, flocks of 50 to 100 at a time could be seen swirling and landing in trees down by the Towy river 200 yds east. They turned the trees white with their exposed backs in the late afternoon sun. The eastern eaves of the hostel still had a House Martin nest, and every so often a parent bird would fly in and be greeted by a chorus of hungry cheeps. This nest was still occupied and being fed on September 9^th when I left to come home. Whether these off-spring will have time to fledge and fatten enough for their journies south would appear questionable.

As early as 4pm on sunny afternoons, a Pipistelle bat was seen joining the Swallows, House Martins, and Red Admiral butterflies around and above the hostel roof. After a while the bat retired again to lodge behind a barge-board on the gable end.  

Newdigate Brickworks Nature Reserve: summary of visits during August 2023.

Temperatures during August remained mainly around 20^oC on most days, giving pleasant conditions generally. Sunny spells were interrupted by occasional overcast days, and sometimes rain; but despite that the water levels in the scrapes continued their downwards progress towards zero

The Main Lake was occupied throughout the month by one pair of Mute Swans, and often little else; though there always seemd to be 3 or 4 Mallards (now in ‘eclipse’ plumage if males) skulking somewhere if you waited long enough to see them. There were a few Canada Geese present, probably ‘commuting’ around other local lakes and ponds. Between 8 and 13 were seen on three visits, though none on the other two. Right at the end of August there were also two full-size immature Moorhens; an adult Moorhen elsewhere; and the first Coot that I’ve seen there for many months.

Moorhens could always be found on the Wild Lake; either by sight or by sound there were at least 2 or 3 resident there. There were also usually a few Mallard. A visiting Heron seemed even warier that usual and was only seen once this month, though possibly heard on two other occasions. In July, high-pitched raptor calls were interpreted as a family of Sparrowhawks. On my visit of August 4^th, there was only one remaining bird continuing the calls; and none at all at later dates.

Notably in August I saw a Kingfisher about the lakes. On August 10^th, one perched on the island trees beside the Main Lake; and then a few minutes later I watched through binoculars probably the same one on the Wild Lake, fishing from the upright branches that project from the lake. It made several brief darts to the water and back to the perch, though from a distance I didn’t see what if anything it caught. One was also seen flying across the Main Lake towards the island on August 23^rd. During its flight it seemed to divert briefly to the water in mid-lake to try its luck.

Common Lizards were seen, on the car park rails, throughout August. On my first visit the ‘same’ (?) young one was at the identical spot as previously at the end of July; and there was an adult on another rail. Subsequent visits have produced increasing numbers, and yesterday there were 2 adults and 5 immatures (body length of the young each about 2”, with darker 2” tails).

Dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies continued to be present in good variety but seemingly low numbers. The ‘peak’ occurrence of Hedge Browns (Gatekeepers) which were dominant in July is now well passed and only a very few were seen by the end of August. The main dragonflies in August were Migrant Hawkers – especially the males with kingfisher-blue (!) collars – and Common Darters. On August 23^rd, the latter were extremely numerous at the Oblong Pond (and elsewhere) paired up and ovipositing onto the water surface. There were a few Southern Hawkers; several Brown Hawkers; and on two visits a male Emperor dragonfly. Damselflies were rather scarce with only single examples of Common Blue (or maybe Azure) and Blue-Tailed Damselflies on most visits.

Other notable observations included:

–           one young Slowworm (only 6” long) seen twice, one week apart, under the same refuge plate

–           female Roe Deer accompanied by a (now) three-quarter grown fawn. Perhaps the same fawn as was seen a couple of months ago when it was rather small

–           on every visit to the Oblong Pond, a family of growing Moorhens – two adults and up to three chicks were seen at various times, with the immatures now having reached full-size. This is    probably the first successful brood there since the suspected Mink attack last year.

–           a possible Spotted Flycatcher was seen at the Oblong Pond (August 23^rd) flying down to the water surface (for floating insects??) and back to its perch. I saw two very similar birds by a woodland edge elsewhere in Newdigate a few days earlier.

–           one or more Chiffchaffs started up singing again at the end of August

Earlier Working Parties cleared Himalayan Balsam from the east side of the Reserve. Not surprisingly (as it still flourishes on the other side of the stream) numerous plants are nonetheless still managing to flower in the ‘cleared’ areas. I pulled up 50 or more just from near the path yesterday.

I have just been notified that the next SWT Working Party will be on Monday September 18^th (10am in the car park). Tasks will include raking up brambles once a ‘drunken swathe’ (!) has been machine-cut through parts of the grazing compartment; and cutting back Blackthorn bushes (mainly) along the path going left from the car park, to open it up to the light. All welcome to attend; with tools and tea/coffee/biscuits provided.                                                                                                 Pete Lilley August 31^st 2023

Glowworms Note added 1st September 2023

Introduction

The Glowworm is a beetle. The female Glowworm is around ¾ “ long and is flightless. She has greeny-yellow bioluminescent panels under her tail which she illuminates andturns upwards to show at night to attract the male. Males are much smaller, but winged, elongate, black or dark grey beetles. They fly around at night looking for females to mate with, guided by some combination of sight and chemicals (pheromones).

Lifecycle

The life cycle consists of eggs produced by the female; followed by a larval stage of two years when they predate on snails an slugs. Eventually the larva ‘goes walkabout’, when it is quite often seen during the day, looking fora suitable place to pupate, if possible with other larvae; they appear to follow each other’s scent trails. Soon after the pupa develops into an adult male or female Glowworm – which does not feed, living on their reserves of fat. The female then glows every night to attract the male, until she is either mated – when she immediately descends into a crack or hole inthe ground to lay her eggs – or she runs out of energy. In both cases, she then dies. It is not clear whether the male dies straight after mating, or can mate again with another female.

The two-year life of the larvae means that good or bad breeding conditions are reflected two years after egg-laying – not the following year. Unsuitable weather conditions – excess cold or wet in winter, very wet or dry conditions in summer – which cause larval mortality are reflected in the number of glowworms the following summer.

Status

Glowworm numbers nationally appear to be in long term decline. They are adversely affected by farm and garden chemicals – which kill or otherwise weaken them – and artificial lighting which disorientates the males and so prevents them finding the females. They still occur in Newdigate, and elsewhere; for example this year they were noted at the Brickworks (around the grazing compartment); by Hogspudding Lane (in the garden of ‘Landsdowne’); and by Parkgate Road (verge opposite Kiln Platt). Doubtless many other unreported locations also exist. However, as far as we are aware, no other populations are currently monitored except the ones in our garden.

A century ago old records note that they were very numerous all over the parish, and they were still found in a good many places only twenty years ago.

How do you ‘count’ Glowworms?

Some females start to appear, and glow from around dusk onwards, in mid-June. Walking round the garden after dark – but usually while still able to see adequately so no torch is needed – the locations of any glowing females can be noted each night. The useful feature of Glowworms is that the females retreat into very small cracks and holes in the ground during the daytime, where they cannot be found and are safe from daytime predators, and then re-emerge the following night in exactly the same place – or very close to it. Therefore, walking round every night allows each female to be identified and any new ones noted down. Glowing females cease to glow, and descend to lay eggs, within a short time (a few minutes) of mating, so will not be found the next night.

Often, a female will be seen looking dim and low in the vegetation; and with a torch a male can be seen clinging to her.The female will then turn off her glowing panels, which fade over a matter of minutes, and descend to the ground and into a suitable hole or crack with a mating male clinging to her back, where she lays her eggs.

It is probably not known where the males hang out during each day, nor how many nights they will fly in search of the females.

One year (2005), my wife Jane helped daughter Karen with her university project which sought to compare Glowworms in our garden and at the Brickworks. For this purpose, they glued tiny pieces of paper with a sequential numbers on them to each Glowworm, having been assured that this would not harm the females! Coming back on later nights they were able to see the numbers, and so confirm that indeed they were mainly sedentary. There were a few surprise identifications of ones that had moved further than expected, but not many. A female which has been unable to attract a mate over her first few nights of glowing would often climb higher a grass blade or anything else they can find – one climbed four feet up a tree stake several nights running! – and if that failed, instead of glowing one night they would ‘go walkabout’ in the hope of finding a better spot, covering up to six feet in a night. But they appear to have no sense of whether or not they are visible from above; they have been found glowing under leaves and artificial objects, a futile exercise when the flying males look directly downwards.

It is knownthat Glowworm larvae try to choose the same places and times to pupate, so two or more mayemerge together. If a male and female emerge together, the female ismated immediately – and would elude our count! Certainly, early in the ‘season’ some emerging females are mated very quickly, so we need to be out promptly to see them in their brief time of glowing. Some will also be invisible to us in thick vegetation away from paths. From allof these factors, a small degree of under-counting can be expected.

Walking the garden regularly every night, at a time to suit the changing occurrence of dusk, leads to a record of every ‘new’ Glowworm that appears and the duration (nights) that they glow before being mated, or running out of energy and dying.

Contrary to what is generally said, ‘our’ Glowworms very rarely climb up grass stems or other vegetation – they remain among the grass at ground level. Occasionally, as they get ‘desperate’?, they might climb up a few inches (and then descend again before morning). However, as noted above, ones in other places such as the Brickworks may be more adventurous.

Glowworms in our garden

When we first saw them in our garden (about 25 years ago) we reported them to Surrey Wildlife Trust – but were told we must be wrong since Glowworms only occur near the chalk downs; reflecting the presence of numerous lime-shelled snails that are the principal food source for the Glowworm larval stage. SWT has presumably become more educated about them in the years since!

Our garden consists of 1 acre of poorly maintained habitat with many trees and shrubs; one large pond; open rough grass areas; but no mown ‘lawns’. Originally, when we started monitoring the Glowworms, the grass areas were cut annually or more often, with a sickle, to provide hay for rabbits. Nowadays, much less management gets done, often only the main paths are kept vaguely clear, and other grass cut once per year.

From our experience the Glowworms can be seen:

–           On top and sides of active compost heaps, especially early in the season where they benefit          from the increased warmth.

–           In rough grass of various lengths, but at ground level. (It may be that those occuring in long         grass are more difficult for us to see – though not for the males which fly above and look   downwards.)

 –          On the edges of paths and of paving slabs.

They generally don’t occur under significant tree cover.

Our Glowworms were, in fact, ‘introduced’ in to the garden by transferring some (not known how many) from  a vergeon Parkgate Road before we moved here in 1991. This introduction must therefore have been in the late 1980s.

Our counts will have started before year 2000, though I haven’t been able to find all the annual data sheets at present.  In 2005 we had 208 females in the garden (and there were also 268 counted and marked in part of the Brickworks site). I recall other years around then when the total for the garden was around 180; and peak nights when 36 could be seen glowing at once. More recent data is available from 2011 to 2023. In that time the annual counts have varied from about 40 up to a maximum of 88 with a reasonably even, though random, spread between. Maximum numbers seen glowing on any one night each year have been between 5 and 15.

In 2023, the first Glowworm was noted in our garden on June 16^th, though it continued to glow for 11 nights: Despite being in a prominent position (on the compost heap) it took that long before a male came by, so perhaps there were very few or no males around earlier. Other new Glowworms appeared on June 20^th, 23^rd, and 24^th (2), but the season didn’t really start properly until July 1^st onwards. Up until July 18^th, there were 26 females, of which about half only glowed for a single night.  Eventually, there were 38 Glowworms recorded, with a few nights in July when 7 females could be seen at once. They continued to appear until August 2^nd, but it seems clear that no males were available after July 28^th. The last females glowed for 20, 19, 20, and 16 days respectively (last seen on August 20^th) but can be assumed to have remained unmated.

                                                                                                            Pete 31/8/23