You'd think it was Rutland

Myself with local birder Paul, who helped me out for the last three hours

I was motivated to do the Banstead Countryside Day today due to several things:

• the prospect of raising awareness and appreciation of birds and wildlife in the local area
• having something different to do and organise
• it's something to put on my CV
• it fits my college's initiative of getting students to do something for the community

And I certainly am glad I did it because it went very well. Because I sensed our stand was more appropriate to the event than I expected, I felt surprisingly comfortable talking to the many people that visited our stand and asked questions about our local wildlife.

I am also very glad I did it because Phil (who helped me out for three hours), the Viewpoint Optics staff and I got onto an Osprey as it circled near the Banstead Woods car park before gliding more purposefully south. The Croydon RSPB group next door were too slow to get onto it, though. It turned out to be a good day for raptors with a Common Buzzard (see video) flying low over our stall for our visitors to enjoy and a briefer view of a Hobby. This is perhaps a tally you may expect if you were holding an outdoor stall at the Rutland Birdfair but to see these three raptors from our stall at the Banstead Countryside Day was very surprising.


Osprey represents my 87th bird for Canons Farm & Banstead Woods. I wasn't expecting to get a very good patch tick while tending the stall!