A pleasant donder around the patch today. I met up with Darragh C at Canons Farmhouse and we strolled up the lane; he joined me a short distance into Banstead Woods before heading home and I carried on exploring the downland edges for butterflies. A Small Blue, three White-letter Hairstreaks, two Dark Green Fritillaries, many Marbled Whites and my first Ringlets of the year ensured that it was a fruitful session. Bird highlights were single
Red Kites over both the Woods and Canons, as well as a feeding frenzy of 45
Swifts over Perrotts by Wood. A flock of five
Grey Herons flew west over the farm. There were fledgling
Whitethroats at the farm, where four
Yellowhammers were singing, and family groups of
Nuthatches were at both sites. I heard five
Treecreepers in Banstead Woods.
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| male Kestrel at Canons Farm |
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| Dark Green Fritillary at Banstead Woods |
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| Small Blue at Banstead Woods |
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| Large Skipper at Banstead Woods |
