Canons Farm and Belmont

A Tawny Owl woke me up in the early hours outside the window at my parents' when I stopped over. In the early afternoon, once the rain had cleared, I headed to Canons Farm for a short walk which produced a female Stonechat, three Chiffchaffs, a male Kestrel, two Buzzards, a Yellowhammer, seven Meadow Pipits and a Fieldfare.

Belmont

 A Tawny Owl was hooting late at night, audible from my parents' flat.

Banstead Woods, Canons Farm, Banstead and Belmont

I caught up with Ian Magness for a couple of hours this morning. Initially we had a quick look at the 'new lagoon' at Banstead Woods, where a Grey Wagtail flew over, followed by a walk around Canons Farm. There, we couldn't find a Brambling among the mixed flock of Chaffinches and Greenfinches (150+ and 15 respectively) but I did hear one fly over near the farmhouse. Remarkably, another Grey Wagtail flew over Broadfield (this is a rather scarce bird for CFBW). Other highlights included a Cormorant, a big female Sparrowhawk, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, five Rooks, four Meadow Pipits, six Yellowhammers, a Bullfinch, a flock of around 100 Linnets, a Pied Wagtail, 25 Skylarks, 35 Fieldfares and small numbers of Redwings. Three Buzzards and 30 Stock Doves were also noted.

1cy Buzzard at Canons Farm

Other locally notable stuff included a Grey Heron over the A217 at Banstead and a Green Woodpecker audible from my parents' flat in Belmont.

Flimwell and Belmont

Sadly, I keep forgetting I've been keeping a Sussex yearlist this year. It was very enjoyable for the first half of the year, although it soon became clear that I'd picked about the worst year possible for a serious attempt. Then autumn came along, full of expectation as usual, but as far as scarce bird finding and twitching has gone, it's fallen flat on its face. My local birding efforts have produced absolutely nothing unusual and seemingly the hours put in my birders across the county have given a similarly poor return, by and large, so there have been very few moments of excitement. There has been hardly anything to go for, and the very little that has occurred has done so at the least opportune times for me.

So it was nice for Sussex to have one small defibrillator hit when farmer Malcolm Phillips found a Serin at his Cedar Farm near Flimwell the other day. I finally managed to get over there this lunchtime, on the way up to my parents' for the weekend, and enjoyed good views of the bird feeding on a track. Only two other visiting birders were present though, and both were from out of the county! Malcolm's keeping the track seeded, so hopefully it will stick around for visitors at the weekend. A Marsh Tit was heard calling.

Serin near Flimwell

When I arrived in Belmont, I was pleased to see Redwings, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds feeding in the usual berry-laden tree in the car park.

Crossness LNR, Westerham and Belmont

Dad kindly picked me and Mag up from the airport and took us directly to Crossness LNR where we met up with Ian Stewart and managed brief views of the GREAT REED WARBLER which was singing in the reedbed. This is a species I have been long overdue to see in Britain. Other birds present included two Peregrines, Pochards, Shelducks and Cetti's Warblers, as well as singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Little Egret and Reed Bunting.

Peregrines at Crossness LNR

Phil arrived and I told my dad to head home as I'd get a lift back with him. Unfortunately, the sky darkened and there was no further sign of the Great Reed. On the way back to Sutton, we saw a Red Kite over the M25 at Westerham, and at my parents' I was pleased to see Swifts back, though concerned that there only seemed to be two present. Admittedly, it was a quick glance as I got through the door.

Belmont

First found by BLC [mum] on 6th March, there was positive news from the previous day but hours of occasionally glancing through the double-glazing in between watching telly on a lazy morning had drawn a blank by midday. My time was nearly up and I was packing my stuff up to head back to Worthing a dipper but there it was, the female Pheasant poking its way around my parents' garden - a true mega for the old home list. It continued to give stonking views on in the flowerbed and on the lawn until I really did have to head back to the coast. Top stuff.

female Pheasant

Capel Fleet and Belmont

As we drove back through Capel Fleet from the wader ringing at 00:10, Paul and I stopped the car to watch a Short-eared Owl by road. Stopping off at Belmont, three Redwings were in my parents' garden in the morning.

Short-eared Owl

Belmont and Banstead Downs

At my parents' this morning, two Redwings were feeding in a berry-laden tree in the car park as I headed for a stroll around Banstead Downs. The biggest surprise during this excursion was a female Reed Bunting which emerged from the south end of the current sheep pen - the rank vegetation in this area looks rather good at the moment. A Lesser Redpoll was on the golf course side of the railway and other species encountered included a party of three Bullfinches, some 60 Long-tailed Tits in various flocks, 20 Redwings, nine Goldcrests and a flyover Common Gull.

West Worthing and Belmont

No real birding today but noteworthy observations at home in West Worthing and at my parents' in Belmont, with a Siskin over mine as I got into my car in the morning then four Redwings over the Surrey gaff later on, with a Song Thrush around the car park.

Belmont

I heard one or two House Martins over the car park when leaving my parents' place in the morning - a notable record there.

Cissbury Ring and Belmont

Cissbury Ring this morning featured two fly-over Mediterranean Gulls, brief bursts of song from a Lesser Whitethroat and - more unusually - a Reed Warbler, as well as three Bullfinches, two Yellowhammers and a Tawny Owl of note.

Back in Surrey briefly, eight Swifts were over the pub in Belmont in the evening.

Goring, Knepp and Belmont

I spent a couple of hours at the Gap this morning, the most notable observation being a Yellow Wagtail calling as it headed north - a rather late individual but incredibly my first of the year on the patch! A Curlew, three House Martins, three Swallows, five Swifts, five Common Scoters, four Shelducks, 55 Gannets, three Black-headed Gulls and two Sandwich Terns were also noted.

Later in the morning I met up with Linda M for a walk around the Knepp Estate. The humidity was a little draining and our birding ended up being a little half-arsed but we heard a couple of singing Cuckoos, a Red Kite flew over and 11 Buzzards were counted. A couple of Garden Warblers and Treecreepers were in song, as was a Reed Warbler in seemingly suboptimal habitat but I've no idea whether they breed here or this is another randomly placed late migrant. A Mistle Thrush and a nest-building pair of Great Crested Grebes were also logged.

Sitting in the pub garden next to my parents' in the evening, a Grey Heron flew over and six Swifts were milling around. It turns out that Phil W had the heron over his garden a couple of minutes earlier

Belmont and Canons Farm

It was a slow start to the day, back at my parents' place in Belmont, getting some work done before I headed out. A drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker in the garden livened things up, though. I headed out to Canons Farm in the late afternoon - I've not managed to return here recently as much as I would like to - and met up briefly with Ian M. 17 Rooks flew from Broadfield, four Little Owls were calling and 25 Fieldfares roamed the fields but little else was logged.

Canons Farm and Belmont, 28th October 2017

Working for most of the day, I only managed to escape to the patch for a short while late in the afternoon before going to the Royal Albert Hall with my dad to see Carmina Burana. The highlights that Canons offered were a flock of 10 Mistle Thrushes and a fly-over redpoll.

A Grey Heron and a Common Gull flew over at home.

Belmont, 6th July 2017

19 Swifts put on a great show at home.

13-19th June 2017

A busy last week or so, most birding ending up a little off-piste. It feels as though I've adopted two new patches, as I've been to both Frensham and Pagham twice more since my last post. The first time, on 16th, was another great success with further excellent views of the Elegant Tern and the Red-footed Falcon but a repeat on 19th resulted in a double-dip. Frensham also produced a flock of 13 Crossbills (on 16th) and 'other wildlife' lifers in the form of a Sand Lizard (on 19th) and Silver-studded Blues. Both visits to the Common produced nice views and sounds from Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks and Tree Pipits, while the same male Redstart showed again nicely on 19th. Pagham was great for the tern and gull colony (including good numbers of Meds), as well as a 2cy Little Gull and a Cuckoo on 19th, and the Whimbrel again on 16th.

A fabulous evening at Leith Hill on 13th was rewarded with four Nightjars, a couple of Woodlarks, singing Tree Pipits and several Woodcock passes, as well as a hooting Tawny Owl and a couple of Siskins. That day, a Kestrel was nice to see at home in Belmont. I've made a couple of visits to Sutton as a small contribution to keeping an eye on the Peregrines as they fledge, enjoying lovely views of the two juveniles as they become more mobile - there is clearly a pair of Grey Wagtails in the same area, with occasional fly-overs there. A trip to Oare Marshes for some easy birding made for a nice change on 14th and, though nothing unusual was seen, we enjoyed seeing Bearded Reedlings, a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and the usual gathering of Black-tailed Godwits.

The 2cy male Red-footed Falcon spinning some moves over Frensham Common on Friday

Seconds also for the Elegant Tern on Friday

a lucky encounter with a female Sand Lizard at Frensham on Monday

against migration: the Whimbrel at Pagham on Friday

one of my first Silver-studded Blues at Frensham on Friday

a challenge for the title in Sutton on Friday

Perry and Gwen's progeny in Sutton on Friday

A peaceful scene on the East Flood at Oare Marshes on Wednesday

Sedge Warbler at Pagham on Friday

2cy Little Gull at Pagham (PW)

Belmont, 1st June 2017

I counted 11 local Swifts were on their aerial rampage around The California and a Pied Wagtail flew over.

Belmont, 13th April 2017

At home, a Nuthatch was a notable record.

27th February-1st March 2017

A quick walk around the farm on Monday before heading to pick up Ingrid, who was down for a visit, produced a female Stonechat. On Tuesday morning we headed up to London for the day, a Siskin flying over at home and a Peregrine seen in Sutton before we headed to the Barbican, had lunch in Finsbury Park, where we enjoyed feeding about 30 Pochards, and finished the day by seeing The Lion King. I got out to Beddington this afternoon, producing a yellow German-ringed first-winter Caspian Gull, which I didn’t manage to read for sure but I’m quite certain it was X319 again. Not quite a classic bird, it’s possible it may have impure heritage. A Water Pipit was also seen and one of the wintering Chiffchaffs was in song.

first-winter Caspian Gull at Beddington

Beddington Farmlands, 21st and 23rd February 2017

first-winter Caspian Gull this morning

A gull-watching session at the main lake at Beddington on Tuesday was rewarded with single juveniles of Glaucous and Iceland Gulls, as well as a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull with an abnormally coloured bill, seen earlier this winter at the London Wetland Centre and along the Thames further east. There was also a rather peculiar bird which I took to be a Herring x Caspian.

juvenile Glaucous Gull (right) on Tuesday, being a bit of a d*ck

With nothing else to do while Storm Doris ravaged the land, I thought I'd return for more this morning and took shelter in the hide with Kevin G. Frustratingly, the wind was regularly gusting strong enough to practically lift the gulls up off both the island and water's surface without any notice and I only managed to photograph one of the decent gulls seen, a first-winter Caspian Gull, the other two notables being the juvenile Glaucous Gull again and a nice adult Yellow-legged Gull.

presumed hybrid Herring x Caspian Gull, first-winter, on Tuesday

first-winter Caspian Gull this morning

juvenile Iceland Gull on Tuesday

abberant first-winter Yellow-legged Gull

A Kestrel was at home in Belmont on 22nd.