Saturday 8 December 2018

Canons Farm, Banstead Woods and Pulborough Brooks RSPB

This morning I led the CFBWBG's Winter Tour. We started at the Canons Farm where highlights included Barn Owl, a few Fieldfares and Redwings, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit, Skylark and five fly-over Mallards. Spending a fair bit of time in Banstead Woods, we enjoyed prolonged views of a flock of seven Siskins gleaning from tree trunks, while a Mallard was on Piddly Pond and a nice set of woodland birds included Treecreeper in song, Mistle Thrush and Bullfinch, plus 30 more Redwings and a fly-over Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Siskins in Banstead Woods

On the way home I stopped at Pulborough Brooks RSPB in the hope of seeing the White-rumped Sandpiper found by Matt earlier in the day but it was a dip in miserable weather - with a Dunlin being the closest we got and the best entertainment being the numbers of Pintail and Wigeon present. Good to see Louis F-H in the hide though.