Banstead and West Worthing

No 'proper' birding today but after dark a Redwing over Banstead as we left a restaurant heralded a far larger movement when we got back home to Worthing, hearing them continuously as I set up the nocmig gear...

...Update 11.03.20:  My recorder picked up 1,250 Redwing calls over our West Worthing garden 9.38am-5.49am, almost entirely in the first seven hours. I wish I'd managed to set it up sooner but cannot complain at the result nonetheless.

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.

Banstead Downs, Banstead, Canons Farm, Banstead Woods and Rainham Marshes

I walked through Banstead Downs to get to the patch for the Banstead Arts Festival Tour, noting a few common warblers on the way. A Pied Wagtail flew over the BP station. It was a very enjoyable walk at the patch despite the lack of unusual migrants. The Wheatear was still in Poultry Field and looked rather like a Greenland race individual. A Little Owl was seen at the farm, along with three Yellowhammers and the busy Nuthatch pair was showing nicely for paritipants in Banstead Woods, where a Treecreeper was again singing in the same area.

Back at Rainham (to pick up my car which had been locked in the previous night - my own stupid fault!), a quick scan revealed four hunting Hobbies, a nice flight view of a singing male Cuckoo and a male Marsh Harrier.

October 28th-November 1st 2014

November 1st 2014

Leith Hill

Pheasant	Present
Sparrowhawk	1
Buzzard	1
Herring Gull	12
Woodpigeon	Present
Tawny Owl	Present
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2
Kestrel	1
Magpie	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Raven	2
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Coal Tit	Present
Marsh Tit	1
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Chiffchaff	1
Nuthatch	1
Treecreeper	1
Wren	Present
Starling	21
Blackbird	Present
Fieldfare	90
Song Thrush	Present
Redwing	Present
Mistle Thrush	1
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
Grey Wagtail	2
Pied/White Wagtail	1
Meadow Pipit	15
Chaffinch	Present
Bullfinch	1
Greenfinch	Present
Linnet	Present
Lesser Redpoll	7
Common Crossbill	8
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	Present

 
October 31st 2014

Brotton

Pheasant	Present
Black-headed Gull	Present
Common Gull	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Rook	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Skylark	1
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Eastern Crowned Warbler	1
Yellow-browed Warbler	1
Chiffchaff	1
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Song Thrush	Present
Redwing	Present
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
House Sparrow	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	Present
Chaffinch	Present
Bullfinch	2
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	1

 

Eastern Crowned Warbler at Brotton

Commondale Valley

Red Grouse	3
Buzzard	2
Rough-legged Buzzard	1
Feral Pigeon	Present
Kestrel	1
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Siskin	6

 

Rough-legged Buzzard over Commondale Valley

October 30th 2014

Beddington Farm

Mute Swan	Present
Wigeon	17
Gadwall	Present
Teal	Present
Mallard	Present
Garganey	1
Shoveler	Present
Pochard	1
Tufted Duck	Present
Cormorant	3
Grey Heron	Present
Little Grebe	Present
Sparrowhawk	1
Water Rail	3
Moorhen	Present
Coot	Present
Lapwing	17
Green Sandpiper	1
Black-headed Gull	Present
Common Gull	Present
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Great Black-backed Gull	1
Feral Pigeon	Present
Stock Dove	3
Woodpigeon	Present
Kingfisher	1
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1
Kestrel	1
Peregrine	1
Ring-necked Parakeet	Present
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Raven	2
Goldcrest	1
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Bearded Tit	2
Skylark	1
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Chiffchaff	2
Wren	Present
Starling	Present
Blackbird	Present
Song Thrush	2
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
House Sparrow	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	Present
Meadow Pipit	6
Chaffinch	Present
Linnet	Present
Goldfinch	10
Reed Bunting	2

Bearded Tits at Beddington (finally nailed!)

Ravens at Beddington

October 29th 2014

Banstead Heath

Herring Gull	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	5
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Coal Tit	1
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Chiffchaff	1
Treecreeper	1
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Song Thrush	3
Redwing	5
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
Meadow Pipit	3
Chaffinch	Present
Bullfinch	7
Greenfinch	2
Linnet	3
Lesser Redpoll	1
Goldfinch	2

October 28th 2014

Islingword Road, Brighton

Skylark	1
Chiffchaff	1

Golden day

Golden Plovers

Waxwing

Apologies for further 'blurry' photos, I know they haven't been reaching the lofty heights of some's expectations from a spare 300mm lens. It was one of those days today (in a good way). Two minutes after getting off the bus in Banstead, early in the morning, I was watching a Waxwing which stayed atop a pine for a few minutes before flying off (unfortunately not in the CFBW recording area).

Canada Goose

Cormorant

When I got to the 'Watchpoint' at Canons it was still overcast but soon the sky brightened hugely, it started warming up and birds started appearing with Canada Goose, Cormorant (both patch year ticks, don't laugh), two Mallards and a Grey Heron in the short window before a blanket of cloud cut off the warmth and light again. But it wasn't over. I picked up three birds heading north north east with my naked eye and instantly knew they were Golden Plovers, so got the camera on them. I noticed in my viewfinder another birds slightly further back, also a Goldie, making four birds.

Common Buzzard

I then walked the Farm and the Woods but this produced little. Norm and Whitey the Common Buzzards started to get up when the sun shone in the afternoon but I didn't manage a Red Kite before it was time to head home.

Pheasants

Patch year ticks today in consequtive order: Canada Goose, Cormorant, Golden Plover
Patch year list: 63 (four ahead of this time last year)

Quality local birding

all photos by Mark Stanley

I was informed this afternoon of the presence of a male Red-backed Shrike near Banstead (where I very nearly live) and made my way over there as soon as I could, catching a short lift from Phil Wallace. Here we met up with Mark Stanley and we all split up to search different areas of suitable habitat. Phil had to leave to go to a rehearsal and Mark and I re-checked one of the areas. I spotted something fly down briefly to the ground to catch a beetle and when it landed back in a bush, quite obscured I was certain I could see a dark face mask. We waited for the bird to change position and soon it flew down to catch another insect, revealing itself to be the male Red-backed Shrike. We watched the bird for going on for an hour, it really was fantastic seeing such a smart male Shrike just two miles from home and what's more it was a London tick.


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Last night (Wednesday 2nd) Kevin and I headed down to an undisclosed local site to get Nightjar for London. There is only a small number of breeding sites for Nightjar in the LNHS recording area and all are kept rather hush-hush. This was our third attempt and our second at the right place (the first time we were on completely the wrong site).

It was still very light and only about 8.30pm when I heard a brief churr (is that how you spell it?). We waited around the spot and sure enough it called more intensely as it grew closer to sunset. At about 8.50pm the Nightjar powered out of the scrub and flew right past us, giving us quite a shock! Satisfied with the very good but brief views, we headed back as it would take Kevin a long time to get home. Another good London tick.