19/06/2010

The most excitement locally was in Sutton high street where a GREY WAGTAIL called and was seen near Morrison's, flying from rooftop to rooftop.

An even more exciting sight was that of 5 PEREGRINES (presumably 2 adults +3 freshly fledged juveniles) flying around the Reed building and the adjacent glass building near Sutton Station c.16.15. 2 birds were observed food passing; because it was the much larger of the two birds that passed the food to the other, I'm guessing that this was the adult female passing to a young male. Not everybody gets to enjoy this sort of sight while waiting for the bus home after some Father's Day shopping.

18/06/2010

PEREGRINE, probably fem, early evening on railing at top of glass building north of Reed building near Sutton Station.

12/06/2010

fem PEREGRINE on the glass building north of the Reed building near Sutton Station this still evening.

Peregrine still present 11/06/2010

One PEREGRINE today on top of the main part of the Reed building behind Sutton station late morning today. Also a male BLACKCAP singing near the Shanklin estate Belmont/Sutton.

Shrike has truly gone

Another, more thorough, search with Phil Wallace this evening through all suitable habitat around Scratch Wood again revealed no sign of the Red-backed Shrike. The bird has well and truly gone. The singing male LESSER WHITETHROAT was still present and showed well (in Lesser Whitethroat standards) briefly. Also present was a BULLFINCH, a pair of KESTRELS, a fly-over GREY HERON and a handful of ROSE-RINGED PARAKEETS (including a juvenile).

Shrike vanishes after clear night

Johnny Allan, Grant Prater and the finder of the bird were on site before Kevin McManus and I this morning and they had found no sign of yesterday's male Red-backed Shrike.

Kevin and I had a relatively brief search ourselves but also found nothing before checking areas of suitable habitat at Canons Farm and Banstead Woods in the hope that it had relocated there or finding another but alas we found nothing. I will check once more this evening with Phil Wallace. The singing male LESSER WHITETHROAT was still present.

***MEGA-ALERT*** local male RED-BACKED SHRIKE showing well

photos by Mark Stanley

I received a text message from Johnny Allan late afternoon informing me that at Woodmansterne/Banstead a male RED-BACKED SHRIKE had been reported west of Lakers Rise.

I made a few phone calls to cancel dinner and arrange a very short lift over there with Phil Wallace, we were quickly joined by Mark Stanley and the three of us split up to search the site. After Phil left to go to a rehearsal, Mark and I re-checked the area that Mark had already briefly searched. I noticed a wire fence and thought it would be worth checking for the bird. Leaning over to view the other side of the fence/hedgerow I saw a smallish bird fly up from the ground and perch in a bush along the fence. It was in bad light and the bird was obscured but I could make out a dark mask. We waited for the bird to change position; it flew again to the ground, catching a beetle or something and revealed itself to be the Shrike.

We crawled under the fence and got better views of the bird. Keeping low and slowly approaching it, the views got better and better, especially as it came closer to us on its own accord. Johnny Allan soon arrived and got good views of the bird too. At 8.21pm we all went home happy.

Also present was a singing male LESSER WHITETHROAT which at some points was mobbing and alarm calling at the Shrike, a PEREGRINE (Mark) and a male BULLFINCH. 2 RED KITES were reported over Chipstead on the Surrey Bird Club website.

Mark got some good photos which he said he would let me use so I will put them up here when I recieve them. The bird really was a stunner and showed very well; definitely worth going up there.

DIRECTIONS

Park at Lakers Rise off Chipstead Way and walk west parallel to the south edge of Scratch Wood. You will hit a wire fence, this is the fence that the bird was showing on. Best views were achieved by ducking under the fence and viewing the west side of it. I'd be happy to provide more help/directions if you get lost if you text/ring 07928764818.

Local Nightjars! 02/06/2010

My 3rd attempt at a local site for Nightjars this evening and Kevin McManus and I were relieved to hear a bird churring briefly. The churring got more and more intense and at 8.50pm, while it was still very light the NIGHTJAR flew out of the scrub and directly past us, offering brief but excellent views!

This is a very difficult bird to see in the London area and all sites like this one are kept rather hush hush.

Also present were 2 male YELLOWHAMMERS, one of which sang and performed a threat display towards the other, 3 WILLOW WARBLERS (one with food) and 2 MALLARDS as well as several SONG THRUSHES.

01/06/2010

A walk around Belmont today revealed a singing GOLDCREST at The Gallop. I wandered up the path that leads to Oaks Park at the top of Fairlawn Road and the biggest surprise was stumbling upon a male PHEASANT which called and I later flushed as I walked further up, this is the closest Pheasant I've ever seen to home. Also, it was nice to see that HOUSE MARTINS and BARN SWALLOWS are breeding close to home with about 5 or 6 of the former and a single of the latter. A GREY HERON flying west towards Banstead Downs was also nice to see. Also present was a singing male COMMON WHITETHROAT, a SONG THRUSH and a BLACKCAP.

I was impressed by the habitat up here with the golf course, horse fields and hedgerows. Pheasant, Grey Heron, House Martin and Swallow during a twenty minute walk in the drizzle at 8pm just up the road from home isn't bad for Belmont and I will make more visits including one tomorrow morning.

26/05/2010

At Banstead Downs today 2 BLACKCAPS, COMMON SWIFT, 6+ COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, 3 family groups of LONG-TAILED TITS as well as a pair of adults together, 2 WILLOW WARBLERS, 3+ COMMON WHITETHROATS, c.5 SONG THRUSHES, mating pair of WOODPIGEONS, 1+ JACKDAW, ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET over, GREEN WOODPECKER and possible Garden Warbler heard singing briefly.

24/05/2010

At least one HOUSE SPARROW calling at 'Merlin Pasture', Banstead Downs this morning. House Sparrow is not an easy bird at Banstead Downs in my experience so it was a nice patch tick on the way to school.

23/05/2010

The COMMON WHITETHROAT was still singing at 'Merlin Pasture' at Banstead Downs also 5 COMMON SWIFTS over my garden and my parents reported a JAY in the the garden this afternoon.

22/05/2010

Banstead Downs 6.06pm-7.17pm GOLDCREST singing and showing well, COAL TIT heard (one of the birds from my garden), COMMON WHITETHROAT still 'Merlin Pasture' and another 2 birds throughout the site, 7+ COMMON SWIFTS, 2 COMMON CHIFFCHAFFS, 5 STARLINGS over, 3 HERRING GULLS over, several family groups of LONG-TAILED TITS, 1+ GREEN WOODPECKER, 3 WILLOW WARBLERS, BULLFINCH, lots of JACKDAWS +CARRION CROWS got up but couldn't locate a bird of prey (which this behaviour might indicate), SONG THRUSH, 2 BLACKCAPS.

In Belmont a HERRING GULL over St. John's Church and a BLACKCAP was singing in my garden.

18/05/2010

MISTLE THRUSH singing still Belmont Park and another showing well at Overton Park. My notebook says 'Whitethroat still Bel. Past.', indicating Belmont Pastures. It's been a while since the 18th of May and I don't remember every single Common Whitethroat that I see but I would imagine I meant 'Merlin Pasture' which is the open area of Banstead Downs near the bus station, as I've dubbed it, where there has been a singing male lately. Common Whitethroat is not a common bird at Belmont Pastures although I do remember seeing a pair including a singing male collecting nesting material there about two years ago.

16/05/2010

While waiting for the S1 at the north end of Banstead Downs this morning I noted the following:

JACKDAW 2-4 over Downs, calling
COMMON WHITETHROAT still north end of Downs
MISTLE THRUSH heard singing Belmont Park
several COMMON SWIFTS over my flat
GOLDCREST Downs Road near my Flat singing

15/05/2010

At Banstead Downs the COMMON WHITETHROAT was still present at the Belmont end near the bus station.

14/05/2010

A COMMON WHITETHROAT near the bus station at the Belmont end of Banstead Downs on the way to school this morning also 2 singing male BLACKCAPS on the way to school through the Shanklin area. Also c.10 COMMON SWIFTS later in the day around my flat.

13/05/2010

In Belmont today at my gran's garden I was surprised to see a KESTREL fly low roughly west, a bird that is not often seen over Belmont.

4 GOLDFINCHES, 5 ROSE-RINGED PARAKEETS, 2+ HOUSE SPARROWS.

12/05/2010

In the evening at Banstead Downs the following species were noted:

BLACKCAP 5
GOLDFINCH 1
WILLOW WARBLER 2
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET 1
MISTLE THRUSH 1
SONG THRUSH 3
GREEN WOODPECKER 1+
COMMON WHITETHROAT 2
JAY 2