blog move

Seeing as content on this blog has shifted more and more to general local birding rather than just Banstead Downs, I thought it best to change the theme of the whole blog a bit here because it doesn't really work currently.

New site: suttonbirding.blogspot.com

MEGA local COMMON (MEALY) REDPOLLS

Common (Mealy) Redpoll (bottom right) with Lesser Redpolls

At Headley Heath, currently associating with c.400 LESSER REDPOLLS are double figures of COMMON (MEALY) REDPOLLS. Park at the car park opposite the cricket pitch and walk directly outwards beyond the open stony area. You will hear the birds calling so they will be easy to locate. Thankfully, there are quite a few Mealies and they are easy to pick out. Yesterday I also saw 15+ MEADOW PIPITS there.

MEGA local WAXWINGS

A flock of 5 WAXWINGS were discovered on Friday at Shawley Crescent, off Tattenham Way, Epsom Downs by Grant Prater. I got there early on Saturday morning to find an additional 6 birds making the flock total 11. The birds were still present yesterday though disappeared for a while after a SPARROWHAWK flew through.

They were reported to still be present this morning though it is rumoured this was only briefly.

Yesterday at least 2 LESSER REDPOLLS and at least 1 SISKIN also flew over the site.

Firecrest still present on Saturday

Just heard that someone was up at Banstead Downs Golf Course on Saturday and managed to find that one of the FIRECRESTS was still present then.

recent highlights

Since August the local area has been fairly quiet until recently when some local MEGAs have appeared, mainly at Canons Farm. On Saturday 6th November a CORN BUNTING was at Canons Farm but proved elusive, there were also 2 BLACK REDSTARTS there on that date. A couple of days later on Monday 8th November a stunning male HEN HARRIER roosted there and was seen to depart the roost and fly strongly east the next morning. On Wednesday 10th a SHORT-EARED OWL was found hunting at Canons Farm with a BARN OWL (which was out for its third consecutive night), a BLACK REDSTART was also seen a short while before dusk that afternoon.

Two of the FIRECRESTS were seen again at Banstead Downs Golf Course along the wooded footpath at the west side of the site on Saturday 6th November. There has been more habitat destruction at the site, but we'll go into that again later.