Steady

This Little Egret was being faithful to a back channel of the Hogsmill at Ewell

My 2024 birding year has just celebrated being a fortnight old and so far has not set any proverbial cats among any proverbial pigeons. There have been one or two 'moments' but by and large the rewards have been modest. All efforts have been close to home, with visits having been made to Banstead Downs, Epsom Downs, Headley Heath, Banstead Heath, Canons Farm, Rushett Farm, the River Hogsmill at Ewell and the wooded slopes of Bramblehall and Juniper (close to Boxhill). It has been very quiet, with few thrushes and finches. Each and every winter is different and this particular winter just seems to be having an ornithological snooze - there will be parts of the country full of birds, but just not in this particular corner of Surrey. Highlights? A couple of sizeable Redpoll flocks and a count of 255 Skylarks at Canons Farm that were hunkered down in the large stubble fields on the southern boundary. With colder weather just to the north there may be the chance of a few displaced birds arriving in the next few days and, as ever in a Waxwing winter, hope remains that my wanderings will cross paths with a feeding flock. 

Recent storms and high winds have felled many trees in the Juniper Bottom area

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