The first five days

The rather grandly named 'Uberpatch Meterological Autumn Birding Blitz 2026' - or 'UMA26' for short - kicked off at 05.40hrs at Reigate Hill on Tuesday 1st September. Since then I have had five days worth of the project, with most of them providing a good eight-nine hours of birding. The next few days will see a slight lessening of hours in the field as I still need to conduct a 'normal' life alongside that of trying to wring out plenty of ornithological action. However, spare moments will see me staring skywards and there will still be plenty of local excursions.

The birding has been undeniably slow, which is to be expected, any days of action more of a welcome bonus. The real aim of this folly is to prove to myself, and interested others, that wherever you look, if you look regularly and diligently enough then rewards will come, be those rewards in the guise of scarcity, number or just the pleasure that such an undertaking can bring. So far there has been no concerted visible migration and modest grounded passage birds but highlights have been forthcoming.

I have spent time along the North Downs scarp between Reigate Hill, Colley Hill and Pebble Hill; the farmland at Buckland; along the River Mole between Mickleham and Box Hill; Denbies hillside and Ranmore; Epsom and Walton Downs; and Canons Farm. When at home I have been staring skywards. Highlights so far have included two big bonuses, with an adult male Honey Buzzard drifting westwards across the Mole gap at Denbies on the morning of September 3rd and a male Merlin buzzing a Hobby for several minutes up high in a blue sky. Hobby has been almost of daily occurrence (up to three) and Red Kites and Common Buzzard frequent to the point of ubiquitous.

Of passage passerines the pick has been a handful of Wheatears, Whinchats and Spotted Flycatchers plus careful scrutiny of warbler and tit flocks winkling out a few Garden and Willow Warblers. The only semi-decent vis-mig movers have been two Yellow Wagtails and a Tree Pipit although things will pick up soon I'm sure - pipit and hirundine action is bound to increase.

The resident species have not been ignored, with sighting of the period being awarded to the 10 grounded Ravens at Ranmore - a decent count for this section of the hills. 72 species in total with some common omissions yet to come.