NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

The River Wandle is a short and narrow watercourse that flows through north Surrey/south London and ends up joining the Thames at Wandsworth. The river's natural history has happily been recorded over many years, with the water in largely in rude health, meaning that any visit is likely to produce observations of note. It is not a place that I often frequent, but news of a rather special gathering of warblers had me hot-footing it over there this morning. Within the boundary of Poulter's Park, on the Mitcham border, the riverside footpath passes an area of light industry. This has resulted in an undisturbed bank-side, a micro-climate heated by the industrial units and a copious number of small insects readily available for any insectivorous bird that fancies a feast. It is in this area that a loose flock of warblers has assembled. Star of the show is a Yellow-browed Warbler (left), now having been present for several days, which played a game of hide-and-seek throughout ...

I'm spending a few days down in Charmouth, on the Dorset coast. It's a small, but busy town, the beach not ideal for birding, although local eyes have pulled the odd goody out of the ornithological hat in recent months (Glossy Ibis, Yellow-browed Warbler). The coastal path running east of here runs above an enormous cliff slump, then tops out on Stonebarrow Hill, a mosaic of meadows, scrub and hedgerows. It looks stunning and I can well imagine that frequent observation would be re-payed. In a few weeks time the lower slopes will be full of orchids. I went up there this morning, after overnight rain, and it was leaping - 60+ Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler and a Tree Pipit, most of the warblers in song that made for a wonderful aural treat. If I lived in Charmouth, this would be my patch. You cannot get any more tucked-up in Lyme Bay, and Portland Bill shows-off nearby sticking way out to sea, but this unspoilt bit of coast, all the way to West Bay, has bags of birdin...

This morning, when scanning the Priest Hill playing fields for a Wheatear, this came into my view - an enormous female Peregrine in the middle of a pigeon breakfast. I was far enough away not to bother it too much, although a nagging Carrion Crow moved it on, with the falcon still in possession of its prey. This is, in all likelihood, one half of the Sutton breeding pair. Also of note were a small arrival of Chiffchaff (5) and a singing Blackcap.

I was on site at 06.00hrs - not a breath of wind nor a cloud in the sky. Chiffchaffs were already proclaiming their place at the edges of the woodland, with at least eight birds present. Quite a few of them were moving through, singing briefly from a tree top before flitting on and repeating the process. I wouldn't mind betting that most of them are nowhere near Canons Farm this evening. A couple of Redpolls passed overhead, but little else was moving this early. It was not until 10.00hrs that things picked up. I bumped into David Campbell and we took up position at the watchpoint close to Canons Farmhouse barns. Almost immediately two Common Buzzards flew purposely through northwards, followed by a Red Kite, then possibly another, although we couldn't rule out that it was our original bird. 15 minutes later an undoubted second bird appeared from the east and headed westwards. A trickle of Meadow Pipits overhead went undetected save for the odd call and the flock of 200 Li...