NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

In light of the recent Stonechat DNA debacle - that is being referred to as 'Shitchat' in some circles - retesting has been carried out on a number of 'contentious' species. Listers, particularly in Kent, are going to be affected... Case 1: The Hythe Pond Heron There was a virtual national holiday declared by twitchers in 2014 when the white-coated lab-boys pronounced this bird as a pukka Chinese Pond Heron. However, a retest that was carried out earlier this week has found that the bird was, in fact, an Aylesbury Duck. Contamination of the source material (body feathers) was the cause, most probably from a foil dish that contained a take-away Crispy Duck and Hoisin sauce. Rumours that the other Stejneger's Stonechats from last autumn were mistakenly called as such because of a segment of Terry's Chocolate Orange that had been left on the laboratory table, is being investigated. Case 2: The Dungeness Acadian Flycatcher September 2015 was a good time to be ...

I was intending on visiting the steep slopes of Box Hill for a bit of orchid action, but day-dreaming at the steering-wheel found me way past where I needed to turn off, and, finding myself close to Banstead Woods, decided to accept that fate had sent me there. The recent rains had turned the western outer footpath into an assault course of mud, nettle and bramble, not helped by my decision to wear shorts. After collecting sting-rash and scratches across my legs, I found myself in an area where several plants of Violet Helleborine can usually be found - this morning I managed just the one, and it was some way off from flowering: Across to Park Downs and the 'orchid fields'. Orchid numbers are much reduced from last year, maybe due to the height of the grass. This year it is knee-to-waist high: Pyramidals are in the low hundreds, Bees possibly 30+, nowhere near the heights of 2015. A small patch of Fox and Cubs (below) were welcome, and, as the sun started to break t...

RIP Chinese Pond Heron - found dead last week in Hythe (with apologies to all fans of Bohemian Rhapsody and Queen) Is this a real tick? Is this just fantasy? Caught in confusion, No escape from reality. I open my eyes, Look up to Hythe and see, I'm just a twitcher, I need your sympathy, Because I'm not easy come, easy go, I tick a few, but some say no, Anyway the splits go, it really does all matter to me, to me. Someone, just killed Pond Heron, But took away its head, Left some feathers, now he's dead. Pond Heron, life-list had just begun, But now you've gone and died and flown away. Pond Heron, ooh, Didn't want to see you die, If your not back on my list this time tomorrow, I'll carry on, carry on, although it really, really matters. Too late, your time had come, Sent shivers down Birdline, The Grim Reaper calling time. Goodbye, Pond Heron, you had to go, Gotta leave us all behind to find the truth. Pond Heron, ooh (anyway the wind blows), Didn't wa...