NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

Another three birders have joined our merry gang in the 'laid-back self-isolation back-garden challenge', bringing our number up to 19 (you can see the other 16 competitors in the previous post). So it's welcome to: Wes A  (Capel, Surrey) Garden list of 94 species Osprey, Short-eared Owl, Firecrest and Hawfinch are some of the highlights. Arjun D  (Wallington, Greater London) Garden list of 74 species Marsh Harrier, Goshawk and Hawfinch are the stand-out records. Dave P  (Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex) Garden list of 55 species Woodcock and Brent Goose are two highlights. I think the best way of sharing in what we are seeing is if all competitors can update me (in whatever format they like) as frequently as they want to, and I will post a compilation of all this correspondence on a weekly basis. Don't worry if your scores are not up to date, I will make that clear to any reader of the blog. A lovely sunny, if still chilly, day, although the b...

It is worth reminding ourselves that today's date is February 26th. The temperature in west Wales (Porthmadog) has been recorded at 20.8C (that's 69.4F in old money) - a new UK February record high. Closer to home it has been 20.7C in Teddington. In such warm temperatures and under clear blue skies and unbroken sunshine I have been wearing just a t-shirt and shorts. Comfortably. Because the number of Brimstone butterflies flying through and hanging about in our Banstead garden had been high, I thought I'd take a slow walk around the neighbouring streets - a vaguely circular walk of 90 minutes with no repetition of the route. I just strolled and counted butterflies. The results, for today's date, are staggering. FIVE species (I've seen two on the same date in February before, but never more). 38 individuals! They were: Brimstone (32), Comma (2), Small Tortoiseshell (2, one on winter flowering heather, above), Red Admiral (1) and Peacock (1). Needless t...

Priest Hill used to be a dumping ground for all sorts of debris, including heaps of soil, garden waste and hardcore. It was unsightly, but after a while the seeds and bulbs that were within sprang forth. There is a Flowering Currant onsite that I believe to be the same one that I 'ticked' over 15 years ago. Today I came across this: I believe that it's Mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia characias), and, if I might be so bold, of the ssp veneta. There will, no doubt, be somebody out there ready to correct me if I'm wrong. Nearby in Ewell, close to Bourne Hall, the Creeping Comfrey (below) and Abraham-Isaac-Jacob (next two images) are at their best. Even though a nagging easterly wind is present today, the butterflies have come out in numbers, particularly Brimstones. Also recorded were Comma (first image), Small Tortoiseshell (next) and Red Admiral. The birds haven't been neglected - two Red Kites flew through Priest Hill (one north and the othe...

This was Downs Field this morning, from the lower, south-eastern corner. It is a big field - I don't know its acreage or hectarage I'm afraid, but I wouldn't like to have to run around its perimeter thank you very much! As you can see from the photograph above, it gently slopes up towards the west, reaching a plateau that continues for a good 200m towards a minor road. It is at this furthest point that the Night-flowering Catchfly used to be found, along with more Sharp-leaved and Round-leaved Fluellens that you could shake a stick at. In fact, this strip held a vibrant arable weed community. I could find four loafing Lapwing, but no interaction or display was observed. A further lurking Lapwing was found on 40 Acre Field South. As I have mentioned before, The Woodland Trust are going to plant this field with trees to establish their Centenary Wood. Although I have not totally given up on attempts to persuade them to spare the field from such action, I do think it high...

Sometimes it just takes a bit of sun and some unassuming local birds to make the world a better place. Today followed that recipe, although the cold NE wind did try to reduce the joy somewhat. First up were a pair of Siskin and a female Blackcap on the back garden feeders; then a modest passage of Chaffinches overhead; followed by a Red Kite languidly flying over Epsom racecourse; all topped off by a huge finch flock at Canons Farm which comprised 1,100 Chaffinch, 150 Linnet and 3 Brambling. Oh, and four of these...