NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

Back in March, Ed Stubbs announced the launch of a Surrey-based bird race, to take part on May 7th. The rules were simple: between 00.00hrs - 18.00hrs observers were asked to record as many species as possible within a 5km radius of a nominated point. The use of 'green' transport - foot or bike - was encouraged. Solo birders or gathered teams were both welcome. I was, of course, in! So, where would my nominated point be? The most obvious starting place would be my home in Banstead. I would then be able to carry out the whole day 'on foot'. I started to look at a route, which would, by necessity, have to take in the very few limited water bodies within that area. There was a downside - there would be plenty of walking through areas that would not, in all honesty, hold much. There was also a wish to be spending the day in an area that might hold a few surprises, be they untrodden footpaths, unvisited tracts of land and stunning scenery - in the end I plumped for Colley Hi...

A splendid three days at Dungeness, staying at the exclusive 'Hotel Hollingworth', with fine whiskey and dodgy country music being the establishment's specialities... The birding was wonderful. High pressure and hot sun are never going to be the ideal conditions for a fall/arrival, but is always good for a bit of skywatching, and the sea was better than expected. An intense hour-and-a-half of birding with Mark H occurred yesterday (19th), with a marked movement of raptors, the birds seemingly arriving from the north and concentrating around the Water Tower/Boulderwall area before spiralling away high or carrying on southwards, across the reserve. The most numerous were Common Buzzard (14), Marsh Harrier (10, with a further four local birds), 4 Sparrowhawk, a Red Kite and most notable of all, a thuggish female Goshawk. Prior to this raptor-fest, a flock of three Hawfinches headed eastwards, possibly pitching down in bushes close to the RSPB visitor centre. Sea watch...

Locally it has been quite a productive week for birds - Beddington has had a Little Tern and Brent Goose; Holmethorpe a pair of Common Scoter and an Avocet; Canons Farm, not to be outdone, has played host to a male Pied Flycatcher. With a cool WSW wind, I ventured to the latter site this morning, but it was soon obvious that little was around. The Pied Flycatcher had moved on and with each scan of a hedgerow the use of the word 'migrant' became increasingly redundant. Then, at about 11.10, a familiar call came from up high, and there was a single silhoetted Whimbrel circling above me. This is a first for the farm. After a couple of minutes it drifted off north, but not before a couple of the local birders had also heard it. With a spell of sunshine I went onto Fames Rough, known primarily as a site for rare flora. The sheltered slope had at least 5 Dingy Skippers (below) and a single Grizzled Skipper on the wing, with a lone Small Heath nearby. When I returned in the lat...