NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

New Year's Day dawned grey, foggy and eerily quiet in Banstead. The silence was finally broken by a singing Robin, once again this species claiming the coveted 'first bird of the year' award. My birding endeavours were modest, partly in response to the COVID situation and my not wanting to share space with others, so no coast, no hides and no rarity. With this in mind I had devised a circular rambling walk along some of the lesser-known footpaths to be found in the Reigate - Betchworth area. There was some method involved, as the walk took in the sites of two species that are not a staple diet of Uber-patch birding. Priory Park, Reigate boasts a small lake that, later on in the day, would be the scene of family gatherings, with toddlers riding Christmas bikes and scooters, prams and push-chairs being pushed, dogs yapping and frazzled parents parenting. One of my targets, the 'wintering' Ring-necked Duck, was still present on New Year's Eve, and was delighted to ...

Surrey is hardly renowned as being a hotspot for wintering geese, but this recent push of (Russian) White-fronted Geese into the south-east of England has even given the humble Uber-patch a piece of the action. The Mole valley flood plain, at Betchworth, is currently hosting up to 47 of them (45 were present this afternoon when I was there). The birds were keeping at distance for most of the hour on site, but then came closer just as we were about to leave. With them were 346 Canada, 302 Greylag, 36 Egyptian and a lone Barnacle. The scene, as viewed from a nearby hillock, was more reminiscent of Norfolk parkland.