NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

Part 2 of my 'Back to the beginning' thread deals with, you've guessed it, Beddington Sewage Farm . 1974. A flick through the London section of John Gooders ground-breaking book 'Where to Watch Birds' had me squirming with excitement. I had only been birdwatching for a matter of months and all of my efforts had so far been made in the local parks and gardens. In his book, Mr Gooders (who I was to meet on several occasions in later life) revealed a number of places where he was guaranteeing a brilliant day's birding, and none more so than Beddington Sewage Farm. His writing was specific - it included a breakdown of what species could be expected at various times of year, plus instructions on how to gain access to the site. One species that he mentioned captured my imagination above all of the others and that was Short-eared Owl - a shoe-in during the winter months apparently. I wrote to the offices of the sewage farm requesting a permit that would give me t...

Throughout our birding lives we will forge links with certain places that will become special to us. Some we will call patches, others even sanctuaries. But what of our very first visit to these places - was it love at first site (geddit)? I thought I'd investigate my two longest ornithological love affairs. Number One: Dungeness. 1976. My first impression of Dungeness is not a favourable one. It appears an open waste of shingle, strewn with ramshackle dwellings and set against the backdrop of a vast nuclear power station that has squeezed perspective to such an extent that it appears two-dimensional, as if it were merely an enormous theatrical backdrop. Peering from the car making its way along the single road towards the peninsula’s point, I’m wondering what on earth I have let myself in for. I am about to join a four-day bird-watching course being held at Dungeness Bird Observatory. I have a tenuous link to Dungeness from family trips taken to Camber Sands bac...

This rather attractive caterpillar is Toadflax Brocade. At the moment the Purple Toadflax plants in my garden are yielding quite a few of them. Every time I walk past I cannot help but have a peek. It wasn't that many years ago that this species was but a fantasy moth in this part of the world.

It is no secret that Peregrines have used Quadrant House in Sutton, Surrey as a nest site for a number of years now. They did so again this year and successfully reared young. The team that monitor these birds venture onto the rooftop after the birds have fledged and collect the remains of the food cache, which is highly illuminating. Look at this lot: You can click on the image to get a better view of the prey items - and you're in for a surprise! Bear in mind that Sutton is on the outskirts of London, so the Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Woodcocks and Lapwings are exotic food compared to the Feral Pigeons, Starlings and Ring-necked Parakeets that might be expected. It is likely that the main source of the waders will be Beddington Sewage Farm (some 2 miles away), although Woodcocks are but a very scarce hard weather visitor there - so maybe the falcons head off to the Surrey heaths (roding birds are still a good seven miles away). It also begs the question as to whether the W...

I've longed after seeing Starfruit for many a year, but the trouble is it is rarer than the proverbial hen's tooth. But I was thrilled to find out that, after a nationwide gap of six years without any records at all, three sites in Surrey have come up trumps this year - one of them a site with no previous record! Now, whether these reappearances are down to habitat management (or surreptitious seed sowing), I do not know. But this morning I hot-footed it to one of the known historical sites and spent a good while in the company of Damasonium alisma, managing to obtain a pleasing set of images to boot.

I have found that, on the whole, birders are very fond of food. Trenchermen to a man (or woman). Never ones to refuse a proffered bite. Unwilling to forgo an offered cuppa. Greedy so-and-so's, actually. But they are all different in what they do to ensure that the time in the field is not spoilt by rumbling stomach noises and possible nutrition depravation... I used to be a sandwich and thermos flask birder. Maybe an apple or banana as back up (never an orange, what with sticky juice and zest to gum up optics and making your fingers tacky to the point of being a hazard). One chap that I spent a lot of time with in the early 1980s (the late Mike McDonnell) used to go to town with his lunchtime snack - he owned a giant thermos flask that he used to fill with sausages, pork chops, chicken thighs and other tasty off-cuts of meat. These were joined by quiches and bread rolls. Give him his due, he used to let us 'peanut butter sandwich' boys have some of his superior eats. Th...

Yesterday afternoon saw me (as a neutral spectator) at the Reading v Fulham game at the Madejski Stadium - a fine, modern ground where watching the game is a real pleasure, with comfortable seating, clean facilities, clear views of all the pitch and Red Kites! Yes, even though I was wrapped up in the Royals demolition of the 10-man Cottagers, there was still time for birding. Half way through the first 45 minutes a Red Kite appeared above the 18,000 spectators, wheeled around a bit, then carried on (possibly to Swindon Town). This is by far the best species that I have seen during a professional football match. White Hart Lane still holds the record for number of species of butterfly (2) observed during a match...