I did not venture out at stupid o clock this morning therefore may have missed any early passage of migrants. Once the day got going and the sun had put its hat on it was a very pleasant day despite being a tad nippy in parts. I ventured off to another old haunt Epsom and Walton Downs. My goal was to find Wheatear and did not start well with a blank in front of the grandstand!
Little did I know at this point that some of the fields had been ploughed and they were to hold this migrant and in reasonable numbers too!
By the time I had reached the fields the sun was beaming down creating significant heat haze across the fields. This made photography almost impossible but I persevered and managed a few shots of several of my quarry.
I gave the fields a thorough scanning hoping to connect with other migrants but the search was in vein. I was however happy having seen my record of Surrey Wheatear namely six! It was good to see Lapwing in the fields.
Other migrants were pretty thin on the ground a Whitethroat was seen at Langley Bottom Farm. A couple of Swallow was hawking insects above the fields.
There were a few Chiffchaff spread across the site with a couple of singing Blackcap. There was a good spread of common passerines but I could not add any other migrants to the day list.
Another regular species in the form of Red Legged Partridge were seen having a dirt bath before they both toddled off across the field.
Raptors were represented by Buzzard and a Kestrel that was hunting over the fields.
I do enjoy walking this area and I logged 39 species in around 7hrs! The weekend will be taken up with football with a return home to Dorset and hopefully a long staying Wryneck! (I wish!)
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