Epsom Downs Surrey - More Downs Time!

The sun certainly had its hat on today. The wind at ground level was fairly light compared to the skies. The early clouds were sent racing across the downs at a rate of knots which would have left the fittest of racehorses short of breath!

This dashed any real prospects of observing raptors from the gallops but the walk did produce a Buzzard, Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk. The latter kept low weaving in and out of trees with the intention of ambushing an unsuspecting passerine.

The sighting of the day was a flock of predominantly Redwing with some chucking Fieldfare as the flock of around 200 dispersed and re-grouped having been disturbed during their lunch break!

A pair of Nuthatch was noted in a mixed tit flock along the track to Langley Vale Wood.

Pyrford Surrey - A day for the Ducks!

The forecast for yesterday was grim windy with plenty of rain which would be a challenge particularly if I wanted to connect with my feathered friend. After some careful thought the destination for todays adventure was to be the Wey Navigation at Pyrford, Surrey.

There would be plenty of cover with open areas and ponds to check out any wintering waterfowl. The bird of the day although fairly common in Surrey these days was a Red Kite that swooped low over a small horse paddock as it searched for a free meal!

The Greylag Geese in the paddock seemed unperturbed by the raptors attempts at graceful passage in the ever increasing wind!

The path was closed down from The Anchor PH which meant a diversion over the golf course which contained small ponds that made completing the course for the average golfer tricky to say the least! But there was a good chance of finding ducks or even a Goosander along the river!

The former were to be the order of the day with several Wigeon and a couple of pair of Gadwall utilising the pond and banks of a fairway to feed along.

Tufted Duck and Mallard were also present the latter also found along the river.

The weather became more hostile and was certainly more suited to watching ducks!

Epsom Downs Surrey - Langley Vale Wood Month of Remembrance!

This week the wind has taken me back to Epsom Downs where I linked up with Steve Gale during a roost watch.

The area is still loaded with berries, which brings in good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare not to mention the resident Blackbirds that are having a feast fit for kings. There was also plenty of talk about likely rarities that could be found on the fields and in the patches of woodland!

I was also introduced to the Langley Vale area of the downs which is the site of a 3.8km Month of Remembrance memorial walk commemorating the centenary of the end of the First World War.

I returned the next morning to have a more thorough look in this area. There were still remnants of fog on the downs which had its usual scattering of mainly Herring gulls. The gulls feed by stamping their feet in the slightly longer grass on the racetrack this disturbs insects and the odd worm which has ventured too close to the surface.

I took a reverse route starting at the group of trees that held the Jackdaw roost the previous evening. A Coal Tit was spied in a mixed tit flock during the walk across to the racecourse gallops.

The route across the fields was also busy with feeding corvids, pigeons and a group of female pheasants. A Sparrowhawk had ventured too close to a group of Ring necked Parakeets who unceremoniously saw the bird off!

Great Spotted Woodpecker was very vocal en route with one bird particularly obliging at the top of a tree.

As the morning progressed bird activity dwindled as a result of more unsettled weather but there was plenty of time to take in sections of the Walk and place thoughts on a place of remembrance.

There were interpretation boards along the route which described the part local people took in the war many paying the ultimate sacrifice as a result!

This area is definitely catching my imagination and will serve as an additional area to keep my eye on when I return from down under!

Epsom Downs Surrey - Revisited!

Time is moving on at pace and my next birding adventure is just over five weeks away. There is still plenty of preparation to do which includes learning approximately 1000 species of bird that frequent the three countries that I am visiting.

The internal and external politics at Beddington Farm rumble on with one constant that the habitat is being destroyed and the key to the gates will only serve as a momento of past glories to the limited number of holders of it! 

The wind has been blowing in the direction of more pleasant pastures of late and saw me return to Epsom and Walton Downs for a few hours exploration in overcast and misty conditions. There always seem to be a good number of resting gulls on the racecourse and the bushes and shrubs are loaded with berries at this time of year.

A Buzzard and a Kestrel were the first entrants onto the raptor tally. Both incurred the wrath of local corvids who unceremoniously set about the individuals as they entered the airspace.

I logged thirty one species during the walk which included a Firecrest and a Brambling. Passerines were numerous and their true numbers were only apparent when a dog scurried along the small paths dissecting the trees. The result was a visual display of mixed flocks scattering in all directions eventually settling once the perceived intruder had passed.

Where will the wind take me next?!

Epsom Downs Surrey - A Change of Scenery!

Just over a week ago I met up with birding and botanical guru Steve Gale who gave me a guided tour of Epsom Downs Surrey. Follow his blog here:-

http://northdownsandbeyond.blogspot.com/ 

I was pleasantly surprised at the potential of the place as a migrant trap and decided to take an early morning walk over the Downs. I did not expect much but wanted to gauge the popularity of the area with dog walkers, hikers and if the historical goings on in the area would impact on someone who just wanted to find and count birds!

I did not arrive at the crack of dawn but early enough to take some counts of birds frequenting the area. The morning was clear and sunny but there was a hefty SW wind which would keep birds low down in the scrub.

The first count involved the scattering of gulls that were loafing on the racetrack and the open area of the Downs. The majority were Herring with Black Headed and a Common Gull.  Small groups of Corvids were also amongst the gulls.

I made my way across to the stubble fields and was surprised at the number of Skylark singing and sparring with each other in flight. A few Goldfinch and Greenfinch were noted in flight. As I made my way down the gallop Redwing were noted feeding in the trees and bushes that were loaded with berries.

A total of twenty species were noted with only a couple of dog walkers encountered once away from the main area of the racecourse. An interesting walk which only took a couple of hours to complete, giving me some food for thought come spring and Autumn 2019!