Petitions

There are two active petitions to Parliament which might be of interest to Surrey Bird Club members:

Limit the shooting season of Woodcock

Mark Avery, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay (Wild Justice) want the opening of the Woodcock shooting season to be pushed back to 1 December. 160,000 Woodcock are shot for fun across the UK whilst their population is declining. The Defra Secretary of State has powers to vary the shooting season.

Limit the shooting season of Woodcock – Petitions (parliament.uk)

Deadline: 25 January 2023

Make swift bricks compulsory in new housing to help red-listed birds

Swifts have declined … Read more

RSPB talk for SBC members

The reformed RSPB Crawley & Horsham Local Group invites Surrey Bird Club to attend a free Zoom meeting:

Saving special places

by Dr Andre Farrar, Protected Area Campaigner, the RSPB

Wednesday, 23 November 2022: 7.30 pm

To take part in this event, please email: 

We will send you the link to join the Zoom meeting a few days before the event.

Imagine the confusion as a bird returns to the place that a few months previously had provided for all its needs. But now the landscape has changed, nesting scrub has gone to be replaced by roads and houses, … Read more

SBCRC decisions

The latest batch of decisions from the Surrey Bird Club Records Committee can be read here.

Tice’s Meadow handover

Tices Meadow Handover- Group 2 (SCC)

Last week saw the official handover of Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve to Surrey County Council. This wildlife haven on the outskirts of Farnham saw its long-term future safeguarded when a partnership of six councils came together in December 2021 to purchase the site and protect it as a natural space. 

Surrey County Council acquired the site from Hanson UK with funding support from Hampshire County Council, Guildford Borough Council, Waverley Borough Council, Rushmoor Borough Council and Farnham Town Council.  The 55 hectare former quarry site which is fully restored as a nature reserve now forms part of the Surrey County … Read more

BBRC decisions: Oct 2022

The remaining 2021 BBRC decisions for Surrey have been published.

The Thorpe Park Ferruginous Duck, found by J Snell on 25 November 2021 and present until 31 January 2022, has been accepted. This marks the 38th record for the vice-county.

The other two accepted 2021 records were published earlier this year, namely the Crooksbury Common Two-barred Crossbill and Thursley Common Black Stork (see here).

The remaining three 2021 BBRC records were deemed non-proven.

RSPB campaign

RSPB England has issued a Twitter thread in order to highlight the dangers of the proposals to relax the controls which protects UK wildlife. It says:

“This Government has today launched an attack on nature. We don’t use the words that follow lightly. We are entering uncharted territory.

What the Government has proposed in today’s mini-budget on top of yesterday’s announcements potentially tears up the most fundamental legal protections our remaining wildlife has.

“The government has agreement in principle with 38 areas to establish tax-cutting Investment Zones which will drive growth & unlock housing development.” says the Treasury.

And it … Read more

2019 Surrey Bird Report

SBR 2019 front cover

The 2019 Surrey Bird Report is now available. The report contains accounts of the 209 species recorded in the county in 2019. This is in the form of a monthly summary of the weather conditions and brief bird highlights; followed by an analysis for each species  by month, location and number. There were two new county longevity records but no new county records. Also included is a summary of the ringing activity for the 20,000 birds ringed, and an article on the breeding of blackcaps in Surrey and Co. Armagh in 2019.

This is an invaluable resource to all in … Read more

Young birders walk

A walk for young birders, organised by the BTO, is taking place at Beddington Farmlands on Wednesday 24 August – and there are still spaces available.

Arjun Dutta will lead the walk which starts 9.30 am, finishing at 3 pm. The event is open to under 25-year-olds only, with a focus on 11–24-year-olds. Participants under 18 will need to fill in a consent form with their parent(s)/carer(s) and send this to BTO before the event.

Come prepared for any weather in appropriate clothing (no shorts – it’s tick season!) and footwear, and bring some water and lunch. Don’t forget a … Read more

August photo challenge

We’ve launched an informal photography challenge for the month of August. There are no rules and it’s open to all; as many entries as you like and the subject is How swift they fly. Please send your entries to and a selection will be displayed on the club website at the end of the month. Best of luck.

(Photo: Swallow – James Sellen)

24 July 2022

2022 AGM

Nutfield Marshes (Photo: Screengrab from Surrey Wildlife Trust)

The 2022 Annual General Meeting will take place on Friday 1 July at East Horsley village hall.

The Club is pleased to present a talk from Simon Elson entitled ‘Helping Surrey’s birds – a Wetland Perspective’.

Simon is the  Principal Environmental Enhancement Officer with Surrey County Council and is the focus for planning, restoration and enhancement schemes on mineral sites within Surrey. The talk will commence after the AGM.

The meeting time is 7.45 pm, with the AGM starting from 8 pm. The full address is East Horsley village hall, Kingston Avenue, East Horsley, Surrey KT24 6QT.

(Photo: Nutfield Marshes, … Read more