August 2024

Saturday 31st

Alfold: 2 Whinchats and 3 Yellow Wagtails at Pallinghurst Farm (R Stride).

Beddington Farmlands: 2 Yellow Wagtails, adult Common Gull and 9 Green Sandpipers (N Gardner).

Holmethorpe SP: Wheatear at Mercers Farm; also 3 Green Sandpipers (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: 5 Black-tailed Godwits on Main Lake; also Wigeon, 3 Green Sandpipers and 2 Common Sandpipers (A Salmon).

Leg of Mutton LNR: Osprey (BirdGuides).

Richmond Park: Arctic Tern through Upper Pen Ponds; also 2 Whinchats, 13 Yellow Wagtails and 3 Tree Pipits (D Brasier/P Pentek).

South Norwood: 2 Arctic Terns north-east … Read more

Surrey Bioblitz

A ‘bioblitz’ aims to bring together the local community and wildlife experts in order to showcase our nature reserves, to learn about the local environment and to identify as many plant and animal species as possible. And there are 2 great bioblitz wildlife events in Surrey in one weekend.

On Saturday 20 July, Tice’s Meadow invites you to a fun and free family friendly event which includes a wide range of activities for all ages:

On Sunday 21st July, Hampton Estates are hosting the first Puttenham Common Bioblitz. Walks will be organised throughout the day to cover Botany, Birds, Meet … Read more

July 2024

Wednesday 31st

Caspian Gull, Kingston upon Thames (T Inns).
Caspian Gull, Kingston upon Thames (T Inns).

Beddington Farmlands: juvenile Marsh Harrier at North Lake (D Warren).

Godalming: Whimbrel over Brighton Road at 23:30 (N Willis).

Holmethorpe SP: 2 Green Sandpipers at The Moors (G Hay).

Kingston upon Thames: juvenile Caspian Gull at recycling centre (T Inns).

Leith Hill: 25 Whimbrels west; also 2 Tree Pipits east (W Attridge).

London Wetland Centre: 3 Green Sandpipers (J Reeves).

Tuesday 30th

Marsh Harrier, Beddington Farmlands (P Rogers).
Marsh Harrier, Beddington Farmlands (P Rogers).

Beddington Farmlands: juvenile Marsh Harrier at North Lake (C Owens/J Pettit/P Rogers).

Holmethorpe SP: Green … Read more

Surrey Bird Club Records Committee decisions

Grey Phalarope, Island Barn Reservoir (D Harris).

The latest records committee meeting took place on 5 June 2024.

The aim was to get through all 2023 records and a single remaining 2022 record. In total, nearly 100 records were assessed – more than 75% of these were accepted.

Among the standout birds were the vice county’s second-ever record of Citrine Wagtail, and the first twitchable Marsh Warbler since 2001.

The full list of records are on the Records Committee Decisions page.

June 2024

Sunday 30th

Common Scoter, Frensham Little Pond (E Stubbs).
Common Scoter, Frensham Little Pond (E Stubbs).

Beddington Farmlands: Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 24 Lapwings including 5 chicks, Shoveler and 7 Teal (D Bulling).

Frensham Little Pond: drake Common Scoter (S Peters).

London Wetland Centre: 3 Green Sandpipers; also Shoveler and Oystercatcher family (W Newnham/A Salmon).

Richmond Park: Redshank at Upper Pen Pond (D Brasier).

Tice’s Meadow: Redshank and Little Ringed Plover (R Seargent).

Saturday 29th

Tice’s Meadow: Redshank and Green Sandpiper (R Horton/G Tillin).

Friday 28th

Beddington Farmlands: female Shoveler, Green Sandpiper and 4 Teal (N Gardner).

Crooksbury Common… Read more

Chamber Mead Wetland

Chamber Mead Wetands October 2023 (Robin Buller)

Surrey Bird Club wants to see more wetland habitats restored and created. As such, we were excited to hear about a major project to create a new Surrey wetland on the outskirts of London. It will form part of the existing Hogsmill Local Nature Reserve (LNR), and provide new habitat for birds, plants, and insects.

The Hogsmill River is a chalk stream, which starts from a spring in Ewell and travels through Ewell, Old Malden, and Berrylands, before reaching the Thames.  Chalk streams are globally rare, and the new wetland will improve the water quality in the Hogsmill River by … Read more

May 2024

Friday 31st

Island Barn Reservoir (permit only): Short-eared Owl east (D Harris).

Wey Manor Meadows: 3 pairs of Lapwings with chicks (J Snell).

Thursday 30th

Kittiwakes, Bankside (R Braddock).
Kittiwakes, Bankside (R Braddock).

Bankside: 9 Kittiwakes over Blackfriars Bridge (R Braddock).

Wednesday 29th

London Wetland Centre: 2 Oystercatchers (C Moore).

Unstead SF: 2 Shoveler (J Parr).

Tuesday 28th

London Wetland Centre: female Pochard with ducklings (A Salmon).

Monday 27th

Burpham: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker along River Wey (W Justice).

Leigh: Spotted Flycatcher at Deanoak Lane (I Kehl).

London Wetland Centre: Bittern booming from Reservoir Lagoon (A … Read more

April 2024

The new Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex book is out now and available here: www.bloomsbury.com/where-to-watch-birds-in-surrey-and-sussex-9781399404235/

Tuesday 30th

Wood Sandpipers, Beddington Farmlands (A Ramesh).
Wood Sandpipers, Beddington Farmlands (A Ramesh).

Beddington Farmlands: 2 Wood Sandpipers on Wet Grassland; also 4 Wheatears and Common Sandpiper (D Bulling/G Howgate/I Jones/A Ramesh).

Bookham: male Yellow Wagtail and 3 Wheatears at Goldstone Farm (D Cox).

London Wetland Centre: Yellow Wagtail on Grazing Marsh (A Salmon).

Pewley Down: Whinchat (M Kettell).

Richmond Park: Wheatear (H Bradshaw).

Tadworth: Osprey over (J Darter).

Westcott: female Wheatear at Milton Court Farm (M Davis).

West End … Read more

March 2024

The new Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex book is out now and available here: www.bloomsbury.com/where-to-watch-birds-in-surrey-and-sussex-9781399404235/

Sunday 31st

Little Gull, Frensham Great Pond (E Stubbs).
Little Gull, Frensham Great Pond (E Stubbs).

Ash Ranges: 4 Tree Pipits, Willow Warbler and Crossbill (C Jones).

Beddington Farmlands: Avocet on Wet Grassland; also Ring Ouzel at Enclosed Lagoon, Jack Snipe, 3 Water Pipits, male Wheatear, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Green Sandpipers and 5 Shelduck (M Bravery/G Howgate/J Pettit/J Quinn).

Crooksbury Common: 11 Crossbills (J Gates).

Frensham Great Pond: adult Little Gull (S Peters/E Stubbs).

Marsh Harrier, Thursley Common (B Henricot).
Marsh Harrier, Thursley Common (B Henricot).

Hedgecourt Lake: … Read more

February 2024

The new Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex book is out now and available here: www.bloomsbury.com/where-to-watch-birds-in-surrey-and-sussex-9781399404235/

Thursday 29th

Black Redstart, Tate Modern (J Reeves).
Black Redstart, Tate Modern (J Reeves).

London Wetland Centre: 2 Oystercatchers and female Goldeneye on Main Lake (A Salmon).

Tate Modern: female Black Redstart on roofs next to community garden (J Reeves).

Wednesday 28th

Beddington Farmlands: 3 Green Sandpipers and Shelduck (G Howgate).

Effingham Forest: 2 Goshawks at Dick Focks Common (BirdGuides).

Horley: 45 Waxwings at Riverside Garden Park (BirdGuides).

London Wetland Centre: female Goldeneye on Main Lake (A Salmon).

Tate Modern: female … Read more