SBCRC decisions
The latest batch of decisions from the Surrey Bird Club Records Committee can be read here.
Tice’s Meadow volunteers
Volunteer work parties at Tice’s Meadow
The new season of monthly work parties at Tice’s Meadow starts this month with the emphasis on enhancing the reedbeds by clearing the invasive willow. Surrey Bird Club members are welcome to join. More details below.
- Saturday 23rd September – cutting willow in reedbeds.
- Saturday 21st October – cutting willow in reedbeds.
- Saturday 4th November – cutting willow in reedbeds.
- Saturday 16th December – cutting willow in reedbeds.
Schedule weather dependent & subject to change. See Tice’s Meadow Bird Group (TMBG) social media for updates.
- All work parties start at
September 2023
Saturday 30th
Beddington Farmlands: Great Egret on North Lake; also 2 Green Sandpipers (D Warren).
Capel: Hawfinch south-west (W Attridge).
Hogsmill SF: adult Yellow-legged Gull (A Quinn).
Holmethorpe SP: 2 Green Sandpipers (G Hay/I Kehl).
Little Woodcote: Wheatear (I Jones).
Mercers CP: Wheatear at Mercers Farm (N Hadden).
Richmond Park: Whinchat and Common Sandpiper (D Brasier).
Sanderstead: Dotterel flew south at 16:40 (J Birkett).
Shackleford: Wheatear (P Osborn).
Tice’s Meadow: Dunlin and 3 Green Sandpipers (R Horton).
Friday 29th
Beddington Farmlands: Great Egret … Read more
2020 Surrey Bird Report
The 2020 Surrey Bird Report (SBR) is out and will be arriving with members now.
This, the 68th edition of the SBR, features a review of the year and the full systematic list of birds seen in the vice-county in 2020, as well as the annual ringing report and a range of colour photos. Also included are papers on breeding Honey Buzzard in Surrey and on the county’s first Bonaparte’s Gull and second Short-toed Lark.
Non-members may purchase a copy at a price of £12.00 including postage & packing or join the club here.
August 2023
Thursday 31st
Bolder Mere: Great Egret (red-ringed ‘ACJ’); bird was ringed at Shapwick Heath, Somerset, on 4 May and has been at Warnham LNR, West Sussex, for the last couple of months until Monday (J Everitt/D Harris/J Snell).
Island Barn Reservoir (permit only): Fulmar north-east at 16:05 (D Harris).
London Wetland Centre: drake Red-crested Pochard; also drake Garganey, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Common Sandpipers (S Fowles/A Salmon).
Wednesday 30th
Banstead Heath: Whinchat and Spotted Flycatcher (S Gale).
Beddington Farmlands: 4 Yellow Wagtails, Shelduck, … Read more
July 2023
Monday 31st
London Wetland Centre: drake Garganey and 3 Green Sandpipers (A Salmon).
Tice’s Meadow: Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers and 2 Common Sandpipers (J Hurrell/R Seargent).
Sunday 30th
Beddington Farmlands: 10 Green Sandpipers (N Gardner/I Jones).
Holmethorpe SP: Common Sandpiper at Spyne’s Mere (G Hay/I Kehl).
London Wetland Centre: 2 Bar-tailed Godwits dropped in during the afternoon; also 5 Green Sandpipers (R Johnson/A Salmon/A Wilkinson).
Tice’s Meadow: Whimbrel briefly; also Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, 5 Green Sandpipers and 4 Common Sandpipers (R Horton/R Seargent).
Saturday 29th
Beddington Farmlands: Redshank on … Read more
Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex book
A new Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex book will be published by Bloomsbury early next year. Written by Matt Phelps and Ed Stubbs, the publication is available now for pre-order here.
The description on the Bloomsbury website reads: “This site guide covers the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey, including sites in southwest Greater London.
From the heaths of Surrey to the chalky grassland of the North and South Downs, the great forests of the Weald and the headlands, shingle beaches and river valleys of England’s south coast, these three counties are a bird-rich … Read more
June 2023
Friday 30th
London Wetland Centre: 2 Green Sandpipers (A Salmon).
Thursday 29th
Beddington Farmlands: Black-tailed Godwit on Phase 3 Wet Grasslands (C Owens/R Walker).
London Wetland Centre: Bittern on Main Lake (S Johnson).
Wednesday 28th
Beddington Farmlands: Green Sandpiper (M Keenan).
London Wetland Centre: 12 Black-tailed Godwits flew south-east early afternoon; also 3 Green Sandpipers (M Parker).
Tice’s Meadow: 2 Common Sandpipers (P Brown).
Tuesday 27th
Beddington Farmlands: Green Sandpiper (A Dutta).
London Wetland Centre: 2 Green Sandpipers (A Salmon).
Monday 26th
Turtle Doves
Hope for Surrey’s Turtle Doves
The Turtle Dove is sadly on the verge of local extinction within Surrey, with only a small number of records each year. This reflects that it is one of the UK’s fastest-declining wild bird species. As a long distance migrant, conservation efforts for Turtle Dove must span across countries and continents. This year, the species has been thrown a “lifeline” by the European Commission, who have recommended that no Turtle Dove will be hunted in south-west Europe in 2023 for the third year running.
Whilst most of the population decline since the 1970s is primarily … Read more
May 2023
Wednesday 31st
Beddington Farmlands: 7 Greenshank on North Lake; also Common Sandpiper and Shelduck (D Bulling/J Snell).
Chobham Common: Short-eared Owl at south end at 20:45 (S Portugal).
Island Barn Reservoir (permit only): Black Tern (S Musievski/D Spragg).
London Wetland Centre: Grey Plover flew north at 07:15; also Ringed Plover on Main Lake and 2 Common Sandpipers (A Salmon/W Newnham/M Wheeler/A Wilkinson).
Tice’s Meadow: Redshank (R Horton).
Tuesday 30th
Beddington Farmlands: 8 Greenshank on North Lake; also Ringed Plover (P Rogers/D Warren).