Patchwork Challenge

Patchwork Challenge Logo

The birding fraternity has seen a shift in attitudes recently, with many birders turning their attention from twitching to more intensive study of a local patch. The advantages of watching a local patch are obvious. Low fuel costs, environmental benefits and travel time aside, great pleasure can be derived from getting to learn a place inside out, adding detailed information to the bird databases and getting value from common species that otherwise wouldn’t get a second glance. The Patchwork Challenge adds a structure and a little friendly competition to patch birding.

The score each bird earns will be related to … Read more

Season’s greetings

Winter 22 Tices (Colin Varndell )

Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year to all members.

21/12/2022 (Photo: Colin Varndell at Tice’s Meadow)

December 2022

Saturday 31st

London Wetland Centre: Bittern on Main Lake; also Jack Snipe and 2 Shelduck (A Salmon).

Friday 30th

London Wetland Centre: 2 Bitterns on Main Lake; also Water Pipit, Jack Snipe, Pintail, Goldeneye, Brambling and Dartford Warbler (R Dunne/A Salmon).

Sutton Place: 3 Jack Snipe at Triggs Lock (C Badenhorst).

Thursday 29th

Mediterranean Gull, Papercourt GPs (R Clark).
Mediterranean Gull, Papercourt GPs (R Clark).

Beddington Farmlands: Water Pipit and drake Shelduck (Z Pannifer).

Chessington: Jack Snipe at Rushett Farm (A Quinn).

Effingham Forest: 4 Hawfinches at Dick Focks Common (S Portugal/C Smith).

Leatherhead: drake and redhead Goosander on … Read more

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

November 2022

Wednesday 30th

Brent Goose, Beddington Farmlands (D Warren).
Brent Goose, Beddington Farmlands (D Warren).

Beddington Farmlands: Brent Goose on North Lake; also Shelduck (S Thomas/D Warren).

London Wetland Centre: Dartford Warbler on Wader Scrape; also female Goldeneye (M Wheeler/A Wilkinson).

Papercourt Water Meadows: Water Pipit in fields off Tannery Lane (J Hobden).

Worcester Park: Little Bunting briefly near stables at Lower Morden Equestrian Centre at 12:00 but no further sign by 13:10; 10th Surrey record pending acceptance (C Northwood).

Tuesday 29th

Beddington Farmlands: Shelduck on North Lake (D Warren).

Cutt Mill Ponds: 7 Goosander (5 drakes and 1 redhead on … 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.

October 2022

Monday 31st

Holmethorpe SP: 2 Green Sandpipers at Spyne’s Mere (G Hay).

Tice’s Meadow: 2 Dartford Warblers in meadow (BirdGuides).

Wimbledon Common: Dartford Warbler (J Reeves).

Sunday 30th

Great Egret, Tice's Meadow (M Fincham).
Great Egret, Tice’s Meadow (M Fincham).

Beddington Farmlands: 1st-winter Ring Ouzel in south-east corner of North Lake; also 4 Water Pipits, Pintail and 7 Green Sandpipers (N Gardner/J Pettit).

Hook: Swallow over (G Barter).

London Wetland Centre: 6 Black-tailed Godwits over; also Jack Snipe, Dartford Warbler and Pintail (M Fowles).

Thursley Common: 4 Crossbills (J Hobden).

Tice’s Meadow: 2 Great Egrets and Green Sandpiper (J Cooper/M Fincham/R … Read more