Wild About Woking event

Woking Peregrines (James Sellen)

Surrey Bird Club is supporting the ‘Wild about Woking’ event this coming weekend by having a stand in Jubilee Square and showing shoppers and other passers-by the Woking peregrines (www.wokingperegrines.com). It is also an opportunity to encourage people to take an interest in their local birds and to talk to people about the Bird Club.

Additional volunteers are needed to join the team on Saturday (morning or afternoon) and on Sunday morning. Please do get in touch with Penny at if you can offer some time. Three sessions are planned:

Saturday 21st May: 9.45 am to 1.00 … Read more

5km bird race challenge

On Saturday [7 May] a Surrey 5 km bird race challenge took place. The idea of the challenge was for teams of birders to see how many species they could record within a 5 km radius of their home or patch. Emphasis was on going as green as possible (i.e. car sharing, using a bike etc) and a finish time of 18:00 was agreed.

In total 19 teams or individuals entered, with the combined species total across the county an impressive 121. The winning team scored 98, with two teams finishing joint-second with 91. A variety of excellent birds were … Read more

May 2022

Tuesday 31st

London Wetland Centre: 2 Oystercatchers (WWT).

Monday 30th

London Wetland Centre: Little Ringed Plover (WWT).

Sunday 29th

Holmethorpe SP: Little Ringed Plover (N Hadden/G Hay).

Tice’s Meadow: adult Spoonbill in The Workings mid-morning until c.19:06 when flew south-east (R Horton/many observers).

Saturday 28th

Ash Ranges: singing Wood Warbler (J Evans).

London Wetland Centre: Redshank (WWT).

Friday 27th

Frensham Great Pond: Oystercatcher (N Trout).

Netley Heath: 20 Crossbills (M Kettell).

Tice’s Meadow: Oystercatcher (K Duncan).

Thursday 26th

Tice’s Meadow: Dunlin and Ringed Plover (J Hunt).

Wednesday 25th

Leith Hill… Read more

Birds of prey webcams

Wokiing Peregrine

It’s the lull before the storm for many of the “public” Surrey birds. Pairings have been established, nests furnished and eggs laid. Soon it will be time for the hard work of feeding a hungry and demanding family.

In the seventh year of the project, the new pairing of Woking Peregrines produced their first egg on 21 March and their fourth egg one week later. Perhaps another week of peace left before the first chick emerges. Thanks to support from Woking Borough Council, their progress can be followed on the webcam:

The Woking Peregrine Project | Live Web Feed of … Read more

BBRC decisions: 1/4/2022

Two Surrey records of national rarities have been accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee in the latest batch of decisions.

The Black Stork at Thursley Common on 27 May 2021, found by J Mullin, has been accepted. This record represents the fourth for the vice-county and first in 13 years. Also accepted was a first-winter female Two-barred Crossbill, trapped and ringed by J Gates at Crooksbury Common on 17 March 2021. This bird constitutes the fifth Surrey record and first since 2014.

A further three vice-county records are still in circulation, while two 2021 submissions were deemed not proven.

April 2022

Saturday 30th

Beddington Farmlands: Great Egret, Wheatear, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and 2 Green Sandpipers (A Harding/Z Pannifer).

Hedgecourt Lake: Common Sandpiper (D Dack).

Holmethorpe SP: Common Sandpiper (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: Common Sandpiper (WWT).

Richmond Park: drake Red-crested Pochard (B Young).

Rotherhithe: 6 Shelduck (G Wright).

Thursley Common: Wheatear on Shrike Hill (D & P Boyd).

Friday 29th

Yellow Wagtail, Mercers CP (G Hay).
Yellow Wagtail, Mercers CP (G Hay).

Beddington Farmlands: Stone-curlew flushed from enclosed lagoons then flew towards 100-Acre c.08:50; also Avocet on enclosed lagoons, Wood Sandpiper on Wet Grassland, Little Gull south-east … Read more

5 km bird race challenge

On Saturday 7th May [2022] a 5 km bird race challenge is taking place in Surrey.

The idea is to bird within a 5 km radius of either your home or patch, with participation as relaxed or full-on as you’d like. Several teams and individuals have already entered and further entries are most welcome. If you’d like to find out more or enter as a team or individual then please drop an email to .

Warnham NR field meeting

Field Trip – Sunday 20 March 10:00

Penny Williams will be leading a Surrey Bird Club field trip to Warnham Nature Reserve in West Sussex this Sunday [20 March 2022].

Warnham NR is nestled on the north side of Horsham and is made up of a wide range of habitats from reedbeds and open water to typha swamp and coniferous woodland. The variety of habitats means 168 species of birds have been recorded here, including Water Rail, Common and Green Sandpiper, Snipe and even the occasional Bittern or Osprey. A thriving heronry is also on site with an average of … Read more

March 2022

Thursday 31st

Great Egrets, Enton Lakes (E Stubbs).
Great Egrets, Enton Lakes (E Stubbs).

Beddington Farmlands: 6 Water Pipits, 3 Jack Snipe, 8 Green Sandpipers and 7 Shelduck (A Dutta/A Ramesh).

Enton Lakes: 2 Great Egrets flew north-east (E Stubbs).

Hankley Common: male Brambling (J Snell).

Holmethorpe SP: 2 Little Ringed Plovers flew east through Spyne’s Mere; also Swallow (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: 2 Redshanks, 2 Oystercatchers, Shelduck and 2 Bramblings (C Dewhurst).

Thursley Common: 2 Crossbills and Brambling (D Brassington).

Wednesday 30th

Mediterranean Gull, Island Barn Reservoir (D Harris).
Mediterranean Gull, Island Barn Reservoir (D Harris).

Beddington Farmlands: Swallow flew over South Lake (D … Read more

Rare Birds of Hampshire

Wryneck

Special Pre-Publication Offer until 28 Feb

Rare Birds of Hampshire, written by former Hampshire County Recorder, John M Clark, is a fascinating review of the occurrences of over 200 rare and scarce species in the county from the 1700s to the present day.

The book, approximately 500 pages, includes:
A Brief History of Rare Bird Recording in Hampshire.
A detailed systematic list including many previously unpublished accounts of the discovery of rarities and an analysis of the occurrences of all but the rarest species.
An unrivalled collection of photos of Hampshire rarities.
A unique series of paintings and sketches by … Read more