June 2021

COVID-19: please continue to follow the latest government guidelines on social distancing and exercising outdoors.

Wednesday 30th

Brockwell Park: Whinchat (S Hearne).

Frensham Great Pond: Black Tern in evening (J Hodge).

Leatherhead: Alpine Swift released from care late morning, having been found exhausted in North Cheam on 22nd; 10th vice-county record and first since 30/4/2005 (BirdGuides).

London Wetland Centre: Little Ringed Plover (WWT).

Tuesday 29th

Ruddy Shelduck, Kew Bridge (S Jones).
Ruddy Shelduck, Kew Bridge (S Jones).

Kew Bridge: 2 Ruddy Shelduck on Thames (S Jones).

London Wetland Centre: 2 Oystercatchers (WWT).

Rotherhithe: 3 Yellow-legged Gulls at Greenland Pier … Read more

May 2021

COVID-19: please continue to follow the latest government guidelines on social distancing and exercising outdoors.

Monday 31st

Badshot Lea Ponds: 1st-summer Little Gull (BirdGuides).

Holmethorpe SP: Common Sandpiper (G Hay).

Tice’s Meadow: 1st-summer Little Gull (BirdGuides).

Sunday 30th

Badshot Lea Ponds: 1st-summer Little Gull (BirdGuides).

Chessington: pale morph Honey Buzzard flew south-east at 12:30 (G Barter).

Saturday 29th

London Wetland Centre: drake Garganey on Wader Scrape (A Salmon).

Thursley Common: 13 Crossbills (D Brassington).

Friday 28th

Beddington Farmlands: 1st-summer Yellow-legged Gull and Common Sandpiper (A Dutta).

East Dulwich: Great Egret flew … Read more

April 2021

COVID-19: please continue to follow the latest government guidelines on social distancing and exercising outdoors.

Friday 30th

Beddington Farmlands: male Blue-headed Wagtail, Greenshank, 3 Yellow Wagtails, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow-legged Gull and Common Sandpiper (many observers).

Greenshank, Tice's Meadow (K Britten).
Greenshank, Tice’s Meadow (K Britten).

Holmethorpe SP: Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 Common Sandpipers (G Hay).

Purley: probable Hoopoe on lawn on Wyvern Close early morning but no further sign (C Patrick).

Puttenham Common: male Wood Warbler west of upper car park (K Britten/J Klavins).

Richmond Park: Whinchat and 2 Wheatears (M Lewis).

Shackleford: Yellow … Read more

BirdTrack Training

Golden Plover, 26/05/20 (D Harris)

The BTO are kindly providing training on BirdTrack to the Surrey region via Zoom at 7pm on Tuesday 30th March.

The talk will cover a basic introduction to what BirdTrack is, how to add a record via the website and how to use the App. The talk will also cover looking at your own records and Recent Sightings to see what is in your area.

To register for this event, contact

Photo of Golden Plover by D Harris

March 2021

COVID-19: please continue to follow the latest government guidelines on social distancing and exercising outdoors.

Wednesday 31st

Siberian Chiffchaff, Beddington Farmlands (P Alfrey).
Siberian Chiffchaff, Beddington Farmlands (P Alfrey).

Ash Ranges: Tree Pipit and Willow Warbler (R Seargent).

Beddington Farmlands: Siberian Chiffchaff near footpath; also 1st-winter Yellow-legged Gull, Willow Warbler and 10 Shelduck (P Alfrey/Z Pannifer/P Wallace/A Wilkinson).

Berrylands SF: Green Sandpiper (S Neal).

Burgh Heath: Wheatear at Canons Farm (S Gale).

Crooksbury Common: Tree Pipit (G Robson).

Holmethorpe SP: female Ring-necked Duck on Railway Pools North; also White-fronted Goose on Spynes Mere, 2 House Martins and Swallow (G Hay/R … Read more

February 2021

COVID-19: please continue to follow the latest government guidelines on social distancing and exercising outdoors.

Sunday 28th

Brambling, Capel (W Attridge).
Brambling, Capel (W Attridge).

Beddington Farmlands: juvenile Iceland Gull; also 1st-winter Caspian Gull and Shelduck (N Gardner/Z Pannifer/P Wallace).

Capel: 2 Bramblings (W Attridge).

Crooksbury Common: 20+ Crossbills flew south-east (J Gates).

Holmethorpe SP: female Ring-necked Duck on Railway Pools (G Hay).

Knight & Bessborough Reservoirs (no access): Goldeneye (T Quinn).

Leith Hill: 35+ Crossbills (D Robinson).

Ring-necked and Tufted Ducks, Holmethorpe SP (G Hay).
Ring-necked and Tufted Ducks, Holmethorpe SP (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: Bittern, Water Pipit, Oystercatcher, Goldeneye, 2 Pintail … Read more

Tice’s Meadow update

Cattle Egrets, Tice's Meadow (C Varndell).

Tice’s Meadow have applied for a grant from Surrey County Council’s Your Fund scheme.

If successful, the grant would be used to buy Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve and place it in trust (or similar arrangements) for the benefit of the local community. The first stage of the scheme involves gathering public support. A detailed business case will then have to be submitted in February.

You can register your support by ‘liking’ their submission on the Your Fund Surrey map.

Photo of Cattle Egrets by C Varndell

SOS virtual talks

Black-Tailed Godwits, Dave Harris

Sussex Ornithological Society are putting on a series of virtual talks to which Surrey Bird Club members are invited.

These will:

  • Comprise a 30-40 minute talk from the guest speaker, followed by a question and answer session.
  • Be free to attend by all, including both SOS members and non-members.
  • Be hosted on Zoom and bookings managed through Eventbrite, with joining instructions sent to those that have booked prior to the event.

The events will normally be on Wednesdays at 7pm, starting on 10th February.

You can find further details here

Photo of Black-tailed Godwits by D Harris

January 2021

COVID-19: please continue to follow the latest government guidelines on social distancing and exercising outdoors.

Sunday 31st

Iceland Gull, Beddington Farmlands (S Ferguson).
Iceland Gull, Beddington Farmlands (S Ferguson).

Barnes: adult White-fronted Goose on St Pauls School playing field early morning (K Betty).

Beddington Farmlands: juvenile Iceland Gull (presumed same as Holmethorpe SP on Wednesday) on Wet Grassland late morning then flew to incinerator; also adult Mediterranean Gull, 8 Water Pipits, 7 Jack Snipe, 6 Green Sandpipers and 2 Shelduck (R Browne/A Dutta/S Ferguson/N Gardner/G Jones/I Jones/Z Pannifer/A Ramesh).

Burgess Park: drake Goldeneye (G de Silva).

Hawfinch, Bury Hill Fisheries (M Davis).
Hawfinch, Bury Hill Fisheries (M Davis).

Bury … Read more

Changes to rarity list

Changes have been made to the list of species deemed vice-county rarities, with Great Egret removed and Wood Warbler added.

The changes mean that photos, sound recordings and / or a description are no longer required for Great Egret records, but they will now be needed for Wood Warbler. These changes are in effect for all records from 1 January 2020 onwards.

In keeping with the national trend, Great Egret is now a regular – if somewhat sporadic – visitor, usually between the months of June and December. By the end of 2010 there had been merely 11 vice-county records; … Read more