2nd April

Weather: S f2-3, sunny with rain setting in late afternoon. Warm in the sun.

The year's first Blackcaps were found singing in the woods, together with a big increase in Chiffchaff numbers. A further male Wheatear was located between Horse Pasture and Broadfield. The warmer weather unsurprisingly saw an increase in butterfly numbers.

Canons Farm: 6 COMMON BUZZARD, 2 KESTREL (Slangs), 3 GREEN WOODPECKER, 1 SKYLARK, 2 SONG THRUSH, 1 WHEATEAR (♂ between Broadfield and Horse Pasture),1 NUTHATCH (Tawny Wood), 30+ JACKDAW, 50+ CARRION CROW, 2 JAY, 2 NUTHATCH, 1 LONG-TAILED TIT, 1 CHIFFCHAFF (Tawny Wood), 4 GOLDFINCH, 2 LINNET (Perrotts Farmhouse), 2 YELLOWHAMMER (Poultry Field)

Chiffchaff, Banstead Woods, 02/04/16 (Ian Ward)

Banstead Woods: 7 COMMON BUZZARD, 3 SPARROWHAWK (a pair together over Fames Rough, 1♀ Banstead Woods), 2 KESTREL (♂ Holly Lane Meadow, ♂ Hither Field), 8 GREEN WOODPECKER, 5 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER,  7 NUTHATCH, 3 TREECREEPER, 4 COAL TIT, 5 LONG-TAILED TIT, 4 JAY, 3 BLACKCAP (1 Orchard area, 1 within Estate, 1 Holly Lane Bridleway adjacent to the Estate, 76th species recorded this year), 15 CHIFFCHAFF (all singing), 7 GOLDFINCH, 2 SISKIN (1 Estate, 1 Holly Lane Bridleway), 3 BULLFINCH

Robin, Canons Farm, 01/04/16 (Duncan Jennings)

Other wildlife: Butterflies: an obvious emergence, with c25 Brimstone, 6 Peacock and 5 Small Tortoiseshell.

Observers: Ian Magness, Tasha Preston, Ian Ward,