15+ House Martins flew over Banstead Woods, where five Common Buzzards, a Kestrel and two Chiffchaffs were also seen.
The Woods also held two Brown Hairstreaks, eight Brown Argus and two Small Coppers.
Duncan Jennings
13th September
A party of five Whinchats livened up Skylark Field and six Meadow Pipits at the farm were the first of the autumn. Eight House Martins and 100+ Swallows buzzed around overhead and Linnets built to 50. The Woods had a trio of Hobbies, including a juvenile, and 11 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were to be found across the recording area.
A report of a Common Lizard in Valley Meadows possibly represents our first record. Four Southern Hawkers and three Common Darters were at the Woods where a late Silver-washed Fritillary was on the wing, along with a set of other butterflies including a Painted Lady, two Small Coppers, 20 Brown Argus, three Small Heaths and a Brimstone.
Geoff Barter, Steve Gale and Duncan Jennings
A report of a Common Lizard in Valley Meadows possibly represents our first record. Four Southern Hawkers and three Common Darters were at the Woods where a late Silver-washed Fritillary was on the wing, along with a set of other butterflies including a Painted Lady, two Small Coppers, 20 Brown Argus, three Small Heaths and a Brimstone.
Geoff Barter, Steve Gale and Duncan Jennings
Targets for the year
Ian Magness has combed through the year list, which stands on 96, and identified the glaring gaps to fill by the year's end. In a roughly descending order of likelihood, they are as follows:
Spotted Flycatcher (urgent, find one soon before it's too late!)
Reed Bunting
Golden Plover
Common Snipe
Barn Owl
Common Crossbill
Black Redstart
Curlew
Osprey
Marsh Tit
Mute Swan
And who knows what else might turn up? A healthy year list is on the cards. Golden Plover is particularly overdue, with no records for a couple of years.
Spotted Flycatcher (urgent, find one soon before it's too late!)
Reed Bunting
Golden Plover
Common Snipe
Barn Owl
Common Crossbill
Black Redstart
Curlew
Osprey
Marsh Tit
Mute Swan
And who knows what else might turn up? A healthy year list is on the cards. Golden Plover is particularly overdue, with no records for a couple of years.
12th September
Highlights at the farm included a Willow Warbler, five House Martins, 50 Swallows, two Black-headed Gulls, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Skylark, Pied Wagtail and six Linnets. Four Chiffchaffs were in Banstead Woods, plus two Nuthatches.
Geoff Barter
Geoff Barter
11th September
A Northern Wheatear paraded around Hither Field, where four Linnets were seen. The farm had four Rooks, a Pheasant and a Sparrowhawk.
Josh Burch and Ian Magness
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| Northern Wheatear, Hither Field, Josh Burch |
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| Northern Wheatear, Hither Field, Ian Magness |
10th September
An incredible record came in the form of 25 Bar-tailed Godwits which were seen from Hither Field as they flew southwest at 07:30. This represents the second record for the area, following one over the farm in September 2012. Three Sand Martins flew over Hither Field, where there was a Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs. A Yellow Wagtail, 15 Swallows and seven more Chiffchaffs were at the farm. Four Pied Wagtails and 60 Linnets were seen on the Legal & General grounds. The CFBW Year List now stands on 96.
A Comma and three Red Admirals were noted at the farm.
Darragh Culley and Ian Ward
A Comma and three Red Admirals were noted at the farm.
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| Seven of the Bar-tailed Godwits (Darragh Culley) |
9th September
Bird of the day was a Sand Martin over the farm, where two House Martins, 50 Swallows, two Chiffchaffs and a Common Whitethroat were also migrants. 30 Linnets and two each of Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were noted there, too.
Butterflies were represented by two Speckled Woods, a Red Admiral and two Small Whites.
Geoff Barter, Paul Goodman and Duncan Jennings
Butterflies were represented by two Speckled Woods, a Red Admiral and two Small Whites.
Geoff Barter, Paul Goodman and Duncan Jennings
8th September
An excellent day of southwesterly movement at the farm included six Yellow Wagtails, two Common Swifts, 80 House Martins and 420 Swallows. A northbound flock of seven Cormorants, a visit by a Northern Lapwing and the sight of a juvenile Peregrine terrorising the Woodpigeon flocks added further interest, confounded by a count of six Common Buzzards. Grounded passerine migrants across the recording area comprised of nine Chiffchaffs, a Common Whitethroat and two Blackcaps.
Three Brown Hairstreaks were reported, as were two Small Coppers, 13 Brown Argus, 10 Small Heaths, 17 Meadow Browns, 16 Speckled Woods, a Comma and a Red Admiral.
Steve Gale and Duncan Jennings
Three Brown Hairstreaks were reported, as were two Small Coppers, 13 Brown Argus, 10 Small Heaths, 17 Meadow Browns, 16 Speckled Woods, a Comma and a Red Admiral.
Steve Gale and Duncan Jennings
7th September
Hither Field attracted a Whinchat and the rest of the Woods sector offered four Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps, plus two Bullfinches and three Common Buzzards.
Insects included two Migrant Hawkers, four Southern Hawkers, a Common Darter, five Brown Argus, two Red Admirals, two Common Blues, 20+ Meadow Browns, two Brimstones, 18+ Speckled Woods and a Small Tortoiseshell.
Ian Ward
Insects included two Migrant Hawkers, four Southern Hawkers, a Common Darter, five Brown Argus, two Red Admirals, two Common Blues, 20+ Meadow Browns, two Brimstones, 18+ Speckled Woods and a Small Tortoiseshell.
Ian Ward
6th September
A dark morph juvenile Honey-buzzard represented the third patch record. Other migrants at the farm included a Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaffs, 60 Swallows, two Common Whitethroats and a Blackcap. Seven Mallards flew over while a Yellowhammer and 21 Linnets were noted.
Geoff Barter
Geoff Barter
4th September
A Grey Wagtail and a Common Swift were notable at the farm, where two Willow Warblers were migrants, along with 42 Swallows and a House Martin. Also present were two Common Buzzards, a Common Whitethroat, eight Blackcaps, up to 14 Chiffchaffs and four Bullfinches.
A Brown Hairstreak was seen in Circle Field. 10 Speckled Woods were also out, as were four Meadow Browns and a Green-veined White.
Steve Gale and Ian Ward
A Brown Hairstreak was seen in Circle Field. 10 Speckled Woods were also out, as were four Meadow Browns and a Green-veined White.
Steve Gale and Ian Ward
3rd September
A September record of Common Swift is always notable, so five being seen during our Autumn Migration Tour was pretty special. Other highlights included two Northern Wheatears in Poultry Field and, overhead, minima of 20 House Martins and 100 Swallows. Six Common Buzzards were logged across the patch.
Paul Goodman et al
Paul Goodman et al
2nd September
Six House Martins flew south over Fames Rough and a Swallow was also noted over the Woods, where there were four Blackcaps, two Common Whitethroats, three Bullfinches, a Kestrel and a Common Buzzard.
A Brown Hairstreak, six Brown Argus, Small Copper and two Small Heaths were among the butterflies.
Duncan Jennings
A Brown Hairstreak, six Brown Argus, Small Copper and two Small Heaths were among the butterflies.
Duncan Jennings
1st September
It was a great early autumn day at the farm, with a first-winter male Common Redstart, a Yellow Wagtail and a Red Kite backed up by 10 Common Buzzards, two Hobbies, four Sparrowhawks, two Little Owls, 200 Swallows, 12 House Martins, three Common Whitethroats, three Blackcaps, 15 Blackcaps, a Willow Warbler, 50 Linnets and three Yellowhammers.
The edge of Pages Acre played host to a Purple Hairstreak and eight Speckled Woods were counted. A Silver-washed Fritillary was at Banstead Woods.
Geoff Barter, Steve Gale and Paul Goodman
The edge of Pages Acre played host to a Purple Hairstreak and eight Speckled Woods were counted. A Silver-washed Fritillary was at Banstead Woods.
Geoff Barter, Steve Gale and Paul Goodman
31st August
A vigil at the farm produced a four Sand Martins, around 10 House Martins, a Hobby and around 100 Swallows of particular note.
Geoff Barter and Duncan Jennings
Geoff Barter and Duncan Jennings
Join our Autumn Migration Tour, Saturday 3rd September
Meet at
Canons Farmhouse, led by Paul Goodman. Starts 09:00, ends
12:00. Possibility of Common Redstart, Spotted
Flycatcher, Wheatear, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail and a variety of other migrants.
30th August
A good day of hirundine movement at the farm, with three Sand Martins, 25+ House Martins and 350+ Swallows. Two Rooks there are also worth mentioning. It was just local birds at Banstead Woods, with seven Common Buzzards, a Kestrel, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and two Bullfinches of interest.
A Clouded Yellow, two Brown Hairstreaks, three Small Heaths, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Red Admiral and 26 Brown Argus, 2 Common Darters and a Southern Hawker were also logged among the butterflies and odonata.
Geoff Barter and Duncan Jennings
A Clouded Yellow, two Brown Hairstreaks, three Small Heaths, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Red Admiral and 26 Brown Argus, 2 Common Darters and a Southern Hawker were also logged among the butterflies and odonata.
Geoff Barter and Duncan Jennings
29th August
The highlight of a session at the Woods was a Great Black-backed Gull over Valley Meadows at 11:37. A Hobby was clocked as it circled high over Holly Lane Meadow, where a Collared Dove was noteworthy. A Rook flew over Hither Field and a Mistle Thrush was in Fames Rough while six Bullfinches were counted.
Four Brown Hairstreaks included two at The Nuttery and a male Chalkhill Blue was still out in Valley Meadows, representing the pick of the lepidoptera. Circle Field had a Common Darter.
Ian Ward
Four Brown Hairstreaks included two at The Nuttery and a male Chalkhill Blue was still out in Valley Meadows, representing the pick of the lepidoptera. Circle Field had a Common Darter.
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| Common Darter, Circle Field, Ian Ward |
28th August
Green Belt Field had a Northern Wheatear and there were also two Swallows and a Common Whitethroat at the farm.
Single Brown Hairstreaks were spotted on the east side of Ruffett Wood and along Slangs. A female Common Darter was in Circle Field.
Ian Ward
Single Brown Hairstreaks were spotted on the east side of Ruffett Wood and along Slangs. A female Common Darter was in Circle Field.
Ian Ward
27th August
Four Whinchats flicked from the Harrier Field hedgerow and 60 Swallows fed at the farm. A Common Buzzard was seen at Fames Rough and there were two Bullfinches in The Scrub.
A Clouded Yellow frequented Hither Field and other Banstead Woods butterflies included two Silver-washed Fritillaries, 15 Speckled Woods, a Small Copper, a Holly Blue and 15 Brown Argus. At the farm, a Painted Lady was notable. A Migrant Hawker was also noted.
Paul Goodman, Ian Magness, Ian Ward
A Clouded Yellow frequented Hither Field and other Banstead Woods butterflies included two Silver-washed Fritillaries, 15 Speckled Woods, a Small Copper, a Holly Blue and 15 Brown Argus. At the farm, a Painted Lady was notable. A Migrant Hawker was also noted.
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| Holly Blue, The Nuttery, Ian Magness |
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| Migrant Hawker, Perrotts by Wood, Ian Ward |
Paul Goodman, Ian Magness, Ian Ward
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