10 May 2026: Banstead Arts Festival walk - lead by Paul Goodman and Annie and Barry Griffin

 Today was the annual Banstead Arts Festival guided bird walk. It was cool and breezy so not ideal for birding. An obliging Little Own showed well and reasonable numbers of Swallows, Swifts and a few House Martins passed through.

Little Owl at Canons Farmhouse

Canons Farm 

Herring Gull            1

Little Owl                1

Swift                        12

House Martins        3

Swallows                14

Whitethroat            5

Blackcap                1

Kestrel                   1 - 2 Probably a male and a female hunting, one seen carrying food as it flew over

Red Kite                1

Buzzard                2

Linnet                    6

Skylark                10+

Yellowhammer    2 One carrying nest material

Goldfinch            5

Chaffinch            1

Greenfinch        1 Singing at Burgh Heath 

House Sparrow    4

Great Spotted Woodpecker  1

Song Thrush        1

Banstead Woods

Nuthatch            1

Skylark               1 Singing over Hither Field 

Chiffchaff           2

Blackcap            2

Green Woodpecker   2 

Song Thrush        1 

 Photographs below are by Barry Griffin

Roe Deer

Goldfinch

Female Yellowhammer collecting nest material

Goldfinches

Song Thrush at Canons Farm

Swallow

Little Owl

Male Kestrel

Skylark

House Sparrow

Song Thrush in Banstead Woods

8 May 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward

 

Mallard	1 flew SW over the woods 18:55
Swift	3 high over Chipstead Car Park 18:24
Lesser Black-backed Gull	1 flew NE with an imm  Herring Gull 18:05
Painted Lady	2

 

6 May 2026: Banstead Woods Bird Count - Paul Goodman

 

Chiffchaff

General comments	Bird survey
Pheasant	2
Stock Dove	11
Woodpigeon	7
Common Buzzard	1
Great Spotted Woodpecker	8
Green Woodpecker	4
Rose-ringed Parakeet	2
Jay	4
Magpie	5
Jackdaw	23
Coal Tit	2
Blue Tit	11
Great Tit	8
Chiffchaff	23
Blackcap	31
Whitethroat	3
Goldcrest	1
Firecrest	1
Nuthatch	5
Wren	70
Song Thrush	4
Blackbird	46
Robin	64
Dunnock	3
Chaffinch	2
Brimstone	3
Small White	1
Speckled Wood	2
Small Heath	2 Perrots by Wood (Canons Farm)

 

4 May 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward

 

Oak Processionary moth caterpillars

Moorhen	1
Herring Gull	2
Red Kite	1
Common Buzzard	2
Kestrel	1
Blackcap	3
Whitethroat	2; both singing-1 by Outwood Lane Lagoon (new in), 1 in Stagbury
Song Thrush	2 singing in Stagbury
Goldfinch	1 singing by the Scouts Huts
Painted Lady	1
Rabbits	30 in Holly Lane Meadow

 

2 May 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward

 

Mallard	3 flew N high over the woods towards Woodmansterne 16:50
Swift	2 circled prior to the rain belt 16:56
Red Kite	1 flew SW 17:16

 

2 May 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman

 

Female Yellowhammer

Wheatear in Broadfield

White Helleborine

 

Pheasant	3
Swift	4 Circling high at 8:30 am
Herring Gull	14 over
Common Buzzard	1
Skylark	14+
Chiffchaff	3
Blackcap	8
Whitethroat	10
Starling	20+ collecting food and which they take to nests in Burgh Heath and Banstead
Mistle Thrush	1 called briefly near L&G
Song Thrush	2
Wheatear	1 Broadfield
House Sparrow	20 Seem to be fewer than in previous years
Chaffinch	2
Yellowhammer	2 Pair.
White Helleborine (orchid)	3 flower spikes in Holly Wood. Different location to previous sighting a few years ago

 

30 April 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward

 

Red Kite	1
Firecrest	1 singing in a new area
Small Copper	2 in Holly lane Meadows

29 April 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman

 

General comments	Very windy
Swallow	1
Chiffchaff	1
Blackcap	3
Whitethroat	6
Wheatear	1 Broadfield
Green-veined White	1
Holly Blue	2

26 April 2026: Canons Farm - Tony Blake

 

General comments	A quick 55 minute visit where interesting and unexpected sightings piled up!
Little Owl	1 - hunting around the farmhouse at dusk.
Green Woodpecker	1 - heard
Skylark	3
Whitethroat	3
Song Thrush	2
Blackbird	1
Wheatear	1 - in field at Reeds Bottom.
Chaffinch	1
Linnet	1
Goldfinch	3
Yellowhammer	2
Cuckoo	Heard distantly at 19.58 and again at 20.25.
Roe Deer	1

 

Badger

1 - opposite farm house. Heard an intense scratching and a badger scuttled out from the hedge and across the track in front of me at 20.25.

Canons Farm - Hobby and Cuckoo

 A Hobby flew over Canons farm yesterday (25th reported by Tony Blake) and a Cuckoo was heard at the farm this morning (26th reported by Grant) near the horses paddock.

25 April 2026: Canons Farm Whinchats - Paul Goodman

 A male and a female were at Reeds Bottom today. Later, the male was heard singing. Spring Whinchat have become quite scarce in our area in recent years. Also, one of the Partridge has reappeared.

Chiffchaff	4
Blackcap	3
Whitethroat	6
Whinchat	2 Male and Female at Reed's Bottom
Yellowhammer	1
Other bird 1 (type species)	Red legged partridge
Other bird 1 number and details	1 Pheasant Field
Brimstone	4
Small White	5+
Orange-tip	2
Red Admiral	1
Peacock	2

24 April 2026: Banstead Woods - Paul Goodman

 

Green Hairstreak

Dingy Skipper

General comments	Marsh tit pair and 7 butterfly species
Kestrel	1 Male
Marsh Tit	2. A pair together, female wing shivering and male feeding female so likely to breed. Different location to pair seen in March
Chiffchaff	14+
Blackcap	14+
Whitethroat	2
Chaffinch	1
Dingy Skipper	14
Brimstone	6
Small White	3+
Orange-tip	2
Red Admiral	1
Speckled Wood	1
Common Blue	2
Green Hairstreak	4

 

24 April 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman

 

Mallard	2 Over, from Burgh Heath towards Banstead Woods
Common Buzzard	1
Kestrel	1
House Martin	2
Chiffchaff	5
Blackcap	5
Whitethroat	4
Starling	10+ collecting food which they carry to nests at Burgh Heath
Robin	1+ carrying food
Brimstone	6
Small White	6
Orange-tip	1
Peacock	2
Holly Blue	6+

 

24 April 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward

 

Green Carpet Moth

Grizzled Skipper - Fames Rough Field

Green Hairstreak - Hither Field

 

Red Kite	2 flew over towards Shabden Park
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 drumming
Green Woodpecker	1
Kestrel	1 m- lots of pellets on the paths
Whitethroat	1 singing
Bullfinch	1 fem
Dingy Skipper	c15-20
Grizzled Skipper	2
Brimstone	c20-30 mainly males
Orange-tip	3
Comma	1
Red Admiral	2
Peacock	3
Speckled Wood	1
Small Heath	2
Holly Blue	5
Small Copper	1
Green Hairstreak	3; 2,FR , 1 Hither field

 

24 April 2026: Canons Farm - Ian Ward

 

Juvenile Blackbird

Pheasant	1
Common Buzzard	1
Blackcap	5
Whitethroat	5
Blackbird	Juveniles in the Slangs
Goldfinch	1
Yellowhammer	2

 

20 April 2026: Banstead Woodds - Ian Ward

 

Male Orange Tip Butterfly

General comments	c13 Longhorn Beetle species high in the Nuttery canopy. (nearby vicinity; 2 Green Hairstreaks on Park Downs)
Moorhen	Pair in Outwood Lane ‘Lagoon’
Herring Gull	1
Red Kite	1
Common Buzzard	3
Green Woodpecker	2
Raven	1 heard cronking over Harholt 15:11
Swallow	1 flew low N over Hither fields 13:42
Chiffchaff	c6
Long-tailed Tit	1
Blackcap	c10
Whitethroat	2 singing in the Nuttery
Brimstone	9+
Large White	1
Orange-tip	2
Comma	1
Red Admiral	1
Peacock	7
Speckled Wood	5
Holly Blue	4

 

19 April 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman

 

Red Kite	1
Common Buzzard	1
Kestrel	1
Chiffchaff	2
Blackcap	6
Whitethroat	9
Wheatear	1 Broadfield
Brimstone	1
Green-veined White	1
Small White	8
Peacock	4
Speckled Wood	1
Holly Blue	1

 

17 April 2026: Canons Farm - Wheatears - Paul Goodman

 

Two migrant Wheatear at Reeds Bottom

 

Common Buzzard	2
Coal Tit	1
Skylark	10+
Blackcap	5
Whitethroat	7
Starling	4+ carrying food towards Burgh Heath
Song Thrush	4
Wheatear	2 Broadfield
Chaffinch	1
Linnet	8
Yellowhammer	3
Green-veined White	1
Orange-tip	1

 

15 April 2026: Banstead Woods - Rob

 Evening Walk in Banstead Woods-open field  

Great Spotted Woodpecker        1

Green Woodpecker                    2 

14 April 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Pratley

 

Pheasant	2
feral Rock Dove	1
Woodpigeon	4
Moorhen	1 Lagoon
Sparrowhawk	1 in woods near Perrots Farm
Red Kite	1 flew over lagoon
Common Buzzard	1 flew over Park Farm
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2
Green Woodpecker	5
Kestrel	1 hunting over Fames Rough then flew into woods
Rose-ringed Parakeet	2
Magpie	10
Jackdaw	27
Carrion Crow	7
Blue Tit	2
Great Tit	17
Chiffchaff	19
Long-tailed Tit	1
Blackcap	13
Firecrest	1 singing between estate and Perrots Farm
Nuthatch	7
Treecreeper	1 orchard
Wren	20
Song Thrush	2
Blackbird	10
Robin	28
Goldfinch	1
Brimstone	14, 13 male, 1 female
Rabbit	1