Muntjac Deer 1 in Hill Wood. This may be our first record for this species
20 September 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| Herring Gull | 3 |
| Red Kite | 1 |
| Chiffchaff | 3 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 2 |
| Nuthatch | 1 |
| Linnet | 40 |
| Yellowhammer | 2 |
20 September 2026: Canons Farm - Darragh Culley
Selected records (via eBird)
| House Martin | 25 |
| Stonechat | 2 |
| Pied Wagtail | 1 |
| Meadow Pipit | 3 |
| Chaffinch | 5 |
| Linnet | 75 |
September - Migration update
August and September are the peak months for return migration and 2026 has been fairly typical overall so far. There have been many more Wheatear that in the last few years (the most so far since 2021) , but seemingly fewer hirundines than in 2025 although Steve Gale reported 950 House Martins and 120 Swallows passing through the farm one day recently. The lack of feeding flocks of hirundines may reflect a lack of flying insects over the farm due to the Summer drought and heatwave.
There have been several records of Lesser Whitethroat, a fair number of Willow Warblers. Only one Spotted Flycatcher and two Redstarts are sadly now a typical number. Good numbers of Hobbies have been reported which may have included a locally breeding pair with more recent records likely to be migrants. Autumn migration is far from over as birds will continue to pass through into October with more unusual species possible.
16 September 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| Black-headed Gull | 1 |
| Red Kite | 1 |
| Chiffchaff | 5 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 1 |
| Goldcrest | 1 |
| Dunnock | 8 |
| Linnet | 40 |
| Yellowhammer | 1 |
| Small White | 1 |
| Small Heath | 1 |
15 September 2026: Banstead Woods - Paul Goodman
| General comments | 5 mixed flocks today, one large one near Piddly Pond. Plenty of migrants today including, a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warblers and a Swallow. |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Coal Tit | 1 |
| Marsh Tit | 1 |
| Blue Tit | 70+ |
| Great Tit | 60+ |
| Skylark | 1 over Hither Field |
| Swallow | 1 |
| Chiffchaff | 12 |
| Willow Warbler | 3 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 10+ |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Lesser Whitethroat | 1 Hither Field |
| Nuthatch | 6 |
| Dunnock | 3 |
| Clouded Yellow | 1 |
| Small White | 1 |
| Small Heath | 4 |
| Small Copper | 1 |
15 September 2026: Canons Farm - Tony Blake
| Stock Dove | c50 |
| Woodpigeon | 1+ |
| Red Kite | 1 |
| Common Buzzard | 3 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 - heard |
| Hobby | 1 |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | 2 - heard |
| Jay | 2 |
| Magpie | c5 |
| Jackdaw | 2 |
| Carrion Crow | c5 |
| Blue Tit | 1 |
| Swallow | 2 |
| Chiffchaff | 4 |
| Linnet | c30 |
14 September 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| Red Kite | 1 |
| Common Buzzard | 2 |
| Kestrel | 1 |
| Jay | 12 |
| Skylark | 2 |
| Swallow | 19 |
| Chiffchaff | 2 |
| Willow Warbler | 1 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 8+ |
| Nuthatch | 1 |
| Linnet | 30 |
11 September 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 |
| Green Woodpecker | 3 |
| Coal Tit | 1 |
| Chiffchaff | 4 |
| Nuthatch | 2 |
| Linnet | 20 |
| Yellowhammer | 6 |
Recent migrants news
September is one of the best months for migrants in our area. An Osprey flew over Canons Farm on 4th, a Merlin was at Canons Farm on the 5th and Ian Ward photographed a Spotted Flycatcher and a Restart at Banstead Woods on the 6th. There have been passage Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warblers at the Farm recently. There are also the first signs of Winter with about 70 Linnets congregating at Canons Farm.
6 September 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward - Spotted Flycatcher and Redatart
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher |
 |
| Female Redstart |
 |
| Male Common Darter |
| Red Kite | 2 flew E over Hither fields 12:30 |
| Common Buzzard | 2 |
| Kestrel | 2; m/fem above Hither fields |
| Jay | 2 |
| Raven | 2 flew E over Hither fields into Shabden Park 12:40 |
| Swallow | 8 flew SE 12:27 |
| House Martin | 1 with Swallows |
| Chiffchaff | 3 |
| Redstart | 1 in the Nuttery 10:50 - 11:15 |
| Goldfinch | 3 |
| Spotted Flycatcher | 1 In the Nuttery |
| Clouded Yellow | 3 |
| Small White | 5 |
| Large White | 4 |
| Red Admiral | 1 |
| Meadow Brown | 6 |
| Small Heath | 30+ |
| Common Blue | 4 |
| Holly Blue | 1 |
| Small Copper | 2 |
| Brown Hairstreak | 2; 1 E of Hither field, 1 near the Nuttery |
| Southern Hawker | 1 |
| Migrant Hawker | 2 |
| Emperor | 1 |
| Common Darter | 1 |
| Lizard | 1 in the Nuttery |
5 September 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| Kestrel | 1 Female |
| Yellowhammer | 2 Juveniles |
| Small Heath | 3 |
4 September 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward
| Blackcap | 1m |
| Firecrest | 1 between post 8 & Elizabeth Drive crossing 16:15 |
4 September 2026: Canons Farm - Ian Ward
| Canada Goose | ‘Heard’ over Heathside field 10:35am |
| Black-headed Gull | 1 flew W |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 1 flew SW over Broadfields 13:05 |
| Sparrowhawk | 1 fem over Broadfields |
| Red Kite | 1 flew over Broadfields from the E 11:03 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Kestrel | Possibly 3; 1 m S of L&G complex, 1 fem mobile between Railway field & Lunch Banks, 1 fem on wires above Ballards field |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | c10 |
| Jay | 2 |
| Jackdaw | 100+ flushed up from L&G & Stoney Nob 12:50 |
| Coal Tit | 1 L&G |
| Swallow | 2 |
| Chiffchaff | 2 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 2 L&G |
| Nuthatch | 1 L&G |
| Mistle Thrush | 1 on Railway field |
| Linnet | c70+ |
| Goldfinch | 3 |
| Meadow Brown | 2 |
3 August 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| General comments | Mixed flock between Perrot's and Ruffet Wood with 8 species including Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warblers |
| Stock Dove | 10 |
| Herring Gull | 1 |
| Sparrowhawk | 1 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 |
| Coal Tit | 1 |
| Blue Tit | 14+ |
| Chiffchaff | 3 |
| Willow Warbler | 2 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 12+ |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Lesser Whitethroat | 1 |
| Whitethroat | 1 |
| Goldcrest | 1 |
| Nuthatch | 2 |
| Linnet | 6 |
1 September 2026: Banstead Woods - Paul Goodman
| Common Buzzard | 2 |
| Green Woodpecker | 1 |
| Hobby | 1 |
| Skylark | 1 Hither Field |
| Chiffchaff | 6 |
| Blackcap | 1 Female type |
| Nuthatch | 6 |
| Clouded Yellow | 1 |
| Small White | 5+ |
| Speckled Wood | 2 |
| Meadow Brown | 20+ |
| Small Heath | 20+ |
| Common Blue | 8+ |
| Brown Argus | 1 |
| Brown Hairstreak | 1 Female |
| Hummingbird Hawk Moth | 1 |
30 August 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward
 |
| Brown Hairstreak at Banstead Woods |
 |
| Willow Emerald. This photo was of one at Park Down on 18 Aug. |
| Red Kite | 1 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 juvenile |
| Kestrel | 1 |
| Swallow | 6 flew SE over Hither field |
| Chiffchaff | 2 |
| Clouded Yellow | 1 over the Nuttery |
| Green-veined White | 1 |
| Small White | c8 |
| Large White | 1 |
| Meadow Brown | 4 |
| Small Heath | c10 |
| Common Blue | 2 |
| Small Copper | 1 |
| Brown Hairstreak | 1 |
| Southern Hawker | 2 |
| Willow Emerald | 1 Willow Emerald briefly in a small enclosed paddock between Hither field/ Ramblers Rest |
1 Common Lizard in the Nuttery
30 August 2026: Banstead Woods - Paul Goodman
| Green Woodpecker | 1 |
| Chiffchaff | 4 |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Meadow Brown | 1 |
| Small Heath | 8 |
| Common Blue | 1 |
| Brown Argus | 1 |
| Southern Hawker | 1 |
30 August 2026: Canons Farm - Paul Goodman
| Stock Dove | 2+ |
| Herring Gull | 1 |
| Sparrowhawk | 1 |
| Red Kite | 1 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 2 |
| Green Woodpecker | 2 One juvenile seen |
| House Martin | 2+ |
| Chiffchaff | 1 |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Whitethroat | 4 |
| Goldcrest | 1 |
| Whinchat | 1 Hedge near green barn |
| Linnet | 8 |
| Small White | Present |
| Meadow Brown | 3 |
| Small Heath | 6 |
29 August 2026: Banstead Woods - Ian Ward
| Marsh Tit | 1 calling near post 6 |
| Mistle Thrush | 10 all together, landed on Pines near Park farm orchard 16:50 |
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