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

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