25th March

Weather: NW to W f2-3, sunny, dry and mild, 12°C

The weather may have been spring-like (and the butterflies were certainly out in good number), but the migrants were noticeable by their absence. Highlight was a single Red-legged Partridge in Broadfield, just about hanging on to its status as a scarce annual visitor.

Canons Farm: 1 COMMON BUZZARD (Broadfield),  1 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE (Broadfield, North Horse Pasture area at 09.36hrs, 71st species recorded this year)7 ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET (including nesting in a tree-hole in Tawny Wood), 6 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, 4 GREEN WOODPECKER, 8 SKYLARK (various fields), 3 PIED WAGTAIL, 1 MEADOW PIPIT (over Reads Bottom), 6 SONG THRUSH, 20+ REDWING (10+ Chipstead Meadow,10+ Legal & General), 30+ FIELDFARE (Broadfield), 1 MISTLE THRUSH (singing in Ruffett Wood), 1 NUTHATCH (Tawny Wood), 2 COAL TIT (both singing in Tawny Wood), 2 JAY, 1 BULLFINCH ( within the Legal & General complex), 6 GOLDFINCH, 2 SISKIN (1 Legal & General, 1 Ruffett Wood), 2 YELLOWHAMMER (1 North Horse Pasture (singing), 1 Reads Bottom).
Red-legged Partridge, Broadfield, 25/03/16 (Ian Ward)
Banstead Woods: 2 MALLARD (♂ ♀ Piddly Pond), 2 COMMON BUZZARD, 3 STOCK DOVE (singing), 7 GREEN WOODPECKER, 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, 1 TAWNY OWL (heard by Fames Rough), 2 MEADOW PIPIT (Hither Field), 3 TREECREEPER, 1 SISKIN (Estate side).

Other wildlife: Butterflies; 10 Brimstone, 4 Peacock, 4 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Comma. Mammals; Red Fox. Plants: Toothwort beginning to show at The Slangs.

Observers: Ian Magness, Ian Ward