Gropper in Surrey?

[Stevie babe]

Last Friday I made the unforgiveable mistake of walking through my local patch at Riddlesdown (NE Surrey) without the bins. (Well I was walking home from the train at the bottom of the hill).

Up at the top of the hill where the land is totally flat and just about to pass by the old tree that has until recently been occupied by RN Parakeets when i heard what I thought might be the whirring call of a gropper. Mipits and skylarks frequent this patch but this did not sound quite right for either of them but neither is the habitat really correct for groppers. I saw it perched on the top of a long grass stalk but it flew off before i could get too close to it. Also unforgiveably I have not had the chance to go back and check this out so, calling on the local birders, if any of you have been through Ridlesdown in the last few days, do you know if a gropper been seen here .

Steve

[Clive Watson]

They've become pretty scarce in Surrey, that's not to say it's not possible. I'd love to get one in Surrey. By the way if you want to discuss birds in Surrey a bit more, you might be better off finding the Surrey Birding thread in the Local Patch subforum. That bit of the forum seems to be used much more than this bit.

[paulwfromtheden]

They've become pretty scarce in Surrey, that's not to say it's not possible. I'd love to get one in Surrey. By the way if you want to discuss birds in Surrey a bit more, you might be better off finding the Surrey Birding thread in the Local Patch subforum. That bit of the forum seems to be used much more than this bit.

We had one at Beddington last year, sadly no luck this year though.

[Stevie babe]

Tried to find again a couple of times.

Problem is the habitat isn't right for Groppers. Dry grassland with shrubby hedges
As said, the song wasn't right in that it didn't reel off long enough plus it was steady note easy to locate. Only seen 2 previously, one at Blindley Heath, Surrey (many many years ago) and one in West Dorset about 4 years ago. On both ocassions it was unmistakeable so I think I must have misheard this.

Noted Clive - just had to quickly get something off especially as I know there are about 4 BF members in the local neighbourhood.

Steve