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Surrey Birding (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter devilbirder
- Start date
Clive Watson
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit ampheta
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Two-barred Crossbill again at 0855hrs this morning at Leith Hill. Call of another bird reminiscent of Parrot Crossbill but none of us had eyes on. At least 15 Common Crossbill and the odd overflying Brambling. Worth keeping your ears and eyes open.
cranleighcrake
Active member
Does anyone know if the jack snipe is / are still at Tices Meadow and where best to see them?
Thanks in advance for any help the forum can offer.
Thanks in advance for any help the forum can offer.
Tri-Counties Birder
AKA The Portland Naturalist
There is a thread dedicated to Tice's Meadow, here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=194943&page=56
They are probably there all the time, but virtually impossible to see. The only way they've been found in recent days is to go out onto the marsh and flush them.
Clive Watson
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit ampheta
Hi Clive,
Nice photos.
Not many places in Surrey where you can get that close to a Med Gull!
It was there all morning and I assume it is the same one I saw back in September. Since then it has become more skilled at taking the bread but still less so than the BHG's.
Kevin
sighting of a large fabulous owl at Redhill station
I saw a fabulous large Owl very clearly as the train was just beginning to leave Redhill station this morning on route to Gatwick airport. It was just sitting on a post or something and I saw it sideways first with dark ears noticeable. Then the train crawled passed it so close and I got a full frontal view of a large Owl, an unusual one with the top of the face in a noticeable very dark v shape. It was so dark it seemed black to me. I have seen white barn owls before in Northern Ireland but never one like this and from looking at pictures I would be pretty sure I saw an Eagle Owl. I wonder did anyone else see it recently or hopefully someone will look out for it as Im back home now in Ireland. It was just so amazing and I will never forget its face...
I saw a fabulous large Owl very clearly as the train was just beginning to leave Redhill station this morning on route to Gatwick airport. It was just sitting on a post or something and I saw it sideways first with dark ears noticeable. Then the train crawled passed it so close and I got a full frontal view of a large Owl, an unusual one with the top of the face in a noticeable very dark v shape. It was so dark it seemed black to me. I have seen white barn owls before in Northern Ireland but never one like this and from looking at pictures I would be pretty sure I saw an Eagle Owl. I wonder did anyone else see it recently or hopefully someone will look out for it as Im back home now in Ireland. It was just so amazing and I will never forget its face...
Earthwatcher
New member
Grebe?
Trying to identify small grebe-like bird spotted yesterday on the River Wey, Pyrford. Poor pic I'm afraid. Could it have been a red-necked grebe? Juvenile?
I'm informed now it's a little grebe, fits with size as it wasn't much bigger than a duckling.
Trying to identify small grebe-like bird spotted yesterday on the River Wey, Pyrford. Poor pic I'm afraid. Could it have been a red-necked grebe? Juvenile?
I'm informed now it's a little grebe, fits with size as it wasn't much bigger than a duckling.
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RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
There is a exceptional number of Bramblings at Crooksbury Common. Currently upwards of 100 flying into roost. I was there yesterday and at 1430hrs around 22 flew in and more were arriving as I left. Rich Horton and Neil Randon have both confirmed numbers well into the 100.
Park in the car park and walk on the path leading away. The birds intially fly into the oaks and silver birch to the right of the path and move on continuing to the right before they roost in laural bushes c200m from the carpark. Another place to view is from the equestrian field adjacent to the car-aprk but be aware this is private property albeit rarely used.
Nearby:
About 29 Mandarin (often displaying) at Cutt Mill along with the now regular Goosander.
Great Grey Shrike at Thursley Common.
Balc-necked Grebe at Tice's Meadow.
Park in the car park and walk on the path leading away. The birds intially fly into the oaks and silver birch to the right of the path and move on continuing to the right before they roost in laural bushes c200m from the carpark. Another place to view is from the equestrian field adjacent to the car-aprk but be aware this is private property albeit rarely used.
Nearby:
About 29 Mandarin (often displaying) at Cutt Mill along with the now regular Goosander.
Great Grey Shrike at Thursley Common.
Balc-necked Grebe at Tice's Meadow.
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RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Agree with Sean but of course don't walk out into the meadow and flush. Snipe counts by the bird group take place under controlled measures on an infrequent basis. Counts have all but ceased now as suitable habitat is covered by water and the risk of disturbance is increasing.
Looks like this winter the best place to view Jack Snipe is at WWT London.
Almost daily sightings of one or two.
Kevin
RJSeargent
Birding at the taxpayer's expense. Head down, bin
Has anyone taken a closer look at the Farnham Heath 2B XB? I was taken in on the whole 2B XB thing and still hope it is. Yesterday however it was seen courtship feeding a Crossbill.
Could this bird be a hybrid? They do hybridise with Crossbill.
Rationale behind this is:
It calls like a 2B XB but a hybrid could do this. I am not the only one to hear it call. Reminds me a lot of a Red-breasted Nuthatch and this is often quoted in Canada as pointer to identification.
2B XB First winter males are generally green.
No tertial spots - moulting is a possibility but most birds have them throughout; that said they can wear out during moulting
Wing bars look good size wise but something is just not right.
BWP suggests that in juvenile Two-barred Crossbills there is a partial moult involving ‘head, body, and lesser as well as some to all median and greater upper wing coverts; occasionally a few tertials’ which usually takes place June-November, depending on time of fledging.
As I said I hope this bird is what he is currently deemed to be but we ought to consider a hybrid Crossbill in my opinion. This is not the first time - trawling through Google I found this:
http://birdingfrontiers.com/2013/12/03/the-lynford-arboretum-crossbill-with-white-wing-bars/
Your thoughts please.
Could this bird be a hybrid? They do hybridise with Crossbill.
Rationale behind this is:
It calls like a 2B XB but a hybrid could do this. I am not the only one to hear it call. Reminds me a lot of a Red-breasted Nuthatch and this is often quoted in Canada as pointer to identification.
2B XB First winter males are generally green.
No tertial spots - moulting is a possibility but most birds have them throughout; that said they can wear out during moulting
Wing bars look good size wise but something is just not right.
BWP suggests that in juvenile Two-barred Crossbills there is a partial moult involving ‘head, body, and lesser as well as some to all median and greater upper wing coverts; occasionally a few tertials’ which usually takes place June-November, depending on time of fledging.
As I said I hope this bird is what he is currently deemed to be but we ought to consider a hybrid Crossbill in my opinion. This is not the first time - trawling through Google I found this:
http://birdingfrontiers.com/2013/12/03/the-lynford-arboretum-crossbill-with-white-wing-bars/
Your thoughts please.
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Allen S. Moore
Well-known member
Riverside Garden Park, Horley
I travel through Gatwick Airport quite a lot and notice that the above named park is just north of North Terminal. With a few hours to spare between flights, would it be worth it bird-wise to have a look in the park?
Allen
I travel through Gatwick Airport quite a lot and notice that the above named park is just north of North Terminal. With a few hours to spare between flights, would it be worth it bird-wise to have a look in the park?
Allen
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
I live fairly close to Gatwick and I must admit I've never heard of that park - probably worth a go. Let us know how you get on.
Ken
Allen S. Moore
Well-known member
I was there on Sunday morning. There were quite a few of the more common bird species. I saw jays and heard 3 nuthatches, both species which don't live over here in the Isle of Man. I also saw a great spotted woodpecker in trees along one of the streets from the railway station.
Back in the area and have converted my old Busbridge and Tuesley Farm blog to a Godalming Area sightings page.
Thought I'd post the link in case anyone is interested, contributions welcome - http://godalmingareabirds.blogspot.co.uk/
Thought I'd post the link in case anyone is interested, contributions welcome - http://godalmingareabirds.blogspot.co.uk/
mattytheduke
Well-known member
On a related note to Ed's post above, I have recently started working at Winkworth Arboretum and have set up a blog to document bird and other wildlife sightings from the site:
http://wildwinkworth.blogspot.co.uk/
Matt
http://wildwinkworth.blogspot.co.uk/
Matt
Woking Leisure centre 9.00
I am a Birmingham & Essex, kingfisher spotter. We are stopping in Surrey visiting friends. I had to drop someone off at Woking Leisure centre. I took a quick look around the grounds. I saw a bird fly low across a frozen pond and thought possible kingfisher. I took a closer look and it was was a kingfisher and it flew back past me. Then I saw it fly up the river. It stopped on a couple perches and dived for a fish. Great!!
I am a Birmingham & Essex, kingfisher spotter. We are stopping in Surrey visiting friends. I had to drop someone off at Woking Leisure centre. I took a quick look around the grounds. I saw a bird fly low across a frozen pond and thought possible kingfisher. I took a closer look and it was was a kingfisher and it flew back past me. Then I saw it fly up the river. It stopped on a couple perches and dived for a fish. Great!!
