Godstone to Holmethorpe Sand Pits, Surrey ... 10th June 2010

My wife, Sue, needed more work doing on her car - welding this time, so it was a drive back to Godstone again to drop the car off and then the long walk home. This time Sue decided to join me.

It drizzled most of the way and I was surprised at how few birds we saw during the two and half hours it took to reach home - a calling Coal Tit, three Skylarks, about 30 Herring Gulls heading north and a juvenile Jackdaw that let me approach to within a few feet. (I'm pretty sure it was a Jackdaw although I was surprised that it had a dark iris. I feel I should already know whether young birds have a pale or dark iris, but as Norman Wisdom said - "As you get older, three things go. The first is your memory.... and I can't remember what the other two things are!")



A few Common Spotted Orchids were by a bridge near the M23 motorway and, across Mercers Farm, a single Corn Marigold was a welcomed sight.





I've got to make the return walk to Godstone on Tuesday to collect the car so, hopefully, the weather will improve by then and there will be more to report. I doubt Sue will want to join me on this walk again though, as we were both complaining of aches and pains by the time we got home! What a pair of old farts we are!

Graham

Godstone to Holmethorpe Sand Pits, Surrey ... 7th June 2010

My wife's car needed a couple of jobs done, so I dropped it off at our usual garage, D. D. Services at Godstone (highly recommended - a plug for you Dave and Dave) at 8.30 a.m.
I could have got the bus back for part of the way home but decided to walk the 6 miles or so and see what was about.

At Godstone village green, a pair of Egyptian Geese had four goslings and across the road, behind the White Hart pub/restaurant, lies Bay Pond. Managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust, this pond has suffered from pollution from agricultural run-off in the past and is now recovering.
It does not seem to hold much in the way of wildfowl but did have a Bittern there for a few days early in the year. Unfortunately, news of this bird was suppressed, so few birders got to see it.


The pond at Godstone village green



Today, Bay Pond held a pair of nesting Great Crested Grebes and two Cormorants and a group of mixed-up Mallards, but not much else.


Bay Pond at Godstone

Walking back to the White Hart pub, a good number of Feral Pigeons were on the roof of one of the buildings.
The White Hart, which dates from the early 16th century, is said to have a highwayman that haunts the old coaching inn, and Queen Victoria is said to have stayed there on her way to Brighton. Underground tunnels run from the White Hart to the nearby Bell Inn.


The White Hart at Godstone

Time to leave Godstone and head home along the footpath by the A25. The only bird noted was a Kestrel that flew low over the road at Bletchingley.
Bletchingley is a pretty village with a pub/restaurant also called The Whyte Harte Hotel (different spelling). This dates back to 1388 is said to be one of the few surviving Medieval inns in Britain.


The Whyte Harte Hotel at Bletchingley


Bletchingley

A short break on a bench for a bar of chocolate and a cold drink before heading on. I turned off the main road and headed down the lanes, where there are good views of the North Downs, before heading back, under the M23, and onto my local patch at Holmethorpe Sand Pits.
By now, my legs were telling me that I had walked far enough, so I rested a while at the M23 end of Mercers Farm and was serenaded by a couple of Skylarks in song-flight.


The view from the eastern end of Mercers Farm looking towards
Reigate Hill in the distance. It looks tranquil, but the M23 is just yards
away behind me.

At Spynes Mere, a Little Owl was perched on an oak and a few Common Whitethroats were singing their scratchy songs. A Blackcap, a Garden Warbler, one Reed Warbler and a couple of Chiffchaffs were also singing, and a female Shelduck flew over, heading for where she had left her young at the pit. As in previous years, when they have occasionally bred, it seems that the adults are prepared to leave their young unattended for long periods, making them vulnerable to predation.
I walked the north path of Mercers Lake, just noting a few noisy Ring-necked Parakeets before heading home.
On arriving home, a Jackdaw was perched outside my kitchen window, on a nearby roof.



Thankfully, it didn't rain this morning but the forecast for the rest of week is not so good and I have the return walk to make to collect the car, when the repairs are completed (or maybe I'll just get the bus!).

Graham

Holmethorpe Sand Pits, Surrey ... Tuesday 25th May 2010

A visit to our local patch this morning proved to be more productive than expected. It was much cooler than yesterday with a brisk NE blowing.
There were plenty of warblers about, with five Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs, six Common Whitethroats and a Willow Warbler all in full song.


CHIFFCHAFF (Graham)

On one of the pits, seven Egyptian Geese were gathered on the bank and around the small reedbed, four Reed Warblers were pumping out their song, with another heard at one of the other pits. A Lapwing flew over, as did a Cuckoo, calling as it went, and a Common Sandpiper flew around the water’s edge with possibly another landing behind an island.
On the farm fields, eighty-one Greylag Geese and twelve Canada Geese were feeding as a Skylark flew overhead in song-flight. A few Sand Martins were over the pits as were about twenty Swifts.
As we wandered towards Mercers Lake, Paul noticed a raptor being mobbed over the North Downs in the distance – a Red Kite, whilst two Common Buzzards were soaring over the ridge to the south of the local patch.
At another area of the Holmethorpe Sand Pits complex, a sub-adult Hobby was perched on a fence post, occasionally putting on an aerobatic display as it hunted insects.


HOBBY (Paul)


HOBBY (Graham)

The final notable bird of the day was a Common Tern that alighted on a pump on one of the pits, remaining there for some time.


COMMON TERN (Paul)

Showers are forecast for tomorrow, so expectations are high that something out of the ordinary may drop in.

Paul & Graham

Dungeness & Rye Harbour ... Tuesday 18th May 2010

Gordon and I took a trip to Dungeness and Rye Harbour today and it turned out to be well worth the effort.
Starting out from home at 5 a.m., we avoided the worst of the traffic and were soon up at the Patch at Dungeness for a seawatch.
In the distance, about 15 Gannets were cruising back and forth, occasionally diving for fish, whilst one Little Tern, 3 Sandwich Terns, around 80 Common Terns and 3 Arctic Terns were closer to the shore. Two Fulmars were present and a winter-plumaged Guillemot was on the sea whilst a first-year Kittiwake was on the beach with some Common Terns. Eighteen Common Scoters headed east in two groups.


KITTIWAKE

We were soon joined by Dave Walker, the Dungeness Bird Observatory warden, and we soon picked out 2 Red-throated Divers in the distance on the water and Dave located 3 Shelducks heading east. Six Oystercatchers also passed by. The bright, clear conditions were soon transformed when a thick mist rolled in off the sea. Several Porpoises were feeding in the area.


GORDON & DAVE WALKER

A pair of Black Redstarts were at the power station and possibly a second pair were near the observatory. Five Wheatears were noted around the estate and a Hare, a Skylark and 2 Red-legged Partridges were on the beach not far from the fishing boats.


WHEATEAR male

Heading on to the RSPB reserve, where the mist had not reached, 4 Red-legged Partridges were by the access track. Burrowes Pit was very quiet with little of note, the water level being very high at present, but a Cuckoo was heard calling in that area. A very smart Wood Sandpiper was on the partially flooded field by Christmas Dell.



WOOD SANDPIPER

At Christmas Dell hide we hit the jackpot when Gordon spotted the Purple Heron in flight. It landed in a reeded area at the back of the pit and remained elusive for some time. Eventually it appeared in a clearing and eventually flew passed us. Distant views, but good enough to see all the features for a possitive ID.




PURPLE HERON

At Dengemarsh Hide, a male Marsh Harrier was patrolling and we later saw a female. A pair of Common Terns were on one of the rafts, the male having caught a Rudd that was obviously too large. He tried presenting it to the female, who refused it, so he endeavoured to swallow it himself. This took some time and he eventually manged to devour it, but not without some obvious discomfort. A Black-tailed Godwit and a few Oystercatchers were present in this area.


COMMON TERNS

Cetti's Warblers were calling all around the reserve and we counted at least nine birds and got views of two of them.
By Hookers Pit, a Lesser Whitethroat gave its rattling song and at the viewing ramp, 2 Bearded Tits gave brief views whilst 2 Hobbies were circling overhead.
Near the return trail, a Tree Sparrow was feeding on the ground and 2 Mediterranean Gulls flew over calling.


TREE SPARROW


SEDGE WARBLER

We returned to the car and headed for the Hanson-ARC Pit. A Little Egret was by one of the pools near Boulderwall Farm. The Hanson-ARC Pit proved to be very quite, with little on show so we decided to head for Rye Harbour reserve.

Rye Harbour proved worthwhile, although visbility was poor with mist shrouding the area.
Around 10 Avocets, many Oystercatchers (probably reaching three figures), 10 plus Redshanks, 5 Turnstones, around 20 Mediterranean Gulls, 30 plus Ringed Plovers, 53 Dunlin, 2 male Wheatears, about 50 Common Terns, 3 Little Terns, 40 Sandwich Terns, 9 Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Sanderling, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Grey Plover, 1 Knot, a male Shoveler and 2 Cuckoos were all on show.


GREY PLOVER

Gordon & Graham