Back to patch

Having returned from Lewis it was straight back to the grind, and as a result the patch has received little attention. When you visit an area as frequently as I do, a couple of weeks away can feel like a very long time, and it can take a while to generate the same levels of motivation for visiting. This time off from patch duties is the start of a gradual weaning process; various factors mean I simply can't cover Thorncombe Street like I have done these past few years anymore, and near-daily coverage and annual reports will be a thing of the past from next year.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Allden's Hill, 13/10/2018.

Despite this, it'll always be 'my' place, and a first choice for a bit of birding. Last weekend I was both surprised and pleased to pin down the female Black Redstart at Bonhurst Farm; she's now been present for two months, and the possibility of her wintering looks good. Duck numbers have clearly increased, with a new site record of 22 Gadwall on Mill Pond on Sunday. Later that day three Hawfinches flew over Allden's Hill (possibly local-ish?), and the first Redwings and Bramblings of the season have been jotted down. I look forward to some vismig sessions locally, if only the weather will ever allow it...

It's been a tough autumn for us inland birders, though it's not exactly been raining migrants elsewhere in the country. Easterlies have been at an absolute premium and Surrey – even by it’s own poor (lets be honest!) standards – has had a weak season so far. Walton has scored some decent stuff including Cattle Egret and Wryneck, and the Tice's Meadow crew also found a couple of the former species, which is still rare in the county (though probably not for long). However, aside from Beddington pulling a brief Camargue disguise, and a couple of sharp-eyed observers spotting seabirds, it's been slow-going. The apparent decline of active birders in the county probably doesn't help. Maybe it's just a late autumn though, as seems to be the case increasingly, and I remember last year enjoying a couple of excellent vismig sessions in mid-November. 

On a separate note, if you're reading this then maybe you'd like to read my summary of the Woodpecker Network Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 2018 report. Thorncombe Street is one of 2-4 known remaining breeding sites in Surrey. While the species is declining nationally, the trend is seemingly not as bad as anticipated, and I've no doubt that birds must go undetected in the vast swathes of suitable habitat in the county. So, next February and March, if you have some spare time on a still morning why not walk a stretch of quiet local woodland and try to find some?