Field Meeting Reports

Note: the December 2023 walk at Papercourt was cancelled due to weather.

Walk at Bedfont Lakes 21st November 2023

Walk at Kempton Nature Reserve on 17th October 2023

There were seven of us for the walk at Heather Farm on 19th September 2023. We began the walk through the nearby woods which proved to be very quiet bird wise - we heard Coal and Blue Tit and saw Crow and Woodpigeon. We did however see some Bracket fungi on a silver birch and a small Beefsteak fungus on an Oak tree. There were plenty of Earthball fungi amongst the trees. We heard a Wren alarm call- a churring sound rather than the usual loud song.

We carried on along the main path, stopping at each gate to see if there was anything of interest in the various fields. Two Pied Wagtails were spotted and Swallows were seen skimming the grass. Magpies were also seen in a further field. In the next field two Jays flew over and one landed on a nearby post giving us a good view.

As we turned away from the fields a rider and horse passed by and we were informed it was an Appaloosa with a rather beautiful black and white spotted coat pattern.

A Buzzard and Red Kite were seen flying overhead as we made our way to the more open grass and bush track. We heard the one-note autumn call of the Chiffchaff and saw two fly into a nearby bush.
As we were admiring a dead tree a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew onto it and perched for a while giving us a great view. A charm of Goldfinches noisily flew over. A Treecreeper was heard making its very high call but we could not spot it.

As we returned along the Board walk area we found Tansy, Toadflax and a single Hornet.
Finally, Jackdaws were spotted and a Robin heard but not seen!

Gaynor Friston
Photos by Lorna Walding

The weather was perfect for our walk on Staines Moor on 15th August 2023 and we had a good turnout of 12.

We stopped briefly at the railway bridge but no birds were seen or heard. As we continued onto the Moor a mini murmuration of Starlings was seen. However, there were plenty of wildflowers to see including Cat's Ear, red and white Clover, Mallow, Thistle and Yarrow.

As we approached the water an adult Coot and two juveniles were seen, together with plenty of Banded Demoiselles - both male and female (picture Ellis). Some water wildflowers were identified with the use of an App - Flowering Rush, Fools Watercress, Water Mint and Forget-me-not.

To get to the second bridge we had to use stepping stones as the area was flooded! A Magpie flew over and a Kestrel was seen hovering. The twittering in a large bush was identified as Sedge Warbler. We then began to notice the numerous butterflies. Gatekeeper were the most common (photo Ellis) but also seen were Common Blue, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Large White, Small Copper, Meadow Brown and an un-identified Skipper. More wildflowers were identified as Ragwort, Selfheal, Fleabane and Blue Water Speedwell.

As we crossed the last bridge Meadow Pipits were seen in a bush and a Red Kite flew over. Unfortunately, the area was so flooded that we decided to turn back and retrace our steps. Two Little Egrets flew over followed by two Stock Doves. Geoff identified a Chiffchaff that was using its less common one note call. Some large dragonflies were seen but could not reliably be identified.

On returning to the railway bridge, we found a Red Admiral on a Buddleia. By a happy accident Francoise recognised Andy from Holme Farm passing by. He stopped to tell us about the Barn and Little Owls at Holme Farm and also to tell us that the cattle and horses were not on the Moor due to the flooding.

Thanks to Ellis, John and Lorna for the photos and to Ron and Geoff for their expertise. (Move to bottom of page to see the other photos)

Gaynor Friston

Walk at Dorney/Jubilee River on Tuesday 18th July 2023
There were four of us for this walk. The weather looked promising and we decided to walk along to the weir and also to take a look at the wetland area.

As we started the walk we heard, and then saw a Whitethroat in the bushes.
This was followed by a Red Kite flying overhead followed by a Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull and two Swifts. We then heard a Wren and a Cetti's Warbler battling it out.

As we strolled, we couldn't help but notice the verges covered with Wild Carrot and Ragwort amongst other wildflowers. These had attracted plenty of butterflies. We saw more Red Admirals than we could count as well as Marbled Whites, Meadow Brown, Peacock, Gatekeeper and a Skipper which was probably a Small. We also saw a Wild Carrot covered in Red Soldier Beetles and saw a hawker dragonfly.

Looking over to the lake we spotted a Mute Swan and a Moorhen and heard Goldfinch and Chiffchaff.

We weren't the only ones enjoying the environment and we stopped to chat to two orthodox Sikh gentlemen on their daily walk, who told us how appreciating nature is part of their religion.

On reaching the weir we watched two Great Crested Grebes on a very makeshift nest and plenty of Cormorants - many young ones - gular fluttering as Lorna informed us. For those that don't know this is the way that some birds keep cool by vibrating the floor of the mouth. (birds cannot perspire, so breathing cooler air through their open beak is how they keep cool when it is hot). Ron also pointed out a Lesser Black-backed gull.

Moving over to the wetlands area, we were lucky to see and hear a deceit of Lapwings circling overhead. There were Tufted Ducks, Mallards and families of Moorhens and Egyptian Geese. The Egyptian Geese were plentiful but we did spot one with a very white speckled neck.

As we turned to go, we noticed movement in a nearby tree. This proved to be a pair of Blackcaps, some young Long-tailed Tits and possibly a Lesser Whitethroat.

As we returned to the car park two robins and a sparrowhawk were spotted.

Gaynor Friston

Walk at Little Bookham Common on Tuesday 20th June 2023

Although we were prepared for the worst, all our rain weather gear proved to be unnecessary and we had a pleasant, but rather muggy, walk. We spent several minutes just listening to the birds in the dense foliage - Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Song Thrushes, Whitethroats and Wrens. A Cuckoo was heard in the distance and we seemed to be following him around all morning, sometimes a bit nearer but never to be seen.

We moved on and noticed a couple of birds flitting around in the undergrowth. This proved to be a family of Blackcaps and it was lovely to see the female feedings the babies. It was very clear to see that she had a brown head. Whilst watching this family a Red Kite was seen soaring in the distance.

We stood at the edge of a pond and a Grey Heron flew over. There were no signs of the birds in the heronry this morning, perhaps they had moved on. In the corner of the pond were several Mallard, Coots with their babies and a pair of Canada Geese with two goslings. They must have thought we had food as they all came out of the water and moved towards us. Overhead we saw a Buzzard and a Carrion Crow., as well as several Herring Gulls.

We then walked round to the pond with the hide and spent several minutes there. At first it seemed quite quiet but then a Little Grebe popped up from the water weed in the distance. With the aid of Ron’s telescope, it became clearer that the Little Grebe had four babies which it was feeding. Coots also appeared from the rushes. Another Grey Heron was also seen standing in amongst the dead wood in the water.

There were lots of dragon and damsel flies around the pond and all throughout our walk. Some were easily seen landing on the roof of the hide. Ron spotted a black and white butterfly but it didn’t stop still enough for us to identify accurately. ? White Admiral ? Marbled White
We had moved on but sadly missed the Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding its baby, noticed by Pat and Lorna.

We were walking along talking about how difficult it was to see Chiffchaffs in the dense foliage, but, as if by magic, Lorna spotted one clearly seen singing away at the top of a tree!

The dog rose was flowering beautifully all along the paths.

Bird List
Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cuckoo, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jay, Kestrel, Red Kite, Little Grebe, Mallard, Moorhen, Ring-necked Parakeet, Whitethroat, Wren

Walk at Tice’s Meadow Reserve on Tuesday 16th May 2023

This was a lovely sunny morning and the paths were not too muddy.

Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve is located on the site of the former Farnham Quarry in Badshot Lea. “The 150-acre reserve consists of a mosaic of water bodies, woodland, reed beds, gravel scrapes, islands, and seasonally wet meadow.” On this occasion because of the high water levels there were no islands, nor scrapes and the hide was inaccessible!

The reserve is well supported by volunteers, holds activities for children such as pond dipping and supports a local enterprise for children with disabilities.

We were met in the morning by Mark Elsoffer, a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. We also met Len who was collecting the small amount of litter around the site and another chap who was mowing the pathways with a very small mower.

Right at the beginning of our introductory talk Mark noticed a bird – either a Blue Tit or a Great Tit fly into a hole in the post at the entrance to the site, where it had made its nest. We walked along the path through the woodland, hearing the lovely Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing away, but never to be seen in the dense foliage. Mark told us that 40 nest boxes had been put up, which only seem to be inhabited by Blue and Great Tits. The majority had been occupied this year. Mark showed us a photo of one psychedelic nest – apparently the birds like to use fluff from the brightly-coloured tennis balls to decorate their nests.

We moved along to a viewing point and were amazed to hear the screaming call of Swifts. However, this was electronically played sounds from a swift tower. The sounds are played to attract the birds to build their nests in the tower. We were then able to watch several Swifts swooping around the site.
(Apparently there is a swift tower in Shalford https://www.willnash.co.uk/shalford-swift-tower). Two Roe Deer were spotted in the distance. A Grey Heron flew in and stood for a while. A Sparrowhawk was seen flying above.

We walked alongside the Blackwater river which marked the boundary of the site. This had been straightened in the past but now it has been returned into a meandering course to encourage more natural diversity. It had also meant the houses in the nearby estate were less likely to flood. It had been narrowed in some places too to encourage a swifter flow meaning gravel was accessible to fish to lay their eggs.

We then walked further along up to the mound where there was a lovely view over the lake. Sadly, a dead bird was seen, a casualty of avian flu. A Tern raft had been built and there were lots of Common Tern flying around, along with Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls and a Black-backed Gull. A Cormorant was spotted sitting on a post . There were Egyptian and Canada Geese, Wigeon and Tufted Ducks. Jackdaws were strutting around at the edges of the lake. There was also a Coot sitting on a nest along with its mate. There were eight Swans and three Mallards enjoying the sunshine at the side of the lake. A Great-Crested Grebe was diving in the water. A raptor was spotted, identified as a Red Kite once the forked tail was seen.
We heard the croaking of a frog which we were told by Mark was a Marsh Frog.

Along the edge of the reed beds, we could hear the chattering of the Reed Warblers who proved extremely elusive. I think we just caught a glimpse of a couple flying out of the reeds. Again, we seemed to be chasing the Cetti’s Warblers along but only heard their very loud song.
Sadly, the approach to the hide was under water so we were not able to visit it. There are plans - at vast expense – to raise this up to allow access when the water is high. (There is a donation page on the website for information
http://www.ticesmeadow.org )

The reserve also has a webcam on a Barn Owl nest in the nearby village hall which you can view on their website.

A Moorhen, with now only one chick, was seen. Walking back, we were herding House Sparrows who were feeding on the teasel heads. A Little Egret flew ahead of us and a Jay flew into the bushes. The paths were covered with Cow Parsley and other wild flowers and we saw lots of butterflies, Orange Tips and Peacocks and a female Demoiselle damselfly.

Walk from Ripley to Ockham Mill and the Wey Canal on Tuesday 18th April 2023

We were a small select group of five ladies this morning on a surprisingly chilly day. We therefore changed the direction of our route so we had the wind at our backs on the return route along the canal.

The woods were full of the sound of birds this morning, such as Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Blackcap, Robin, but it was difficult to spot them in the dense foliage. However, as we walked along a Blackbird flew across the path. Three Cormorants were overhead.

We were disappointed not to see any birds in Ockham Mill Pond at all. While we were looking, a Buzzard was spotted chasing a Carrion Crow above. We stood still for a while listening to the Chiffchaff and were eventually rewarded to see it in the branches of a tree overhead. Blue Tits were flitting around in the trees. There was a lot of activity in the skies above with Carrion Crows and Jackdaws calling noisily. A Woodpigeon was seen carrying something in its beak heading to an ivy-clad tree. We also heard a Green Woodpecker.

An acrobatic Ring-necked Parakeet was seen busily eating the buds and petals of a blossom tree. Three Long-tailed Tits were then seen in the tops of the trees. We stopped at the side of the path to look along the river to see if there was anything interesting along the banks, but again very little of note. A Robin appeared quite close to us and followed us along. We could also hear a Wren but were not able to see where it was hidden.

As we left the wooded path we looked to see if there was anything interesting on the lake and saw three Canada Geese grazing and two Coots swimming near the bank. We then took a slight diversion over the canal towards another lake. A Pied Wagtail was seen briefly At the side of the path where a small ditch had been dug were two Jays pecking around who seemed unaware of our presence and stayed still for quite a while. It wasn’t until I saw Lorna’s photos I realised one was in the process of making a nest, seeing all the bits of twigs in its mouth. At the second lake there were three Cormorants sitting on a branch, a Greylag Goose and a Tufted Duck.

We then returned along the canal which also seemed very quiet with a couple of Mallards. However, near the lock we were rewarded with the sight of a female Mallard with seven ducklings. Flying overhead were several Black-headed Gulls. There were more Carrion Crows overhead and a flock of Woodpigeon in the field.

The edges of the footpaths were covered in aconites and dead nettle. In the muddier parts of the paths and in the fields were lots of Lady’s Smock.

Good bird watching and a lovely spring walk.

Bird List
Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant , Goldfinch, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, Greylag Goose, Jackdaw, Jay, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Ring -necked Parakeet, Robin, Tufted Duck, Pied Wagtail, Wood-pigeon , Wren.

Dorney Wetlands Tuesday 21st March 2023

It was a lovely spring morning and we were lucky to have avoided the showers. Sadly the birders with telescopes were unable to come on this outing, nevertheless we were able to spot a large variety of birds.

As we were driving over Dorney Common we noticed a Red Kite flying overhead, one of several we saw throughout the morning. We were gathering in the car park and immediately heard the loud burst of song of a Cetti’s Warbler. (Apparently this little warbler which skulks in the undergrowth is named after Francesco Cetti , an 18th century Italian zoologist). Another Red Kite flew over followed by two Canada Geese. We then heard a lot of twittering which proved to be a flock of Goldfinches in the hedgerow. Robins appeared throughout the morning too, singing away.

We moved along to the side of the river and spotted Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits in the bushes. A Cormorant flew along the river. As we stood on the bridge we noticed Great Crested Grebes diving in the river, as well as Coots and Moorhens. There were also Tufted Ducks. Mallards flew over constantly; it seemed that the females were often outnumbered by the males. A Grey Heron was also spotted.

Chiffchaffs were heard singing all the time and one was seen at the end of the walk. In the field opposite the river, we saw a Greylag Goose hiding in the long grass and then another popped up beside it. They were accompanied by Canada Geese.

We then moved away from the river towards the field near the motorway. There were a great number of newly planted trees. Here there was a flock of Wood Pigeons flying over the field, more Red Kites flying and also a Kestrel. We heard the beautiful Skylark’ s song and were able to see it flying high above our heads.

On the next part of the walk we spent a lot of time enjoying the flight of the Red Kites taking advantage of the thermals. A Skylark flew down into the long grass and a Chaffinch flew across the path into the hedgerow. A Stonechat was also seen at the top of a small bush.
We stopped at the next bridge and were able to see Lapwings flying around. Cormorants were seen perched on branches in the lake.

Right at the end of the walk we noticed many little birds flitting about in the alder tree which proved to be Siskins.
Sadly, no Kingfisher was seen on this occasion but Gaynor saw three bees – a sign that spring is well on its way!

List of birds we saw:-
Blackbird, Black-headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Cetti's Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Kestrel, Lapwing, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Red Kite, Robin, Siskin, Skylark, Starling, Stonechat, Tufted Duck and Wood Pigeon.

Moor Green Lakes 21st February 2023
Because of the very thick fog on the last occasion we visited Moor Green Lakes, we had found it very difficult to identify the black blobs on the water! However, on this occasion we were blessed with a fine day, if grey and cloudy, which enabled us to see a great variety of both waterfowl and woodland birds.

At the beginning of the walk we saw Bluetits and a Goldcrest in the trees at the edge of the car park, as well as a Dunnock which was flitting around in the undergrowth. We were serenaded all along by Robins and Great Tits.

We moved along to the Colebrook Lake and spent a long time looking at the huge numbers of waterfowl either swimming in or flying over the water, or perched on the island. Several Mallards flew over the lake. There were many Black-headed Gulls on the island as well as a Common Gull which I was shown by an expert and therefore identified with benefit of the telescope! There were Oystercatchers perched on the edge of the island as well as Greylag Geese and Lapwing. There were many Shoveler along the margin of the island all in a row.

There was an assortment of waterfowl in the lake – Tufted Ducks, Pochard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Coot and Moorhen. There was also a pair of Great-crested Grebe making a half-hearted attempt at a courtship display. There were some Canada Geese on the banks of the lake as well as a large group swimming at the far end of the lake.

One of the highlights of our visit were the many Goosander which very obligingly seem to pop up in several places. Peter thought that there may have been 5 pairs. It was lovely to be able to watch them closely through the telescope so that the very different male and female plumage was easily identified – in particular the lovely reddish-brown colour of the female crest.

As we were watching the birds on the lake and island, a second highlight was the arrival of a Great Egret which landed in the far distance but was easily spotted by eye as a white blob. Having the benefit of the telescopes it was easy to distinguish the yellow beak. We were able to watch him stalking along for several minutes.

We moved along the path to the feeding station. Sadly, the feeders were empty, perhaps as a precautionary measure against avian flu. However, there was a Dunnock pecking around on the ground.

Did Lorna manage to identify ‘that’ bird from her photograph? (It was a female tufted duck)

A good deal of time was spent looking at the tree beside the river as we heard the insistent call of a Nuthatch. It was then seen briefly by one of us in a tree, showing its lovely chestnut plumage. While we were scanning the trees, a Treecreeper was spotted. We spent several minutes watching its antics as it climbed up a tree, flew down to the next one and then started up again. A call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker was also heard. Pat saw a bird which may have been a Grey Wagtail but it quickly disappeared along the riverbank.

On the other side of the path were two Wren which were hopping about in the undergrowth. One was considerate enough to perch at the top of a small branch to display its upright tail.

A Robin flitted across and some Long-tailed Tits were seen up in the trees.

Sadly, although a lot of time spent manoeuvring around the Owl tree, the roosting Tawny Owl did not appear for us on this occasion!

On the way back Ron spotted a pair of Mandarin lurking in the undergrowth and along the bank of the lake there were a Little Egret and a Grey Heron. Sue described the Little Egret as standing with hunched shoulders!

Moving back a Jay flew across our path and sadly a Kingfisher was also spotted by only two of our group!

Very difficult to do justice to such an interesting variety of birds on a lovely morning.

Birds Seen
Blackbird, Coot, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Dunnock, Great Egret , Little Egret, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goosander, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Great-crested Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, Red Kite, Lapwing, Mandarin, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pochard, Robin, Shoveler, Mute Swan, Song Thrush, Treecreeper, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Grey Wagtail, Wigeon, Wood Pigeon, Wren

This is the list of birds which were seen, possibly not by everyone, as the group was spread out along the path.

Thorpe Park Tuesday 17th January 2023
Our first outing of the new year was really well attended given the really cold and icy day. We were pleased to welcome two new members - Susan Shale and Francoise Dore - and also Len Walker (with his telescope) from Woking U3A bird watching group.

As we gathered at the entrance a Red Kite was seen soaring above and a gaggle of Canada Geese flew overhead. We then moved on to the side of the lake and with the benefit of telescopes were able to see an assortment of ducks - Gadwall, Mallards, Pochard, Tufted Ducks and Wigeon, with some Coots.

When seen by eye Gadwall seems a dull grey bird, but with the aid of the telescope its plumage is subtly beautiful. As we moved round along the path birds were beginning to sing again, including robins. A Redwing was spotted in a tree. A Green Woodpecker was heard calling and then again in a different part - whether there were two or one had flown quickly across the trees we couldn't be sure!

We stood for a long time looking over the lake and again a variety of birds were seen. There were several Tufted Ducks and Coots swimming together. We were all hoping to see a Goldeneye and luckily Geoff spotted one sleeping in amongst the Tufted Ducks. Eventually some of us were able to see his golden eye when he raised his head. Some of the group were able to see Cormorants with their wings outstretched including one juvenile bird with paler plumage on its neck and breast and a group of Black-headed Gulls were flying over the lake. In the distance there were more ducks - again mostly the ones mentioned before. A Moorhen was spotted in the reeds and a Great Crested Grebe was further out on the lake.

We then walked along to the next lake. As the road is only for internal use it had not been gritted and proved to be very icy and slippery in places, so we resorted to walking on the grass verge. It was such a bright day that the reflection of the trees and the Thorpe Park rides in the lake were beautiful. Even better was the reflection of the Great Crested Grebe, so it looked like there were two. As we made our way back Geoff spotted a Kingfisher but it was sadly never to be seen again hidden in the reeds. A Song Thrush's song was heard. The trees were scanned and lots of Blue Tits were found, then eventually the thrush was seen at the top of the tree. While scanning for the thrush a Treecreeper was also discovered moving up the branches. Noisy Ring-necked Parakeets were also heard. Some Cormorants were still there when we returned but not with their wings spread this time and I think one was to be found sitting at the top of a tree. Geoff reported seeing Greylag Geese on the lake as he returned.

Lorna took a picture of us all in the sunshine (see right), but well wrapped up! A good start to our outings this year!

Birds seen or heard(h).

Carrion Crow; Coot; Cormorant; Tufted Duck; Gadwall; Goldeneye; Canada Goose; Great Crested Grebe; Greylag Goose; Black-headed Gull; Grey Heron; Jay; Kingfisher; Red Kite;Magpie; Mallard; Moorhen; Ring-necked Parakeet; Pochard; Redwing; Robin; Song Thrush; Blue Tit; Treecreeper; Wigeon; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Green Woodpecker (h); Woodpigeon. Total 28

Papercourt Tuesday 20th December 2022
We were a small group this morning - Geoff, Lorna, Pat, Simon and me. It was a beautiful sunny and mild day and we benefitted from the identification expertise of Geoff and Simon and Lorna's excellent spotting!

At the start of the walk a buzzard flew overhead followed by some stock doves. A couple of chaffinches were in the hedgerow. There seemed to be magpies throughout the walk and it was lovely to hear the sound of great tits, as well as the call of a pheasant. We spent a fair amount of time looking at the field at the end of the path where there were all kinds of thrushes. - fieldfares, redwings, mistle thrushes. They were so well camouflaged on the muddy field but if you spotted them flying in from the hedgerow it was then much easier to identify them - especially with the aid of the scopes. I had not realised that redwings were much smaller
compared with the other thrushes. We could also see a group of pigeons in the trees at the other side of the field. Black-headed gulls also joined the thrushes on the field.

We then turned down the path and spotted a moorhen on the small lake. Geoff had spotted a large group of linnets. We then heard the call of a wren and were fortunate that it emerged on to a branch and did a lovely display for us, singing away. As we left the wooded part and emerged onto the field Lorna spotted two wagtails pecking around in the waterlogged field edges. On closer examination one was a pied wagtail and one was a grey wagtail. As we were standing there looking at the wagtails a skein of greylag geese flew across, and in the distance two swans, and later a cormorant. A flock of black-headed gulls , with a common gull flew above the field

We stopped at the gate overlooking the field - it is amazing how many birds you can see just by being still and quiet. A blackbird flew across into the brambles, there were mallards swimming on the water. A robin was singing in the tree along with blue tits. Wood pigeons were pecking around on the grass, accompanied by another magpie and a jay.

We then crossed the bridge over the canal . More excitement! Two young roe deer appeared, walking towards us at first, but they were soon aware of our presence and quickly walked away. We were hoping to see tree creepers in the tall trees at the side of the canal. Sadly. not this time but Lorna spotted a nuthatch high up in the branches. A ring-necked parakeet was heard. Again, once you stand still you become more aware of the little birds, so a siskin was seen pecking away at the seeds of the alder trees. We then turned to look at the other side of the canal and there seemed to be blue tits, great tits, goldfinches, long-tailed tits and more siskins all flitting around in the tall trees. I had heard the call of a greater spotted woodpecker and we were then rewarded to hear it drumming..

Across the lock bridge there were plenty of jackdaws in the trees and field. Carrion crows were also flying around. We were also pleased to see a mini murmuration of starlings, while many were still roosting at the top of the trees.

Geoff walked along to the sailing lake and was able to see pochard, Egyptian Geese and coots.

A very enjoyable morning out in the fresh air and away from all the Christmas bustle!

Bushy Park Tuesday 18th October 2022

It certainly felt very autumnal on our arrival at the park this morning. “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” seemed very appropriate. We were a small but select group this morning. Whilst waiting for everyone we could hear the screeching of the parakeets and the honking of the geese, while jackdaws patrolled round the car park.
As we began our walk a parakeet was spotted at the top of a tree but was then driven out by a carrion crow. Several Canada Geese were pecking around the pond. We also stood a while looking at some Egyptian geese who were flexing their wings.

On the pond itself were the usual coots, moorhens and mallards and a couple of female tufted ducks. On the bank opposite a heron was spotted in the mist. Amongst the black headed gulls there was a lesser black-backed gull with its yellow beak. It certainly did seem much bigger when compared with the other gulls.
A very tame young moorhen crept out of the pond and did not seem at all worried by us.
As we walked along beside the pond a group of possibly 18 Egyptian Geese flew over.
Perhaps the highlight of the walk, but sadly missed by most of us, was a goosander spotted by Ron and Peter which flew overhead and away into the distance!

There was a lovely silhouette of a mistle thrush sitting at the top of a tree. At this stage the sun and burnt off the mist and it turned out be to be a lovely sunny morning. The views across the park with all the autumn colours was beautiful.
We walked further along the canalised waterway where a rather scruffy grey heron posed for us quite nicely for a long time, so it was easy to see his very sharp looking beak. He was perhaps hoping to catch the carp that we noticed in the water.

Along the bank we were surprised to see what seemed to be a very large wire cage surrounding a bench on which was perched a young moorhen. We wondered if it was a modern art installation but on closer inspection the bench had fallen into disrepair and was presumably fenced off for health and safety reasons! The moorhen then flew off.
Just along the path we noticed a wood pigeon and a stock dove walking closely together so it was easy to distinguish the dove from the iridescent patch on the back of its neck. Later on, during the walk there was a flock of these doves in the distance. Sadly, Peter then had to leave the walk as his back was playing up.

We then walked through a lovely glade of oak trees and could see a flock of fallow deer in the distance. Squirrels were rummaging around for acorns. There was a group of Egyptian Geese in a little glade at the foot of the oak trees. I wonder if they were the ones we had seen earlier flying over. Up in the trees we could again hear the parakeets squawking away but they did not want to be seen. There was also a small flock of long tailed tits flitting around at the top of the trees.
We were surprised to see sitting at the foot of an oak tree a fallow deer who was so well camouflaged and so still we had not realised it was there. As we left the trees and were walking along the paths through the bracken, we were very cautious as a couple of deer walked across the path to join the rest of the herd. Again, another deer sitting in the bracken was gazing directly at us so we moved along quite quickly!

Gaynor and I both spotted a little bird flitting around at the top of the bracken. These proved to be male stonechats so Ron had a good view through his ‘scope before they disappeared once again.
Another exciting moment, when Lorna hoped it was a Dartford Warbler she had seen, as she noticed its red eye and characteristic stance. Sadly, it did not re-emerge from the bracken so we cannot be sure. A jay was seen as we crossed the road and the “weet weet” call of a chiffchaff were heard.

We had taken rather a long time looking at the deer so just had a quick walk round the pond in The Pheasantry. Ron spotted a pied wagtail sitting on the roof of the buildings. There was no sign of the mandarin ducks this morning.
A very pleasant morning.

Staines Moor Tuesday 20th September 2022

A group of 13 of us met at Staines Moor on a chilly morning initially, but which turned out to be a lovely sunny and warm autumn morning. Peter introduced Geoff and Simon, the RSPB members who had agreed to accompany us. We were all therefore able to take advantage of the scopes to be able to see more clearly the more exciting birds found this morning.

As we started our walk, we heard a robin singing in the bushes. We entered the moor and a pair of red kites were seen soaring overhead. A distant buzzard briefly flew over the towards the reservoir. I don’t think it was exactly a murmuration - but certainly a lot of starlings were seen flying around. What we thought was an egret sitting on a stone in the river turned out to be a black-headed gull. There were a couple of swans gliding along and a moorhen in the river. A kestrel was then spotted sitting on a bush in the distance.

Overhead were many hirundines – house martins, sand martins and swallows which were difficult to identify accurately as they were flitting around so quickly high in the sky. In this part of the walk a magpie was seen and a grey heron flew in and landed on the open grass before flying off again as we approached. Overhead a sparrowhawk was being harassed by a magpie. Skylarks were also seen way up high. Many carrion crows were pecking away in the grass in the distance.

The next part of the walk proved to be exciting. In the bramble bushes there were lots of little birds flitting up and down. They were proving to be very frustrating – sitting at the top of the bush in time for the scopes to be positioned when they would fly down again into the scrub out of sight. These turned out to be linnets, goldfinches and stonechats. A cormorant flew behind us heading downstream at this point. However, the most exciting was a whinchat who was very obligingly sitting on top of a bush, so many of us were able to see him clearly through the scopes. While we were all concentrating on the small birds in the nearby bushes, Gaynor spotted something bigger in the trees behind, which proved to be another kestrel. With Robin’s careful and precise directions, I was also able to find it!

We continued on our walk on to the bridge over the river. This was another exciting part when Pat spotted a kingfisher. A group were looking at a juvenile moorhen and she noticed it sitting in the rushes. It was a male bird with a black beak and sat there for ages in the rushes. Lorna was therefore able to take a lovely photo.

On our way back on the other side of the river a few wood pigeons were seen flying overhead. Simon was able to spot a solo flypast by a stock dove. Dragonflies were flying around – the blue ones were probably migrant hawkers and a rather drab dragonfly seen on the railway bridge on the way back was an elderly common darter. A meadow brown butterfly was also seen.

Two snipes were seen flying overhead and into the distance. These were again well picked out by Simon. He had just put his telescope away when “kingfisher” was shouted out. It was a flash of blue down the river and again, very obligingly, perched in a tree for us all to admire. More information from Peter confirmed that this one was a female with orange on the lower mandible.

Three ring-necked parakeets flew over during our walk back. Peter told me that he had his best ever view of a meadow pipit which landed on the rail at the end of one of the boardwalks. He was amazed at how beautiful this “little brown job” actually is when seen clearly rather than half-hidden by grass.

It certainly was a very enjoyable walk for the beginning of the season. I have probably missed some of the birds we saw but these are my recollections of the morning.

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Runnymede