Author: Malcolm Toyer

Sixteen of us assembled in the car park of the Museum of Rural Life for the walk at RSPB Farnham Heath.  Those first to arrive were treated to a pair of Crossbill which were perched in the hedge in the car park and then flew down to forage along the bottom of the hedge.  The male was in his resplendent red colours and the female in green attire.  Quite unexpected, and spectacular to see them at such close range!  It was just a shame that they did not stay long enough for all the group to see.  The first of a couple of Red Kite flew overhead as we waited to start the walk.

Moving into the woodland, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock and Chaffinch were very busy.  On the more open heathland there was a Chiffchaff singing perched high in a birch tree, and the start of a Willow Warbler’s song was heard.  The next birds to be seen were a small flock of mixed Siskin and Redpoll.  Linnet pairs were singing, flying, and feeding near the heather patches along the path, joined by additional Siskins.   We could hear more Redpoll, and they were eventually located in a nearby pine tree.  Dartford Warblers were singing occasionally but keeping a low profile until one did a remarkable flight high up in the air and ‘parachuted’ back down to the ground only to disappear. The occasional Stonechat perched in usual style on top of small trees.

We paused at a drinking trough known for attracting Crossbills in addition to watering the cattle.  Alas, no Crossbills were there so we moved on.  We soon had good views of a couple of Treecreeper and a pair of Coal Tit.  The distinctive drumming of a Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard, and a Goldcrest was working it’s way through the branches of a Larch sapling.  Blackbird, Song Thrush and Jay were added to the list.

As we neared the cars park again a Sparrowhawk flew over causing some excitement, and also a lone female Mallard did a flypast.  The morning had remained surprisingly cold with a chilly wind at times and perhaps this had put off some of the hoped for migrants and more specialist heathland birds from appearing-however, we finished the morning with a respectable total of over 30 species before making our way home or warming up with a coffee in the museum café. 

Fifteen of us had a lovely day up on the South Downs for the walk on ‘The Burgh.’  Conditions were mostly sunny but with a cold wind at times.  We started to see Chiffchaffs and Chaffinches almost immediately in the car park.  Once up in the open countryside Skylarks were our constant soundtrack and could be seen ascending and descending.  One or two Herring Gulls were on the wing.  It was not long after setting off that the first Yellowhammers could be seen in the hedges and trees along the paths.  Also in evidence were Grey Partridges, mostly in pairs.  We probably saw about eight of them in total throughout the walk, so hopefully they are increasing in numbers here.  Red-Legged Partridge and Pheasant were added to our growing list, and corvids such as Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw were busy looking for food all around us.

Lots of Dunnock, Blue and Great Tit, and Blackbirds flitted around the hedgerows and Buzzards, Red Kites and a Kestrel entertained us with aerial acrobatics.  A pair of Raven called to each-other and flew overhead.  We spotted a Buzzard sitting on top of a hedge and three Red Kites in a field, one clearly eating something.  Looking towards Arundel Castle in the distance one or two Marsh Harriers were seen drifting low over the dramatic landscape.  They were causing havoc amongst the Lapwing in the fields, putting them all up in the air.

There was some excitement when some of the group caught sight of two distant White Tailed Eagles but, unfortunately, they had drifted away before most of us could see them.

Hares represented the mammals and could be observed chasing each other around the field margins.  Just before we stopped in a suitably sheltered and sunny spot for lunch a Green-Veined White butterfly was spotted and we all had good views of it eventually.

We speeded up as much as we could on the walk back to the cars due to the appearance of some ominous black clouds.  It began to hail and then rain as we approached the car park, stopping as suddenly as it had started.  Other birds seen on the way round were Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Wren, Robin, Song Thrush, Long Tailed Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.  By the end of the walk, we had seen a total of 32 bird species in all.

Despite the forecast 8 people had a dry and pleasant walk at Horsell Common.

Throughout the woodland areas we heard numerous Robins, Nuthatches, Wrens, Great and Blue Tits and a few Chaffinches. Several Firecrests were heard at close quarters, but remained elusive for some. Great Spotted Woodpeckers drummed and later a small flock of Goldfinches were heard and a Blackbird seen.

On the heathland Greenfinches could be heard and Buzzards and Red Kites showed well. A few Stonechats and Dartfords were seen briefly, despite the at times blustery wind.

Further on across the heath were Coal Tits and a small group of Siskins feeding actively in the conifers, along with Long-tailed Tits and a Chiffchaff, and a brief snatch of both Dunnock and Blackcap songs were heard. Corvids and a few Parakeets were present throughout.

At McLaren Park, there were several more Red Kites, and Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were displaying and singing, coping amazingly with the increasing wind.

The final habitat was the fields and water meadows on the return to Heather Farm, where Starlings, Stock Doves, Black-headed and Herring Gulls, and Canada and Greylag Geese were all seen, and a Green Woodpecker taunted us with its yaffle.

Back at Heather Farm Wetlands a Kestrel, a couple of Coots, and a solitary Egyptian Goose added to the total of 40 species seen and/or heard. 

A group of thirteen of us met in the car park at Farlington Marshes in blustery conditions.  From the car park, the tide was out, and scanning the mud, groups of gulls including Herring Gull, Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, and sme very smart Mediterranean Gulls were visible.  One or two Curlew, Oystercatchers and Shelduck also were on view.  The car park Robin popped up on some bramble bushes to say hello.

There was not much else to see until we arrived at the lake, where the main highlight was the large number of Pintail ducks gathered on both the freshwater and the nearby sea channels.  Smaller numbers of Teal, Shoveler and Mallard were also present.  The usual flocks of Canada Geese and Brent Geese were grazing in the fields, and a Little Grebe was diving in the lake.

Walking around the sea wall there were hundreds of waders on the exposed mud, mainly Dunlin, along with one or two each of Grey Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Curlew.  A couple of Rock Pipits were active along the shore.  On the land side, half a dozen Meadow Pipits ran around in the grass and a pair of Stonechat flitted around the hedgerow.  We were able to pick out the long-staying Barnacle Goose amongst the other Geese.  At The Deeps we added Wigeon and Tufted Duck to our growing list.

The intermittent rain showers had become more insistent and so we headed for the cover of the visitors hut to have our lunch.  From there, most of the group opted to return to the car park and call it a day.  A smaller contingent decided to walk back across the grass, on the way spotting a Cetti’s Warbler in some scrub and a couple of Lesser Black Backed Gulls.  A Kestrel was also hovering over the fields as the rain eased up briefly.  Back at the lake this group added Great Crested Grebe and Red Breasted Merganser to the list, all out on the high tide water.  There was also a large group of Redshank resting by the lake.

At the end of the day, we had had a productive walk despite the rain, with around 40 species seen.

Sixteen of us assembled in the reserve car park for the walk at Warnham Local Nature Reserve.  On this occasion the Visitors Centre was closed as it was having new windows fitted, and as a result the usual entrance fee was not being charged.  The main Mill Pond was fairly quiet bird-wise on our arrival, with many Tufted Duck, Mallard, a lone female Pochard, Moorhen and Coot, and some Black Headed Gulls.  As we watched, a couple of Little Egret flew around and landed again in the reeds.  Walking out on the reserve we started to see Robins and Dunnock.  Arriving at the first viewing screen there were numerous Siskin, Chaffinch and Blue and Great Tit.  At the Woodpecker hide we were able to see even more Siskin and eventually two Redpoll appeared and a Nuthatch came in for some sunflower seed.  It was very encouraging to see quite a few Greenfinches feeding alongside the other birds.

The rest of the hides added a few Cormorants to our list, sitting statue like in the distant trees, and also a Jay.  A Buzzard and Red Kite flew over in quick succession, and then a Grey Heron.  There were some Redwing perched in some tall trees further along the trail.  Following the Boardwalk loop that is currently open, we could hear a Song Thrush singing and we at last caught up with it for a fleeting view in the binoculars.  The Sandpiper hide only yielded a Wren at close quarters, a brief view of a Kestrel, and a Goldcrest in the conifers nearby.

We then re-traced our steps and added a Great Spotted Woodpecker at close range on the feeders, and a charming Long Tailed Tit amongst the other birds.   Back at the Discovery Centre more Pochard were on view, and some Herring Gulls and a lone Lesser Black Backed Gull had joined the throng.  It had started to rain, and as the three of us remaining sat sipping coffee from our flasks, a Kingfisher flashed by and perched in a waterside tree-a fitting end to a very enjoyable walk bringing our total to 40 species seen during the course of the morning.

Despite the rather dismal weather forecast of rain for most of the day, 11 of us met in the car park at RSPB Pagham Harbour.  Unusually, there were few birds around the feeders at the visitor’s centre.  However, the Ferry Pool hide made up for this with it’s assembled flocks of Lapwing, Black Headed Gull, and ducks such as Teal, Mallard, Wigeon, Shoveler, Shelduck, and Gadwall.  A couple of Avocet and a single Green Sandpiper completed the picture as a Marsh Harrier flew low over the ground and a few Skylark took to the air.

There were some Redshank in the channel opposite the Ferry Pool and moving on along the path we saw some Grey Plover, Curlew, and a lone Bar Tailed Godwit.  Also, we began to witness the sheer numbers of birds in the harbour as they swirled around in vast flocks.  As far as we could tell, they mainly consisted of Brent Geese, Lapwing, Golden Plover, and Dunlin.  Due to the potential of slippery paths and walking conditions we opted to double back towards the car park at this stage, without adding anything more to our list, and then drove to Church Norton.  Siskin and Goldfinch were spotted in the Alder trees by the moat, and a male Linnet stayed visible as we headed to the beach.   The sea was quite rough which made sea-watching difficult, as the birds bobbed up and down and in and out of sight, but we were able to pick out distant Gannets, a pair of Red Breasted Merganser, and some Turnstone working the shoreline close to us.  We then headed for the shelter of some nearby benches for our lunch whilst watching the cast of Grey Plover, Lapwing, and busy Dunlin before us.  A distant Buzzard soared around at one point creating panic among the waders. Looking over the field behind the hide we added Green Woodpecker to our list for the day.

Some of our party chose to head for home at this point but a smaller group of us had a wander around the Churchyard of St Wilfred’s Chapel (with it’s stained-glass window of birds and animals of the harbour).  A group of Starling buzzed and chatted away in a tree, and a chirpy Robin hopped around the gravestones.  An adjacent field contained a Buzzard, a Kestrel, and a couple of Mistle Thrush.  Throughout the day we had seen numerous Gulls, including Black Headed, Herring, and Greater Black Backed, and Corvids such as Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Magpie.  Of course there had been Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock and assorted Cormorants throughout, bringing a grand total of 50 species for the day, with only a few brief light showers to dampen our enthusiasm along the way.

Eleven intrepid members braved intermittent showers, mud and flooded paths at Papercourt. At the start a Sparrowhawk, seen by a few, sped along the towpath ahead of us. There was a distant flock of Siskins feeding in the alders across the canal and a Kestrel was perched nearby. Black headed-gulls had abandoned the lake in favour of the flooded fields, joined by Canada, Greylag and Egyptian geese. A Little Owl suddenly flew in to the willows and perched long enough for views through telescopes. A male Reed Bunting sat on a bush. A Song Thrush serenaded us and a few Redwings were seen. The lake was quiet, but there were a few ducks including Tufted and Pochards plus Great and Little Grebes and a Grey Heron. Heavier rain forced us back to the cars, but 38 species was a good total given the conditions.

The light was beautiful on an icy cold but sunny January day as thirteen of us assembled in Leysdown on Sea on The Isle of Sheppey.  There were many waders in evidence along the shore with Turnstone, Redshank, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, and Sanderling busily flying to and fro.  There were Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, and Common Gull on the water and the posts, and five Great Crested Grebes and some Teal drifted along.  A group of Common Scoter flew in front of us at some distance.

We transferred to the entrance track to the Swale Nature Reserve and in the fields opposite the sea we began to notice the first of many Golden Plover and Marsh Harrier.  There were also huge flocks of distant geese which we thought were Brent Geese.  Reaching the car park for the marshland there were numerous Reed Bunting in the scrub, and a Kestrel hovering over the fields.  A lone Red-Legged Partridge was also spotted.  As the path out to the sea was under frozen water we opted to walk along the higher path at the rear of the marsh area.  After some time we turned back to return to the cars, adding Stonechat to our list along the way.

We then transferred to the RSPB Capel Fleet raptor viewpoint for our picnic lunches, pausing on the way to watch the flock of Corn Bunting by the road.  There were large numbers of swans present in the fields here, with Mute Swan, Bewick’s Swan and Whooper Swan all represented.  Hundreds of Lapwing were in the grass too and all of us marvelled about the sheer density in numbers of Marsh Harrier present, mostly flying but sometimes perched on the ground or in bushes.  A pair of Kestrels flew around the large stack of hay bales.  A Peregrine was briefly seen before flying off and in the nearby reed beds a Water Rail squealed and a Cetti’s Warbler sang explosively.

Some people called it a day at this point and headed for home or the nearby Elmley reserve, leaving a smaller group to head for the Church at Harty Ferry.  A short walk towards the sea here resulted in sightings of around 400 Brent Geese feeding in a field, 30 plus Fieldfare, and hundreds of Chaffinches in the hedgerows.

One final stop was the causeway at the Harty Ferry Inn overlooking the salt marsh to try for a Short Eared Owl (which unfortunately did not oblige.) However, in the process we added Great White Egret, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Avocet, Shelduck and Wigeon to the walk list for the day.  As the sun set over the sea, we had finished with a total of 52 species seen for the day.

28 people braved the suddenly cold conditions for the walk at Riverside to see in the New Year.  It was good to begin getting common birds such as Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and Blackbird for our lists from the car park.  A female Chaffinch posed on top of one of the Alder trees by the canal and a few of us got a view of a lone Siskin.  A couple of Moorhen could be seen and groups of Long Tailed Tit moved through at intervals.

Cormorants flew by and a Heron was in one of the fields.  A distant Stonechat perched on some vegetation.  An Egyptian Goose perched in an unusual position high in a tree.  We had splendid views of a Buzzard perched up and a Red Kite soared overhead.  Groups of Mallard swam around.  A Kingfisher flashed across the water and a couple of Snipe flew in. Walking further along the canal we saw Grey Wagtail and a Great Spotted Woodpecker called and did a characteristic undulating flight into a clump of trees.

The number of Gulls was impressive as we neared the Recycling Centre, with hundreds of Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls circling around.  The lake past Stoke Lock was fairly quiet and partly frozen but there was a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow and a couple of Teal were tucked up in fallen branches along the river here.

We saw a small group of Redwing as we negotiated the boardwalk along with Dunnock and Wren.  Arriving at the lake there were Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Great Crested Grebe and Coot.   We were also able to pick out a lone Common Gull and a couple of Lesser Black Backed Gull loafing around on the water.  Along with the ever-present Magpie and Carrion Crow, by the end of the walk we had seen a total of 38 species.

A cold but sunny day at Frensham Great Pond was a welcome contrast to the recent rain.  Fourteen of us were treated to Robin and Chaffinch in the car park.  As the mist rose from the pond, we could make out Great Crested Grebe (one pair even displaying to each other).   There were a pair of Little Grebe, and rafts of sleeping Tufted Duck and Pochard further out.  One or two Gadwall and Wigeon gave variety to the ducks and Black Headed Gull were dotted around and a Lesser Black Backed Gull flew over.

In the holly bushes along the path there was a large group of Redwing chattering to each other, only giving brief views as the flew restlessly in to feed on the berries before flying away again.  We continued to see Redwing throughout the walk.  One or two Blackbirds and Goldfinch were also seen.

Walking around the outflow stream we saw Goldcrests, one at very close range displaying, and a Treecreeper.  Two Egyptian Geese were very vocal.  A Kingfisher flashed across the water at one point, and another perched up briefly.  As we continued near the Hotel, we saw some Siskin and mixed Tit flocks comprising Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits.  Three of the group had sightings of Firecrest but they were largely staying out of view for most of us.  Meanwhile the previously distant Pochard were now closer and looked glorious in the sunshine.

Unfortunately, there were no heathland birds to be seen as we approached the car park again, but 36 species were seen in all during the morning, and it had been a pleasant way to bring the walks programme to an end for 2025.