BOOKHAM HAWFINCH REVISITED

Having seen the news on the Surrey Bird Club last week, it was good to know that Hawfinches have returned to Bookham Common again this winter. Bookham is a regular haunt for this handsome, but elusive, finch but as the years have gone by their numbers have dwindled - last winter there were a no more than six seen.

As of today there are only two in 2012, although on both occasions I have been to Bookham this week I have only seen one each time. On Monday I only got a couple of fleeting glimpses but this morning I had excellent views within 15 minutes of arriving.

A bonus on Monday was a Marsh Tit that landed noisily in a bush close by. It didn't stay long so I couldn't get a photo.

Closer to home, a couple of Smew have stuck around over at Holmethorpe, but on a brief walk round this afternoon, I only saw one on Mercer's Lake. There wasn't much else of note - I had a long look at hundreds of gulls that currently swarm the area but nothing remotely Icelandic came to my attention - apart from a couple of Shelducks (regulars at Holmethorpe), and more than 100 Lapwings, 80 Fieldfare and 40 Linnets.

My Surrey list is on 89. It's funny how each year is different. Last year I hadn't seen a Marsh Tit or Dartford Warbler until well into the spring and I didn't see a Raven all year. Added to which I have still yet to see a number of common species such as a Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Skylark or Siskin.