SPOTTED FLYCATCHER IN THE EYE

I was dipping Grasshopper Warbler for the fifth time this week at Canons Farm this morning after DC had flushed out yet another one at about 7.30am. Me and Gropper just don't get along I'm afraid - although I imagine a lot of people have a similar relationship - these birds are very elusive.

By 10.00am I headed off for Barnes to the London Wetland Centre in the hope of finding a Ruff on the main scrape. I'd got as far as Wimbledon when the phone rang. David obviously had some news he thought I ought to hear. Two Spotted Flycatchers had been seen by the horse paddocks at the end of Wood Lane!

I decided to continue on to Barnes, but then changed my mind almost immediately and headed back to Canons. If I had turned up at the Wetland Centre, paid my £10.50 and seen nothing, I was in danger of also missing out on the Flycatcher and I hadn't connected with one all year.

I got back in good time to be met by David by the horse paddocks. The Spot Flys had gone missing and we couldn't see them anywhere. I was getting that sinking feeling again. After a walk round the back of Aberdour school and then through Circle Field, however, David saw them briefly flying off back towards the horse paddocks. At least they were still around. Again we couldn't re-locate them, so I walked back through Circle Field to see if they had returned to a favoured tree.


And indeed they had. I saw the first Spotted Flycatcher (155) perched in a Silver Birch tree, followed by another one. They were very active, and didn't keep still for more than a few seconds. We were joined by Ian Jones and were treated to excellent views of these attractive birds for the next 20 minutes, after which I headed off.


A little while later the two Spotted Flycatchers were joined by a third. Miraculously, the thoughts of dipping for most of the week ebbed away! It was a welcome boost to get a result after an unsuccessful week.

Next stop was Staines Reservoir, where I was hoping to find a Turnstone - no luck. The highlight here was a juvenile Black Tern.


A quick pitstop to Staines Moor was pretty good, with a Whinchat and about 20 Yellow Wagtails feeding alongside the horses that roam the Moor.




I also had good views of a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk that was having an continuing argument with a Magpie.

And that was the day over. After spending hours writing a post about the dilemmas of dipping yesterday, less than 24 hours later a new bird arrives to lift the spirits. Graham James' comment on my last post is absolutely true. A bird missed today is one to see in the future. I must make a mental note to remember that piece of advice. Birding is all about having the right attitude and being grown up about it. It is, after all, just a hobby.

Surrey (including Spelthorne) 2011 list: 155
This time last year: 147

WHINCHAT ON THE FARM

No sooner had I moaned about the lack of interesting birds in the area during the past couple of months when one decided to drop in.

Work was quiet, so seeing as it was a pleasant day I took Annie out for lunch at the Gomshall Mill. The Mill is one of only a handful pubs we go to these days where the food is actually worth eating. Too often at other places we've ended up having a crap meal, feeling decidedly ripped off.

The other pub we really like is The Sportsman, near Tadworth. The Sportsman is, in my view, probably the best pub for both food and beer within a five-mile radius of where we live. Both are excellent and reasonably priced. Worth a visit, and after lunch you can walk on Banstead Common, which is right next to the pub.

After the Mill, we went to Holmbury Hill for a brief walk and a chance to take in some sunshine. It was here I caught up with Twitter on my mobile and noticed that David Campbell had a female Whinchat and juvenile Stonechat at Canons Farm. I haven't seen a Whinchat since last autumn, so when we got home later I got my kit and went for a look. As far as David was concerned neither looked like they were going anywhere, so I was reasonably confident they would still be there when I arrived.

And so it proved. I got to the Farm at about 7pm, and within about ten seconds of setting up alongside the northern end of Horse Pastures field, there they were - the female Whinchat (149) and juvenile Stonechat - perched next to each other in a hedgerow and showing well.




Two really nice birds, both busying themselves flying up to catch insects before settling down on a branch again. It was an enjoyable sight. The sun was warm and low on the horizon, the wheat fields smelt of summer - all was well with the world.

After a while I left and went over to Holmethorpe, where three Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper had been seen on Spynes Mere and Mercer's West lake. I caught up with the Green Sandpiper but couldn't see any sign of the Common Sands. Not to worry, it had been a good evening and it does appear - from my perspective, at least - as if the world of Surrey birding has woken up from its summer slumber and it's now full steam ahead for the autumn migration.

Surrey (including Spelthorne) 2011 list: 149
This time last year: 143