November and December 2015

The regular surveys, which some club members carry out, contributed many of the records for these two months. Ten species of ducks were recorded including Goldeneye on several water bodies in December and two redhead (female or juvenile) Goosander at Kempton Nature Reserve (26thNovember). A Little Egret was recorded for 29th December in the hide book at the Hogsmill Sewage Works.

There were fewer than usual raptor sightings: Sparrowhawk (13th December Hogsmill Sewage Works), Common Buzzard (25th December Rushett Farm) and several sightings of Kestrel in Berrylands and of the Peregrine on Kingston College. A Little Owl was seen in Thames Ditton (20th & 21st December) and also in Home Park (23rd). Home Park also had a Barn Owl (9th December) and best of all one and two Short-eared Owl (various dates in December).

Other non-passerine records of interest were a covey of 8 Red-legged Partridge (Rushett Farm 25th December), Water Rail (Home Park 3rd December),Kingfisher (Hogsmill Sewage Works 13th December) and Green Sandpiper (Hampton Filter Beds 4th November).

There were very few warbler records: on 15th November there were four Chiffchaff at Hogsmill Sewage Works and on 9th & 10th December there wereBlackcap at a site in Chessington (a female and next day two males). Winter visiting birds noted were quite large flocks of Redwing in many places over our square especially in December but just three records of Fieldfare. Small flocks of Siskin were seen four times and a single male Brambling was spotted on 27th December in Esher.

Other passerine records of interest were: Stonechat (18th December Home Park), small flocks of Linnet (Hogsmill Sewage Works 15th November & 13thDecember), Firecrest (12th November Littleworth Common & 9th December Claygate), two Treecreeper (18th December Home Park) and two Meadow Pipit (18th December Home Park).

Many thanks to those who contributed to this report. They were: Abrahams D., Avison G., Como A., Dillamore G., Downs R., Gale J., Gibbs A., Gill E., Gill G., Gilry A., Hannam J., Harlow J., Jackman N., Kiddell D., Mould J., Peggs G., Quinn A., Sherlock B., Sherlock C., Skotnicki A., Spencer P., Stannard E., Tregenza P., Tregenza V., White M. and Wilkinson C.