20th February 2008

Another trip to Nonsuch today, starting at 12:25pm and ending at 3:17pm.
Other local news today, were two Blackcaps (male and female) at Belmont Heights just before I departed for Nonsuch and a very tame, wet Pied Wagtail was there for a while too. PEREGRINE FALCON at withheld local site click HERE for photo.
At Beddington there were 8 Black-headed Gulls on the short-grass field in front of the Cheam car park with a Common Gull. There were large numbers of Great Tits calling around the site, as well as a few Blue Tits and about 40 Ring-necked Parakeets were flying around. Carrion Crows were numerous and there were roughly 200 Woodpigeons seen. 5 Dunnocks were present, 4 of which were at the aviary stealing from the chicken feed. 6 Robins were present, most singing. At least 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers were present with 1 drumming. Large numbers of Greenfinches and Chaffinches were present around the site with one male Greenfinch performing a regular song-flight. Some small finches which may have been Siskins were feeding in the Alders at Cheam Park briefly, but views were very poor (silhouettes, very high up) and they may have been the Goldfinches which were seen around the area earlier. There were fairly large numbers of Blackbirds, Magpies were numerous and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull with 3 Common Gulls and about 100 Black-headed Gulls were present at Cheam Park. 4 Wrens were present as were several Long-tailed Tits. 8 Stock Doves were seen, a tame female Kestrel was giving excellent views on the main grassland area and a Jay was seen in the gardens, there were 2 Coal Tits there too. 1 Mistle Thrush drank from the dyke, a Grey Heron was seen in flight around the ponds and further on, at the west side there were loads of Redwings. An interesting sighting was 4 Mallards circling around the ponds. There were a couple of Jackdaws present and a Nuthatch was heard. All the while there were lots of overhead Herring Gulls.

I think that just about covered it, 29 species today, nearing the record for Nonsuch in a day.