Mark Davis

First Common Blue of the year in our wild front garden.

Just enough light left to pick out some colour on 1 of the 2 churring Nightjars seen on Leith Hill tonight, along with 6 Woodcock and 2 Cuckoos.

@BirdingGardener Surely more like 107th or 108th Wes? You’ve seen or heard my 101 MV species this year plus at least Gropper, Nightingale, Reed Warbler, LSW, Green Sand, Woodcock or Osprey so far.

Capel. Cuckoo singing early on and then a Hobby west late morning was my 100th Mole Valley species of the year.

@surreywallcreep @Crane_Spotter Or Glyphosate perhaps? That was a local farmer’s admission to me a couple of years ago when much of the valley west of Dorking turned a sickly yellow. ‘But not the bad sort’, I remember him saying.

Anyone know what’s happening on this field? Just looks like an orange desert with no crop

A circuit of Westcott & the lower slopes of Leith Hill produced 2 Teal, a flock of 20 Crossbill, 3 Brambling, 2 Muntjack, an inquisitive Weasel and a dozen singing but otherwise placid Firecrests.

First sighting of a Cetti’s Warbler in Mole Valley this afternoon (after hearing one of the Capel birds in 2021), calling loudly along the damp path at Fetcham Reed bed.

Waxwings feeding on mistletoe in Ashtead this morning, with berries occasionally being passed between individuals. Thanks to Andy Holden for the report.

#BigGardenBirdWatch finished. 13 Species in our modest patch of garden, including Redwing & female Blackcap.

@WWTArundel 2 Bittern there today. While attention was on one bird across the ice at the Scrape hide, another flew over and dropped into reeds near the Reedbed hide.

Its been all about the bittern this past week! It's been spotted at least once a day, more on most. Thanks to Mike Jerome for this fantastic pic. See what else is wild onsite on our sightings page: wwt.org.uk/wetland-centre…

Now 2 male & 1 female Blackcaps in the regular spots - back garden holly and the ivy across the road.

A male Blackcap enjoying the neighbours’ figs.

1st Common Gull of the autumn on the flooded Mole at Betchworth

Green Sandpiper at Holmwood Sewage Works.

Ring Ouzels on the move during today’s tower watch.

Todays Tower watch here. trektellen.nl/count/view/138…

@Crane_Spotter Thanks. Had a few Yellowhammers too adding to the yellow theme. I’ll take the ups and downs of patch birding and moments like these any day of the week though.

@NowerBirder That’s a nice one. Nearest you are going to get to the Foula Yellow Warbler!

Yellow Wagtail at Chadhurst Farm this morning.

2 Yellow Wagtails and separate flocks of c.50 House Martins & 30 Swallows at Chadhurst Farm this morning.

A 1st for my local patch - Sedge Warbler skulking in the hedgerow bordering Chadhurst Farm.

Today’s Hobby - perched on the Nower for half an hour in the drizzle. A bit distant perhaps at c.800m, but a nice distraction from work.