Martin Kettell 💙

The pair of Garganeys (or another pair) back on the scrape at Stoke today. @SurreyBirdNews

It's brown, it's drab, it's distant, but joy was unconfined when I finally managed to see the Little Bunting at Prews Farm, on my 6th attempt. #surreybirds #ukbirding @SurreyBirdNews

@BirdingGardener @Crane_Spotter @NowerBirder Must have been an emotional moment. Can't believe he's no longer there with you.

First 2025 visit to Leith Hill Tower this morning with @Crane_Spotter and the first time back since we lost our dear friend and Towerwatch regular @NowerBirder Highlights 165 chaffinch 23 Brambling and 2 GBB Gull NE. Along with first Mipits and 2 Woodlark.

Some highlights from last week - Hawfinches at Newlands Corner, and Smew at Stoke. (OK, it's a leucistic Coot, but had me going for a moment....) @SurreyBirdNews

But some cringeworthy omissions too: Common Sand, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Fly, LRP, Little Owl. And that pesky Bearded Tit. 3/3

Some clear highlights; Hen Harrier, Ring Ouzel, Cattle Egret, Hawfinch, White Stork... 2/3

(I'm currently parallel running here and on Bluesky, so if this looks familiar you probably saw it over there...) Its the time for the annual patchlist wrap! Total species seen in my patch (10km from my home in Guildford) this year was....118. So two less than last year. 1/3

At least 7 Hawfinches at Newlands Corner this morning, glowing in the first rays of the sun. @SurreyBirdNews

It's taken a long time, but our garden holly tree finally did its job and delivered a Firecrest - garden tick!

Also a Dartford Warbler on the North side.

Hen Harrier west over Pewley Down. @Lobb66 @SurreyBirdNews @viaJWM

@Jeremy_Gates67 Ain't that the truth. But we still dream....

@mereccl The rest are birds we just dream about as inland patch bashers

It's an exciting time of year for birders, seasons changing, birds on the move. But also traditionally a frustrating time when everyone else seems to be seeing Ospreys, Wrynecks, warblers and flycatchers. But I can always rely on Whinchats, which turn up reliably on my patch.

@Crane_Spotter I've seen Small Heath in the garden for the first time ever this year too! Perhaps filling the gap left by all the other butterflies?

Just a little wild patch in the garden for the flowers and insects paid handsomely today with my first ever Small Heath here - a most unexpected delight

@Jeremy_Gates67 @sferguk Yes, East of the railway. I only saw this one bird, but met a guy who had seen a pair recently, and heard others churring off to the North.

@mereccl @sferguk Nice one Martin, was that near to home and if so how many this year?

I'm no @sferguk but managed to get in on the Nightjar action on the Surrey heaths yesterday. This male flew straight towards me, veered off, landed on a nearby tree and proceeded to show off its white bits! Yes mate, I'm impressed.

@GibsonTomgibo @sferguk This did occur to me at the time, so I didn't hang around.

@mereccl @sferguk If it seemed agitated or flew in at you while doing this it could have been that you were close to the nest, worth keeping in mind with unusual encounters. The chicks are fairly small and vulnerable right now.

@sferguk Yeah maybe. Certainly wasn't trying to be camouflaged!

@mereccl Nice mate that'll do. I think it chose a very thin branch there hence the wings down for balance. hahaha

We have a nightmare , dreaming hasn’t worked . . . But it doesn’t have to be like this , we can restore nature now , we must restore nature now . Nature doesn’t have a voice but we do , nature can’t act but we must . Please RT

You may not hear much about the Biodiversity Crisis in the election campaign, but around 100,000 people marched in London at the weekend to tell our politicians to #RestoreNatureNow. So many different groups protesting together, and so many inspiring speakers! @ChrisGPackham