17/10/2021

Inspired by the local sighting of the Penduline Tit at Beddington SF, I decided to put a proper shift in today, in particular, I wanted to scan any tit flocks to see if they had brought any unusual visitors. 

It was generally a quiet day for bird activity, and a busy day at the park people wise, so I wasn't having much luck despite trying.

I noted all the usual visitors: Parakeets, Carrion Crows, Goldfinches, Magpies, although didn't note any Jackdaws today, which was slightly odd.

I had a Grey Heron fly over twice, and had the usual gulls passing through, but, while working my way back out of the Park, I had my first bit of hope.

I was working my way back slowly along Tree Line 3, keeping my eyes and ears out, and was able to hear the classic teetering/trill of the Long-Tailed Tit. I stopped to count how many - I made it 5 - and spotted something else. Flitting about in the spindly trees was my first Goldcrest for Nonsuch! It was just one on its own, and, admittedly, I'd tuned out of its sound because I haven't seen/heard one for a very long time (but it does also blend quite well with LTT). I was delighted with this patch tick, as I've wanted to get a Goldcrest for a long time and have been frustrated with not finding one. It quickly moved on, as did the LTTs, but it did a lovely Hummingbird impression/hover for about 3 seconds which was great to watch.

Final count for the day was 16 species, and my overall list for Nonsuch is now 35 species. 

Start here

Hi and welcome!

Hopefully you've found this blog to learn a little more about the wildlife (although mainly birds) that can be found at Nonsuch Park, nestled amongst Stoneleigh, North Cheam, Cheam, and Ewell, near Epsom.

I'm not originally from the area, and moved down for work. Admittedly, and regrettably, I had overlooked the park for birding. With the Covid-19 pandemic, I was working from home more often, and this meant that I had more time after work to explore places locally (which was actually the safest way to bird in that climate anyway).

I first went to birdwatch at Nonsuch Park at the end of July 2021. I was absolutely stunned by my first proper visit there, having had a close-up of a Buzzard, a Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, and a Grey Wagtail all within about an hour. I was hungry for more delights, and went home in awe. When I made it home, I was only able to find the Blogspot of David Campbell as the only solid record of birding at Nonsuch. This isn't to say that the area hasn't been thoroughly surveyed in the past, but that I wasn't able to find much about the birds that visit and live there. It was great to read about his observations on visitors throughout the year, and share his excitement for patch ticks. Being relatively close to me, I really wanted to make Nonsuch my local patch that I could check regularly, and observe differences in bird behaviour and species as the year went on. After an email exchange with David, I discovered that he is no longer in the area to regularly watch the patch, but I am sure I have his blessing to carry the baton! I am also certain and hopeful that, with enough surveying, Nonsuch should throw up a few interesting and unusual species at some point(!), and put it firmly on the map. I'm also hoping that this kind of logging will encourage others to get out and survey the patch, and therefore create some interesting historical records. 

I will also caveat the entire blog by saying that I am not the best birder! I am using this as a way to improve my birding skills and to learn more about bird behaviour. For example, I'm still unsure on how to count huge volumes of birds (e.g. Parakeets), so will likely remark on overall perceived numbers, rather than declare a number. I am always very open to learning more about my craft, so please do get in touch if you want to provide any further information to my sightings, comments, or even (dare I say it) corrections!

I generally use eBird to record my sightings and will try to find a widget to document my lists.

Anyone who has visited Nonsuch will know that it is a huge site, and so I will map out the territory in a later post.

Finally, I am not entirely sure how long I will be in this area for, but I will continue to visit and therefore post as often as I can to build up as much of a record as I can. It will be my first proper attempt at patch birding, and want to make the most of being nearby such a fantastic habitat. Other patches in the area are well watched by others, but it's worth me saying that I am a regular visitor at: Hogsmill Local Nature Reserve/Ewell Court, Priest Hill Nature Reserve, Beddington Farmlands, Horton Country Park. Depending on interest, it may be worth my while setting up a generic blog for my other birding ventures.

As another prompt, please do feel free to get in touch if you're reading this. I would love to share whatever information I can, and would also love to learn.