Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) The apples are ready and now I’m waiting for the ‘chock-a-chock chock’. No, it’s not some sort of sweet fireworks night treat for the kids but it is my recipe to attract a rather shy type of thrush to the garden. Last month I wrote about the autumn’s rusty tones arriving with the ...
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What a pretty, innocent, and fresh-looking face. There I was, only feet away from a Redwing on the pavement. The ‘go faster’ white stripe above the eye was clear to see. But obviously in this case it had failed to work because this member of the thrush family had been nabbed, perishing at the talons of one of the ...
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Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) A flash or shining iridescent sky-blue shoots by like an arrow – and before you can fully register its magnificence it has gone. That’s about all most people see of a Kingfisher and even then they count themselves lucky. Lots of people have told me they’d love to see one but never have. ...
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Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) Eyes will be looking up to the skies above Cranleigh, Ewhurst and surrounding villages this month for August’s annual free firework display. The spectacular shooting star show, the Perseid meteor shower, is predicted to be at its best from Friday 9 August to Wednesday 14 Aug 2019. ...
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'Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes): singing like it is four times bigger’ The variety of shops run by much-loved local entrepreneurs in Cranleigh has tailed off in recent years as costs prove increasingly unaffordable. Nationally known chain stores have moved in alongside a High Street now notable for its plethora ...
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Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) Have any of you noticed how clean the front of your car is nowadays? Some 15 to 20 years ago there was a regular chore to complete after every significant journey. Hot water, a bucket, soap and a brush were needed to scrape off a grim gallery of dead insects on the ...
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Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) Dawn on a bright spring morning. Let’s see what’s about. Familiar birds seem to be up early. A Song Thrush belts out sweet tunes to declare its territory. Blackbirds strut their stuff on the lawn. A male noisily chases off a neighbour who is encroaching on his turf. ...
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Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) Any day now and they will be enchanting us with their magical music again. The Nightingale will be back – but only in all too few of the remaining copses to host them in the south of England. Their return from Africa is usually heard around here from the second week of ...
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Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis Cabaret) Remember the famous cinema quote from Tom Hanks, playing the Forrest Gump character in the film of the same name? ‘Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get’. I always recall those words when I hear or see an increasingly scarce ...
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The Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) With the snowdrops bursting through and the days noticeably longer I had been expecting the return of a powerful songster to announce Spring’s imminent arrival. And late last month he started up again, true to form. The Mistle Thrush. At this time of the year he reappears as ...
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