Chesworth Farm - Bird Survey

Mike Ayling carried out his weekly bird survey of the farm which produced the following:

Blackbird 2, Bullfinch 1, Carrion Crow 3, Goldfinch 64, Great Tit 1, Greenfinch 1, House Sparrow 1, Robin 2, Song Thrush 1, Wren 3, Blue Tit 10, Buzzard 1, Chiffchaff 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Grey Heron 1, Magpie 3, Skylark 1, Woodpigeon 7

Chesworth Farm - Bird Survey

White Fallow Deer - M. Ayling

Mike Ayling carried out his weekly bird survey of the Farm which produced the following list of birds and also an unusual encounter with a young white Fallow Deer buck. The full list of species recorded is below:

Blackbird 3, Blue Tit 2, Carrion Crow 2, Chiffchaff 6, Feral Pigeon 2, Goldfinch 5, Great Tit 2, Greenfinch 4, House Sparrow 2, Linnet 1, Moorhen 3, Reed Warbler 2, Skylark 1, Whitethroat 6, Wren 6, Blackcap 6, Bullfinch 1, Chaffinch 1, Dunnock 2, Garden Warbler 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Herring Gull 2, Jackdaw 3, Magpie 5, Nuthatch 1, Robin 6, Song Thrush 2, Woodpigeon 11

Fallow Deer 1, Grey Squirrel 1

Chesworth Farm - Bird Survey

Rabbit eyeing up the Pygmy Goat House - M. Ayling

Mike Ayling carried out his weekly bird survey which produced the follwing:

Blackbird 4, Blue Tit 3, Carrion Crow 1, Chiffchaff 7, Garden Warbler 1, Great Tit 2, Greenfinch 2, Herring Gull 4, Jackdaw 11, Kestrel 1, Long-tailed Tit 1, Mallard 4, Reed Warbler 1, Skylark 1, Swallow 2, Woodpigeon 12, Yellowhammer 1, Blackcap 4, Bullfinch 2, Chaffinch 3, Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 5, Green Woodpecker 1, Grey Heron 1, House Sparrow 3, Jay 1, Kingfisher 1, Magpie 2, Moorhen 3, Robin 3, Song Thrush 1, Whitethroat 2, Wren 6

Chesworth Farm - Bird Survey

Mike Ayling carried out his weekly bird count which produced the following:

Blackbird 6, Common Buzzard 1, Carrion Crow 1, Dunnock 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Herring Gull 20, Jackdaw 11, Magpie 5, Pheasant 1, Song Thrush 6, Wren 1, Blue Tit 3, Canada Goose 3, Chaffinch 3, Goldfinch 8, Great Tit 2, Greenfinch 1, House Sparrow 1, Linnet 28, Moorhen 1, Robin 6, Woodpigeon 24

Chesworth Farm - Bird Survey

Recent Culvert Repair by the Friends of Chesworth Farm

Mike Ayling carried out his weekly bird survey on the Farm which produced the following birds:

Black-headed Gull 3
Blue Tit 2
Buzzard 1
Chaffinch 1
Fieldfare 2
Goldfinch 7
Great Tit 3
House Sparrow 2
Long-tailed Tit 5
Moorhen 1
Redwing 4
Song Thrush 2
Wren 3
Blackbird 13
Bullfinch 3
Carrion Crow 4
Dunnock 1
Goldcrest 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Herring Gull 17
Jackdaw 4
Magpie 7
Pheasant 1
Robin 9
Woodpigeon 44

Just a quick thanks to the merry band of volunteers from the Friends of Chesworth Farm who finished off the repairs to the newly laid culvert pipe on the Farm. A very nice job done indeed!

Chesworth Farm - Bird Log

Mike carried out his usual weekend bird count and managed to the following:

Robin - 7
Magpie - 5
Blackbird - 11
Woodpigeon - 27
Barn Owl - 1
Goldfinch - 37
House Sparrow - 2
Great Tit - 4
Herring Gull - 17 (Over)
Black-headed Gull - 2
Blue Tit - 7
Chaffinch - 3
Dunnock - 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1
Common Buzzard - 1
Carrion Crow - 1
Jackdaw - 2
Song Thrush - 2
Jay - 1

Chesworth Farm Bird Log

Both Mike and Eddie were around the Farm today and counted the following (combined totals):

Robin - 8

Blue Tit - 7

Blackbird - 5

Woodpigeon - 14

Wren - 2

Greater-spotted Woodpecker - 1

Jackdaw - 5

Pheasant - 1

Linnet - 6

Chiffchaff - 3

Moorhen - 2

Green Woodpecker - 1

Willow Warbler - 1

Blackcap - 2

Great Tit - 2

Dunnock - 1

Grey Wagtail - 1

Magpie - 4

Kestrel - 1

Jay - 3

Bullfinch - 1

Herring Gull - 5 (over)

Carrion Crow - 2

House Sparrow - 3

Chesworth Farm - Bird Log

Mike did his count as usual and produced the following list:

Robin - 4
Blackbird - 7
Bulfinch - 1
Wren - 2
Blue Tit - 8
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2 (1 Ad/1 Juv)
Whitethroat - 4 (2 Ad/2 Juv)
Jackdaw - 3
Great Tit - 2
Magpie - 5
Woodpigeon - 6
Goldfinch - 2
Chaffinch - 1
Kestrel - 1
Linnet - 5
Herring Gull - 3 (over)
Carrion Crow - 1

Chesworth Farm - Bird Log

Broad-bodied Chaser - M. Ayling

Common Spotted Orchid - M. Ayling

Wren - 6

Blackbird - 7

Magpie - 5

Whitethroat - 1

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1

Moorhen - 1

Chaffinch - 3

Woodpigeon - 6

Yellowhammer - 1

Goldfinch - 6

House Sparrow - 5

Greenfinch - 1

Song Thrush - 2

Great Tit - 2

Blackcap - 2

Carrion Crow - 1

Kestrel - 1

Willow Warbler - 1

Blue Tit - 3

Dunnock - 1

Jackdaw - 3

Broad-bodied Chaser - 1

Chesworth Farm Bird Log

Mike carried out his usual weekend bird log today and noted the following:

Blackcap - 4

Magpie - 4

Wren - 4

Woodpigeon - 7

Whitethroat - 2

Chiffchaff - 4

Chaffinch - 4

Song Thrush - 5

Blackbird 5

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 1

Canada Geese - 6 (over)

Goldfinch - 3

Reed Warbler - 2 (maybe 3)

Jackdaw - 5

Moorhen - 4 (3 young)

Skylark - 3

Great Tit - 2

Blue Tit - 8

Starling - 14

Swallow - 1

Carrion Crow - 1

Willow Warbler - 1

Greenfinch - 2

Swift - 14
House Sparrow - 3

Chesworth Farm - Birding Highlights

Spring and Autumn migration offer the best chance of finding something unusual on any of the sites in the Horsham district so extra effort is put in between the wardens and all of the regular visitors. Normally this all comes to nothing but as has been shown by the recent sightings at Warnham LNR even inland sites can produce some wonderful birds. The last couple of weeks Chesworth Farm has taken over the rarity mantle...

Redstart - Chesworth Farm (J. Everitt)

Regular visitor Eddie Bew came up with the first surprise down at the Farm in the form of this stunning male Common Redstart. It spent the day feeding along the hedgelines between Jenny Bare Legs Field, Horsham Hill Field and Chambers Field. This is a less than annual visitor to any of the Horsham sites so really was a fantastic find.

Nightingale - Chesworth Farm (M. Munday)

The best bird of the year at the Farm so far has to go to the stunning male Nightingale which was found by Michael Munday. Alerted by the wonderful flutey song eventually Michael managed to get a couple of pictures of the bird perched deep in cover. This sighting was in fact the first record of Nightingale on the Farm and was lucky it was singing as it could well have gone unnoticed otherwise. Well done Michael a fantastic find.

Nightingale - Chesworth Farm (M. Munday)

Whilst making the most of watching the Common Redstart and hoping to get a slightly better picture that I got I managed to stumble across a rather lovely Red Fox which was hunting up and down Chambers Field an the allotments. I couldn't see what it was catching though I suspect it was earthworms.

Red Fox - Chesworth Farm (J. Everitt)

Spring Flower Walk on the Farm

Spring Flower Walk in full flow - M. Ayling

The Friends of Chesworth Farm hosted their first public event of 2014 today in wonderful conditions. The Spring Flower Walk went down a storm with a good number attending and plenty of bits to keep the group occupied.

Lesser Celandine - M. Ayling

Most of the spring species which were expected around the Farm such as Primrose, Lesser Celandine (above), Cuckooflower and Greater Stitchwort were all seen during the mornings saunter. It was a nice opportunity for the leader Tim to also explain a little about the up and coming projects on the Farm as well as bit of the history too.

Cuckooflower - M. Ayling

Many thanks to the Friends of Chesworth Farm and in particular Tim and Mike for arranging and leading the event. Hopefully these kind of events will attract more people to the Farm with varying levels of interest and expertise.

Chesworth Farm - Bird Log

Mike carried out his bird count around the Farm which produced the following:

Wren - 3

Blackbird - 5

House Sparrow - 3

Blue Tit - 5

Woodpigeon - 10

Chaffinch - 3

Chiffchaff - 5

Skylark - 3

Greenfinch - 4

Song Thrush - 7

Bullfinch - 2

Robin - 3

Magpie - 4

Jackdaw - 2

Herring Gull - 15 (over)

Black-headed Gull - 8 (over)

Goldfinch - 1

Great Tit - 5

Dunnock - 2

Carrion Crow - 2