Back in the UK for the first time in a decade, I flew into Gatwick and had a very pleasant 30min drive into Banstead Village in Surrey where I stayed. The narrow, winding English country roads have an undeniable charm on a bright sunny day….For the first time in years I had some time to explore the local countryside and bird. We started in Chipstead Downs, part of Banstead Woods….
Banstead Village is charminga jackdaw with its pale headChipstead Downs is at the eastern end of Banstead Woods and we got there at about 4pm for a most agreeable walk…the common magpie was the first to greet us…a few old friends, the blue tits busied themselves…..hard to shoota solitary nuthatchthere is s trail here called the Narnia’s trail with Aslan the lionone of three woodpeckers in the UK, the charming green backed WP green backed woodpeckerwood doves are very common in bansteadthe second type of woodpecker in the UK…the great spotted WPgreat spotted woodpeckerthe next morning, we walked on Epsom Downs, the site of the famous Epsom Derbythe famed racetrack in the morning lighton the trail, this charming fellow waited for usa song thrushsong thrush posing on a branchcharming trailswhere the syces exercised the thoroughbredsand a blackbird was the last bird of the morning
In brilliant summer sunshine, there are few places more pleasant than the English countryside, throw in a few birds and it makes for a lovely time!
The Natural Traveller 