Thanks to Ian for the more on-the-minute info on Wraysbury. I happened to be browsing the WeBS Report over breakfast and Wraysbury has continued to be a site of national importance for wintering Smew in the early years of this century (though numbers declining). I guess that may be under threat from what Ian says.
It must be hard being a county birder in some of the home counties which rely heavily on a very small number of good sites - Herts and Tring reservoirs for instance. So I wonder what is the best land-locked county in the UK? Greater Manchester perhaps?
Theres an excellent book called Where to watch birds in Britain Simon Harrap and Nigel Redman should be in every birders car when they venture out of their local patch.
failing that check the pager and local birdlines and go for the rare bird in that area.
Wrasbury Gravel Pits are now all private fishing or watersports lakes and viewing any is extremely limited at best, often only possibly from along the side of the road. I spend quite a bt of time down there as my sister lives in Wrasbury but usually ignore the large London Reservoirs and Wrasbury due to the frustration with viewing them, instead Virginia Water is a good walk but make it as early as possible and has all 3 woodpeckers and Hawfinch if you're lucky. Thursley Common and Frensham Common/ponds are well worth a visit (I nearly always visit the latter as access is easy and birds more available) and will still have Dartford Warbler, Woodlark, all 3 woodpeckers, Crossbill and perhaps the chance of Great Grey Shrike (at Thursley at least). It's a nice area around the Surrey/Hampshire border but spend any amount of time there and you can't end up not realising how lucky we really are with so many great, easily accesible sites with so much variety of bird life
Thanks for the helpful comment Simon, trouble is there is a wedding involved and if I don't attend it in the afternoon my own could be in danger. It's alright for you single blokes to make these manly comments, but would you be so brave if ???!!!!! Cheers Ian
Head down the M3 towards London to Virginia Water - big park with huge ornamental lake and 100s of Mandarin. Just to the north is Windsor Great Park. The reservoirs in Staines King George V (or VI can't recall it's exact name) and Queen Mary are regular London birding spots - bit like Audenshaw and similarly bleak but v.good winter birding. Then there's Wraysbury Gravel Pits off J13 of the M25 which is where I got my first drake Smew. If it's late enough in Nov and the weather is cold enough you could be in luck. It's so well known Bill Oddie did it on one of his programmes about birding in London. To your south, I note on my road map, is Selbourne and Gilbert White's house so if it's horribly wet you could go there.
Just to correct that info King George VI res (not King George V which is in N London) and Queen Mary are permit-only reservoirs but in the middle is Staines Res which has public access down the central causewasy and that was the one I visited. They've had a Great Skua, Common Scoter and 5 Black Terns this very morning!
Going to a wedding in Nov at Hook near Aldershot in Hampshire. I know nothing about birdwatching sites in the area and can find no near RSPB sites. I should have Sat a.m to birdwatch but don't know where to go Please anyone with info post a message Cheers Ian
ie to twitch or not to twitch which is the answer???
. It's alright for you single blokes to make these manly comments, but would you be so brave if ???!!!!!
