Rachel and went for a walk along the River Mole at Leatherhead today that proved surprisingly productive for birds. Highlights were 2m Goosander that showed very well, a pair of Kingfisher that appeared to be excavating a nest (this is the most messed up winter I've ever known!) with perhaps another 2 birds further upstream, 1 Little Egret over NW, 1+ Common Chiffchaff and several Redwing.
28 December 2015
24 December 2015
Staines Moor Black Stork accepted
Heard today via Twitter that my Black Stork over Staines Moor on 18th September has been accepted by The 10 Rare Men. Just in time for Crimbo - super!
#BBRCdecision :Ref No 6004 Accepted-Black Stork 18-Sep-15 Staines Moor,Surrey— TheBBRC (@_BBRC) December 24, 201523 December 2015
Staines Moor: 23 December
A couple of hours spotlighting this evening proved very productive with 2 Barn Owl (NE corner), 1 Little Owl (north end), 1-2 Jack Snipe (east pool and south end), 2 Eurasian Woodcock (1 south end, 1 north end), 5+(4+H) Common Snipe (including 1 on the ground in the torch light for a change), 2 Red-legged Partridge (NE corner, a Water Rail heard (Bonehead Ditch in NE corner) and 1 Red Fox. An almost full moon prevented getting close enough for photos though.
Spent some time searching for fungi in the afternoon when the following also noted: 1 Golden Plover (flew off NE from the west side calling), 3 Water Pipit (Colne), 6 Little Grebe (Colne), 5 Stonechat (3m, 2f), 3 Goldcrest and 1+ Kestrel.
Spent some time searching for fungi in the afternoon when the following also noted: 1 Golden Plover (flew off NE from the west side calling), 3 Water Pipit (Colne), 6 Little Grebe (Colne), 5 Stonechat (3m, 2f), 3 Goldcrest and 1+ Kestrel.
4 December 2015
Spelthorne Borough Council Staines Moor management meeting: 4 December
Met up with Steve Price, the Countryside and Commons Officer at Spelthorne Borough Council, local naturalist Nick Orson and ecologist Luke today on Staines Moor to discuss the management of the site.
Steve is producing a three year management plan that includes re-wetting the moor, management of invasive vegetation to encourage breeding and wintering waders and maintain the moor's important flora, and controlling non-native invasive species, while protecting the grazing rights of the Moormasters. However, there is a lot of red tape to deal with, especially for the re-wetting work.
Some clearance of bramble and younger hawthorn patches has already resumed, but birders will be pleased to learn that most of the larger hawthorns in the NW corner and along the west side will be left in place for breeding Linnet and Lesser Whitethtroat, passage migrants and winter thrushes.
More on the management to follow but suffice to say I am feeling very positive about the plans, and like his predicesor David Hicks, Steve is very open to advice, questions and offers of help. If you have any questions please contact me at lee.dingain@gmail.com or Steve Price at S.Price@spelthorne.gov.uk.
Birds noted today include 1 Treecreeper with Long-tailed Tits along the River Wraysbury beside the M25, 2+ Water Pipit, 1 Northern Lapwing, 2+ Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret and 1+ Grey Wagtail along the Colne, 1 Common Snipe (swamp), 6 (4m, 2f) Stonechat, 4 Red Kite, 3 Goldcrest, 1 Stock Dove 1 Common Buzzard (the regular pale bird), 1m Tufted Duck off from the lake at Moor Lane, 7(1H) Meadow Pipit, several Skylark, 1+ Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail E, 25+ Carrion Crow (numbers are now increasing for the winter) and 4 Egyptian Goose W. Also a Song Thrush in the grass on the east side is unusual here - an exhausted migrant? 1 Reed Bunting SSW, 2 Goldfinch SW, 1 Stock Dove SW, and 23 Woodpigeon SW were the only migrants noted moving overhead.
A couple of hours spotlighting after dark produced 1 flighty Eurasian Woodcock (south end), 1+H Tawny Owl (Bonehead Woodland), 2H Common Snipe, 3H Redwing, 1 Red Fox, and best of all, 1 superb Barn Owl hunting at close range over the rough grass on the east side of Moor Lane (by the closed railway crossing near the old Swan pub).
Steve is producing a three year management plan that includes re-wetting the moor, management of invasive vegetation to encourage breeding and wintering waders and maintain the moor's important flora, and controlling non-native invasive species, while protecting the grazing rights of the Moormasters. However, there is a lot of red tape to deal with, especially for the re-wetting work.
Some clearance of bramble and younger hawthorn patches has already resumed, but birders will be pleased to learn that most of the larger hawthorns in the NW corner and along the west side will be left in place for breeding Linnet and Lesser Whitethtroat, passage migrants and winter thrushes.
More on the management to follow but suffice to say I am feeling very positive about the plans, and like his predicesor David Hicks, Steve is very open to advice, questions and offers of help. If you have any questions please contact me at lee.dingain@gmail.com or Steve Price at S.Price@spelthorne.gov.uk.
Birds noted today include 1 Treecreeper with Long-tailed Tits along the River Wraysbury beside the M25, 2+ Water Pipit, 1 Northern Lapwing, 2+ Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret and 1+ Grey Wagtail along the Colne, 1 Common Snipe (swamp), 6 (4m, 2f) Stonechat, 4 Red Kite, 3 Goldcrest, 1 Stock Dove 1 Common Buzzard (the regular pale bird), 1m Tufted Duck off from the lake at Moor Lane, 7(1H) Meadow Pipit, several Skylark, 1+ Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail E, 25+ Carrion Crow (numbers are now increasing for the winter) and 4 Egyptian Goose W. Also a Song Thrush in the grass on the east side is unusual here - an exhausted migrant? 1 Reed Bunting SSW, 2 Goldfinch SW, 1 Stock Dove SW, and 23 Woodpigeon SW were the only migrants noted moving overhead.
A couple of hours spotlighting after dark produced 1 flighty Eurasian Woodcock (south end), 1+H Tawny Owl (Bonehead Woodland), 2H Common Snipe, 3H Redwing, 1 Red Fox, and best of all, 1 superb Barn Owl hunting at close range over the rough grass on the east side of Moor Lane (by the closed railway crossing near the old Swan pub).
20 November 2015
Woodcock return: 20 November
A couple of hours spotlighting this evening at Staines Moor found at least 2 (perhaps as many as 6) Eurasian Woodcock at the north end - the first birds of the winter. However, a waxing gibbous moon was throwing out a heck of a lot of light and so the birds could not be approached close enough for photos. I'll try again in a week or so. Also noted after dark were a possible Jack Snipe (east pool), 5(4H) Common Snipe, a Short-eared Owl, 3f Eurasian Teal (east pool) and 3(H) Redwing over, as well as c15 Rabbits (including a couple of black animals) - a much higher site count than usual.
A walk along the old railway this afternoon logged 2-3 Coal Tit (2 at the feeders and 1 in a tit flock), 3 Blackcap (2m, 1f), 1 Common Chiffchaff, 15 Goldcrest, 7 Chaffinch (2m, 5f - feeders). The open moor produced 2+ Water Pipit, 3 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, and 1 Pied Wagtail all along the Colne, and 9 Stonechat (6m, 3f), 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Redwing, 36 Fieldfare, 1 Reed Bunting, 2+ Kestrel and 2 Egyptian Goose W.
Passage overhead amounted to just 1 redpoll sp. SSW, 1 Grey Wagtail W, 1 Greenfinch SW, 3 Chaffinch (SW-S), several Linnet SW, 1 Red Kite W, 1 Common Buzzard and a Grey Wagtail W. A steady eastward movement of gulls off to roost near dusk consisted of mainly Lesser Black-backed, Black-headed and a few Common Gulls.
A walk along the old railway this afternoon logged 2-3 Coal Tit (2 at the feeders and 1 in a tit flock), 3 Blackcap (2m, 1f), 1 Common Chiffchaff, 15 Goldcrest, 7 Chaffinch (2m, 5f - feeders). The open moor produced 2+ Water Pipit, 3 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, and 1 Pied Wagtail all along the Colne, and 9 Stonechat (6m, 3f), 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Redwing, 36 Fieldfare, 1 Reed Bunting, 2+ Kestrel and 2 Egyptian Goose W.
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| 1 of 15 Goldcrest along the old railway alone today |
Passage overhead amounted to just 1 redpoll sp. SSW, 1 Grey Wagtail W, 1 Greenfinch SW, 3 Chaffinch (SW-S), several Linnet SW, 1 Red Kite W, 1 Common Buzzard and a Grey Wagtail W. A steady eastward movement of gulls off to roost near dusk consisted of mainly Lesser Black-backed, Black-headed and a few Common Gulls.
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| Staines Moor today, looking north-east towards King George VI Reservoir |
11 November 2015
Coal Tits at the patch: 11 November
Concentrated on birding the old railway and Bonehead Woodland at Staines Moor today. Finally caught up with the Coal Tit(s) that has been visiting the feeders for a few weeks. From photos there was actually 2 Coal Tits at the feeders today along with several each of Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Ring-necked Parakeet, and 5+ (4f, 1m) Chaffinch.
Setting up a feeding station and keeping the feeders topped up on Staines Moor is no easy task and so Stephen Minhinnick must be thanked for his efforts as well as for getting me a patch tick.
Another Coal Tit a little further south along the old railway was my second record (identified as a third bird from photos), and a Eurasian Treecreeper around the feeders was my third patch record.
Other notables today were 1 Short-eared Owl at the north end at dusk that flew up from the grass and headed directly off north to Stanwell Moor, 2 (1f ,1m) Eurasian Bullfinch along the old railway, 26 Goldcrest, 1 Fieldfare (Bonehead Woodland), 1+ Water Pipit over the east side, 2 Little Egret, 3 (2m, 1f) Stonechat, 10 Stock Dove (over Bonehead Woodland) and 1+ Kestrel.
Vis mig was almost non-existent with 4 Fieldfare SW, 2(H) redpoll sp., 1 alba wagtail over W, and 1 pale Common Buzzard ENE (didn't look like the usual pale individual in a brief view) just south of the A30).
It's so mild still that Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides is still flowering along the Colne.
Weather: Overcast (8 oktas), mild, some very light drizzle at times, moderate SW wind.
Setting up a feeding station and keeping the feeders topped up on Staines Moor is no easy task and so Stephen Minhinnick must be thanked for his efforts as well as for getting me a patch tick.
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| Coal Tit - 1 of 3 birds present along the old railway today |
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| Photos show 3 different Coal Tits on site today - the 2 right hand birds were visiting the feeders |
Another Coal Tit a little further south along the old railway was my second record (identified as a third bird from photos), and a Eurasian Treecreeper around the feeders was my third patch record.
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| Eurasian Treecreeper along the old railway today - I love the white claws on these birds |
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| Today's Eurasian Treecreeper |
Other notables today were 1 Short-eared Owl at the north end at dusk that flew up from the grass and headed directly off north to Stanwell Moor, 2 (1f ,1m) Eurasian Bullfinch along the old railway, 26 Goldcrest, 1 Fieldfare (Bonehead Woodland), 1+ Water Pipit over the east side, 2 Little Egret, 3 (2m, 1f) Stonechat, 10 Stock Dove (over Bonehead Woodland) and 1+ Kestrel.
Vis mig was almost non-existent with 4 Fieldfare SW, 2(H) redpoll sp., 1 alba wagtail over W, and 1 pale Common Buzzard ENE (didn't look like the usual pale individual in a brief view) just south of the A30).
It's so mild still that Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides is still flowering along the Colne.
Weather: Overcast (8 oktas), mild, some very light drizzle at times, moderate SW wind.
1 November 2015
Birding the fog: 1 November
A few hours birding Staines Moor in the fog finally produced a Firecrest, albeit briefly, along Bonehead Woodland in the NE corner. The Goldcrest influx continues with 34 counted today setting another site record, but thrushes remain thin on the ground with just 1 Fieldfare, 5 Song Thrush and 7 Blackbird logged.
The fog didn't lift at all today so visibility remained poor. Vis mig amounted to just c.62 Woodpigeon SW, 11(1H) Linnet S and 9 Goldfinch S. On the ground, 1H Water Pipit, 1 Little Grebe (Colne), 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtail, 3+ Pied Wagtail, 2 Little Egret, 4 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4H Cetti's Warbler (1 in the reeds along the Colne by the northern footbridge and 3 along Bonehead Ditch), 3(1H) Greenfinch, 1 Kestrel and a Common Snipe (heard overhead at dusk) were noted.
The fog didn't lift at all today so visibility remained poor. Vis mig amounted to just c.62 Woodpigeon SW, 11(1H) Linnet S and 9 Goldfinch S. On the ground, 1H Water Pipit, 1 Little Grebe (Colne), 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtail, 3+ Pied Wagtail, 2 Little Egret, 4 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4H Cetti's Warbler (1 in the reeds along the Colne by the northern footbridge and 3 along Bonehead Ditch), 3(1H) Greenfinch, 1 Kestrel and a Common Snipe (heard overhead at dusk) were noted.
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| Goldcrest, Staines Moor, 1 November |
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