Had a fantastic few hours at Staines Moor today. Summer migrants were everywhere and there was some good visible migration going on overhead. The undoubted highlight was a Red Kite over S at midday being joined by a Short-eared Owl that proceeded to mob it before heading off high to the NE! A group of 7 Common Buzzard drifting NE at 10:25, 1 Yellow Wagtail W and 5 Sand Martin were also logged overhead.
Things were just as good on the ground with 8 Northern Wheatears around the anthills (4 males and 4 females), 1 Green Sandpiper and a Little Egret on the Colne, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler, and at least 10 Willow Warbler, 17 Common Chiffchaff and 27 Blackcap!
Other sightings include a Red-legged Partridge (a patch tick), 6 Reed Bunting, 2 Redshank, 2 Shelduck, plenty of Skylark and Meadow Pipit displaying, as well as good numbers of Linnet. Cetti's Warbler were heard, and Comma, Orange-tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone butterflies were also noted.
Lee - Staines Moor can be such a terrific birdy place. Nice one! Some good local records/totals there. I hope to do half as well when I'm there tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteBtw, both spp of partridge have been seen occasionally on the moor over the past few years, and I believe they must be either escapes or (grey partridge) from a reintro scheme.
Cheers,
Rob Innes (Staines area birder)
Cracking day Dinger. I was on the boat of pain in the Bristol Channel this morning and had some small movements of Swallows over the sea and a big fall of Willow Warblers on Lundy yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHi Rob, Good luck at the moor and many thanks for the gen on the partridges. I'll keep my eyes peeled for Grey.
ReplyDelete...well, as expected, I couldn't match your results when I visited the moor yesterday (9th), Lee. I did have Reed Warbler, though, as well as Sedge and Whitethroat. All these species have arrived early this year.
ReplyDeleteStill eight Wheatears around. It's interesting that since I first started birding Staines Moor (2002), it has grown markedly more attractive to Wheatears. Not sure why, but the numbers are right there in the notebook.
ATB
Rob Innes
Hi Lee,
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog and superb pics, will look back again sometime!!
Dave
http://iow-birder.blogspot.com/
Hi Rob, I see Wheatears increased to 13 yesterday!! I started birding the moor regularly in 2003 and don't remember such a good spring for them. Unfortunately I can't get back until later in the week.
ReplyDelete