Low pressures continue to sit over western Europe which appears to be holding up large scale arrivals of some of our common summer migrants (except on Portland that is), but with light north-easterlies and clear skies overnight and then cloud forecast this morning, I felt uncharacteristically optimistic that something good could be on the moor. With Common Redstarts seemingly at every London patch and 40 reported at Portland yesterday, I was quietly hoping for one at Staines Moor this morning. Well, lets just say there's a reason why I'm not often optimistic.
The walk out through Stanwell Moor at dawn in non-forecast sunny conditions produced a decent number of passage warblers dominated by Blackcaps, with 16 Blackcap (1H), 2 Willow Warbler, 9 Chiffchaff and my first Sedge Warbler of the year heard singing but unfortunately remaining out of sight. It seems Common Whitethroats are quite late this year (check out the BirdTrack chart here) but the first must surely arrive here any day now.
A freezing mist closed in soon after reaching Staines Moor, but a further 12 Blackcap (4H), 6 Willow Warbler (4H) and 11 Chiffchaff (6H) were found, and once the mist cleared the male Ring Ouzel showed very well (7th day) and 10 Northern Wheatear (7 males, 3 females) were revealed hopping around the anthills at the north end. Overhead, 2 Swallow flew N, 1 Red Kite S and up to 6 Common Buzzard (including a displaying bird).
Other bits seen include c100 Linnet (including a feeding flock of 45 birds), 1 Little Egret along the Colne, 2 Redshank, 7 Lapwing, 7 Reed Bunting, 1 Goldcrest, good numbers of singing Skylark and Meadow Pipit and a Red Fox with rabbit kill. Also on Stanwell Moor, 2 Shelduck, 2 Lapwing 1 Kingfisher and a Reed Bunting.
The walk out through Stanwell Moor at dawn in non-forecast sunny conditions produced a decent number of passage warblers dominated by Blackcaps, with 16 Blackcap (1H), 2 Willow Warbler, 9 Chiffchaff and my first Sedge Warbler of the year heard singing but unfortunately remaining out of sight. It seems Common Whitethroats are quite late this year (check out the BirdTrack chart here) but the first must surely arrive here any day now.
A freezing mist closed in soon after reaching Staines Moor, but a further 12 Blackcap (4H), 6 Willow Warbler (4H) and 11 Chiffchaff (6H) were found, and once the mist cleared the male Ring Ouzel showed very well (7th day) and 10 Northern Wheatear (7 males, 3 females) were revealed hopping around the anthills at the north end. Overhead, 2 Swallow flew N, 1 Red Kite S and up to 6 Common Buzzard (including a displaying bird).
Other bits seen include c100 Linnet (including a feeding flock of 45 birds), 1 Little Egret along the Colne, 2 Redshank, 7 Lapwing, 7 Reed Bunting, 1 Goldcrest, good numbers of singing Skylark and Meadow Pipit and a Red Fox with rabbit kill. Also on Stanwell Moor, 2 Shelduck, 2 Lapwing 1 Kingfisher and a Reed Bunting.
Nice "Mountain Blackbird" shot there Dinger!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaffa, I was quite pleased with this one. I had to get into the mind of an ouzel to achieve it!
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