London-wide fall!

Today turned out to be quite phenomenal locally for spring migrants, not only at the patch but across the whole of the London recording area, with a Hoopoe, Mealy Redpoll, Nightingale, Pied Flycatcher, several Ring Ouzels and Tree Pipits seen, and Dominic Mitchell tallied up an amazing 44 Common Redstarts, 260+ Northern Wheatears and 244+ Willow Warblers amongst the migrants reported! Interestingly, Dungeness, Sandwich Bay and Portland Bill Bird Observatories all reported rather quiet days.

More or less the first bird I saw at Staines Moor early this morning was a superb male Whinchat flitting around the (remaining) hawthorns in the north-east corner, and a look around the hawthorns and along the disused railway embankment produced 1m Common Redstart, 2 Common Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler (2H), 3m Blackcap and 7 Chiffchaff (3H). Out on the grassland around 20 (17m, 3f) Northern Wheatear were hoping around the anthills and also along the banks of the Colne, and a flock of 10m Yellow Wagtail were feeding around the cattle.

Male Whinchat in the northwest corner

Male Whinchat

Part of a fantastic 10 strong flock of male Yellow Wagtails feeding around the cattle

Male Yellow Wagtail

The cattle have only been out on the moor a few days - a male Black-headed Wagtail next, please!

2nd summer (?) male Northern Wheatear

Female Northern Wheatear

2nd summer male Northern Wheatear (right) and adult male (left)

5 of a flock 7 male Northern Wheatear along the banks of the Colne

2nd summer male Northern Wheatear

Male Common Redstart

10 House Martin S, 15 Sand Martin S, 23 Barn Swallow S & W were noted overhead and 1-2 Red Kite, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Pied Wagtail along the Colne, 3 Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting, and several of both Meadow Pipit and Skylark were also logged.

On Stanwell Moor 1+ Sedge Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, 3m Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff (1H), 7+ Sand Martin, 1 Barn Swallow, 1 Common Snipe, 2 Linnet, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4+ Northern Lapwing and a Little Owl were noted.

For more on today's fall across London see here:
http://devilbirder.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/more-migrants-arrive.html
http://www.thecowboybirder.com/2013/04/migrantastic-london-fall.html
http://www.wansteadbirder.com/2013/04/after-flood.html

Weather: Heavy cloud for much of the day with some brighter periods and occassional blue sky (7-8 oktas), light southerly wind, a couple of short showers.