Quiet at the patch

Very quiet on the patch today. On Stanwell Moor the Grasshopper Warbler was still singing east of the boardwalk (heard only) and 3 Garden Warbler were logged.

On Staines Moor, 150+ Common Swift feeding low over the moor and KGVI Reservoir, 1 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin and 13 Barn Swallow were the only passage migrants noted. 1 Tufted Duck W, 1 Shelduck N, 5 Jackdaw (1S and 4 NW), 1 Hobby, 2 Garden Warbler (1H), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1+ Redshank, 2+ Little Egret, 5+ Coot (a high site count) and 1f Mallard with 9 chicks on the Colne were the best of the rest. Lots of Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Reed Buntings about.

Several pairs of Reed Bunting are holding territory on Staines Moor

Mallard are not a common sight on Staines Moor nowadays, especially with chicks.

I'm conducting my own biodiversity study of the moor and as there wasn't much doing in terms of migrants I spent a while photographing a few wild flowers including Red Campion Silene dioica, Wood Speedwell Veronica montana, and Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum along the old railway, and a few other species that I'll post photos of once I've identified them.

Wood Speedwell Veronica montana along the old railway. Hairs all around the stems, leaf shape and petal colour clinch
the ID.

Red Campion Silene dioica along the old railway

Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum along the old railway

Fly sp. Any idea which species? Anyone?

Weather: Sunny early clouding over (1 okta to 8 oktas by late morning), calm and misty early morning, cold, very light north-easterlies increasing throughout the morning.