A few quiet hours at the patch. Staines Moor 'highlights': 1 Water Pipit (Colne) with a metal ring on right leg, 6 Stonechat (4m, 2f), 3 Red Kite, 1 Common Buzzard, c. 30 Fieldfare (swamp) and a few Skylark (now singing). Also, photographed a few fruiting fungi that I will try and identify. On Stanwell Moor 3 Canada Geese were just about noteworthy.
Showing posts with label Stanwell Moor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stanwell Moor. Show all posts
5 March 2017
4 February 2017
Staines Moor: 4 February
A rather tedious day at the patch with 1+ Water Pipit (Colne), 3 Water Rail (all along the Colne - 1 at willow clump, 1 on mud by southern footbridge, and 1 in reeds at south end), 11 (5m, 1 1st-w m, 5f) Stonechat, 3 Little Grebe (Colne), 4 Red Kite, 1 Common Buzzard S, 4+ Linnet, 4+ Skylark, 5+ Meadow Pipit, 1m Kestrel and 1f Common Pheasant (swamp).
Weather: Hazy sun, very light W wind, wet (rain previous night and in morning).
Weather: Hazy sun, very light W wind, wet (rain previous night and in morning).
1 January 2017
Patch highlights of 2016
To say that 2016 on the patch was tough going is an understatement. It was a particularly poor year for birds - migrants and breeders alike - with one Red List species failing to return to breed for the first time. Despite this, two warbler species occurred that are potential additions to the Staines Moor list. It was also a poor year for fungi, probably as a result of a very dry last quarter. However, butterflies put on a great show, with the best autumn Red Admiral migration ever recorded at the patch.
All reports below refer to Staines Moor unless otherwise stated, and include unauthenticated records pending acceptance by the London Bird Club recorders (records that are not my own are credited in brackets).
The mild conditions the first half of winter 2015/16 continued into the January and February. End of winter highlights include 2 Eurasian Treecreeper along Bonehead Ditch on 1st January9, a high site count of 18 Stonechat on 5th January3, 7 Water Pipits on 16th January, a singing Eurasian Treecreeper by Slips Pond on 11th February, single Jack Snipes on 11th February and 25th February, 1 male House Sparrow on the Moor Lane unit of the Staines Moor SSSI on 19th February (a very rare bird for Staines Moor), and 2 Water Rail along the Colne, with one bird showing extremely well under the willow clump from 12th to 17th March. 6-8 Water Pipit on 17th March is another good site count.
Spring migration was very slow. Another singing Eurasian Treecreeper along the old railway on 2nd April was presumably the bird seen here throughout the winter, and a Grasshopper Warbler and 3 Common Redstart were all present on 12th April.
The highlight of the spring was a pair of Bar-tailed Godwits feeding beside the Colne all day on 12th May. The female was ringed as an adult on 11 May 2006 in the Netherlands at Polder bij Lies on the island of Terschelling in the western Wadden Sea. A single Grasshopper Warbler returned to breed (seen on 5th and 7th May and heard on 12th May), but depressingly, there was no sign of any Common Cuckoos at either Staines Moor or Stanwell Moor this year - the first year of absence for the patch that I can remember.
Redshank returned to Staines Moor in mid March, with 2 on 17th increasing to 5 on 20th5. 2, presumably a pair, were still present on 22nd May but breeding was not proved. Sadly, although 4 displaying Northern Lapwing were seen on 22nd March, not a single pair bred successfully.
First arrival dates of common summer migrants at Staines Moor or Stanwell Moor for 2016:
Coverage over the summer months was almost non-existent. After a very poor spring I really needed a long break away from the patch and so didn't make a single visit, but neither, seemingly, did many others. A Barn Owl at the south end of Staines Moor on 13th June is an unusual summer record5, and an intriguing report of a Marsh Warbler on the 27th August2 will be a site first if accepted.
Autumn passage began with a huge influx of migrant Red Admirals butterflies provided a fantastic spectacle as their feed on blackberries in their hundreds, peaking with at least 554 counted on Staines Moor and Stanwell Moor on 8th September.
Early October provided the autumn passage highlights. A tame Red Knot feeding beside the Colne on Staines Moor for an hour on 7th October must have been a fantastic sight and is only the third site record4. The next day the national Yellow-browed Warbler influx reached the patch with Staines Moor's first seen in a tit flock in the north-west corner6.
The first Short-eared Owl of the autumn appeared on 8th October8, with 2 together on 16th October5 and 20th October5, and the first returning Water Pipit and Jack Snipe were both noted on 22nd October. A Mediterranean Gull on 27th October is, surprisingly, only the third record for Staines Moor and a Dartford Warbler that showed up in the south-east corner of Staines Moor on 11th November is the seventh site record. 2 Jack Snipe were along the Colne on 15th November7 and a juvenile Marsh Harrier south-west over Staines Moor on 4th December1 was the last notable record of the year1.
Personally, 2016 on the patch will be remembered as a highly frustrating and infuriating year, with a huge number of hours spent in the field during spring and autumn migration in particular producing absolutely naff all. This is the nature of inland patch birding of course, but I really hope 2017 is a little better.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following observers for reporting their records: 1Nick B, 2Ed Bates, 3John Edwards, 4Hugh Evans, 5Thomas Gibson, 6Rob Innes, 7Steve Portugal, 8Jim Sweetland and 9Jim and Tony Sweetland.
All reports below refer to Staines Moor unless otherwise stated, and include unauthenticated records pending acceptance by the London Bird Club recorders (records that are not my own are credited in brackets).
The mild conditions the first half of winter 2015/16 continued into the January and February. End of winter highlights include 2 Eurasian Treecreeper along Bonehead Ditch on 1st January9, a high site count of 18 Stonechat on 5th January3, 7 Water Pipits on 16th January, a singing Eurasian Treecreeper by Slips Pond on 11th February, single Jack Snipes on 11th February and 25th February, 1 male House Sparrow on the Moor Lane unit of the Staines Moor SSSI on 19th February (a very rare bird for Staines Moor), and 2 Water Rail along the Colne, with one bird showing extremely well under the willow clump from 12th to 17th March. 6-8 Water Pipit on 17th March is another good site count.
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| Water Rail, River Colne, Staines Moor, 17 March 2016. Water Rail occasionally winter in the willow clump along the Colne just south of the northern footbridge. |
Spring migration was very slow. Another singing Eurasian Treecreeper along the old railway on 2nd April was presumably the bird seen here throughout the winter, and a Grasshopper Warbler and 3 Common Redstart were all present on 12th April.
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| Migrant Grasshopper Warbler, Staines Moor, 12 April |
The highlight of the spring was a pair of Bar-tailed Godwits feeding beside the Colne all day on 12th May. The female was ringed as an adult on 11 May 2006 in the Netherlands at Polder bij Lies on the island of Terschelling in the western Wadden Sea. A single Grasshopper Warbler returned to breed (seen on 5th and 7th May and heard on 12th May), but depressingly, there was no sign of any Common Cuckoos at either Staines Moor or Stanwell Moor this year - the first year of absence for the patch that I can remember.
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| Bar-tailed Godwits, Staines Moor, 12 May |
Redshank returned to Staines Moor in mid March, with 2 on 17th increasing to 5 on 20th5. 2, presumably a pair, were still present on 22nd May but breeding was not proved. Sadly, although 4 displaying Northern Lapwing were seen on 22nd March, not a single pair bred successfully.
First arrival dates of common summer migrants at Staines Moor or Stanwell Moor for 2016:
| Species | Arrival date | Location | Observer |
| Barn Swallow | 20 Mar | Staines Moor | Iain, John & Kath Darbyshire |
| Northern Wheatear | 26 Mar | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Sand Martin | 26 Mar | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| House Martin | 3 Apr | Staines Moor | Tim Rymer |
| Common Redstart | 12 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Grasshopper Warbler | 12 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Willow Warbler | 12 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Lesser Whitethroat | 12 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Sedge Warbler | 17 Apr | Staines Moor | Jim Sweetland |
| Eurasian Hobby | 20 Apr | Staines Moor | Sue Middens |
| Common Tern | 20 Apr | Staines Moor | Sue Middens, Thomas Gibson |
| Common Swift | 20 Apr | Staines Moor | Thomas Gibson |
| Ring Ouzel | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Whinchat | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Reed Warbler | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Common Whitethroat | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Yellow Wagtail | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Garden Warbler | 5 May | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Spotted Flycatcher | 7 May | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
Coverage over the summer months was almost non-existent. After a very poor spring I really needed a long break away from the patch and so didn't make a single visit, but neither, seemingly, did many others. A Barn Owl at the south end of Staines Moor on 13th June is an unusual summer record5, and an intriguing report of a Marsh Warbler on the 27th August2 will be a site first if accepted.
Autumn passage began with a huge influx of migrant Red Admirals butterflies provided a fantastic spectacle as their feed on blackberries in their hundreds, peaking with at least 554 counted on Staines Moor and Stanwell Moor on 8th September.
| Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta feeding on blackberries, Staines Moor, 8 September 2016 |
Early October provided the autumn passage highlights. A tame Red Knot feeding beside the Colne on Staines Moor for an hour on 7th October must have been a fantastic sight and is only the third site record4. The next day the national Yellow-browed Warbler influx reached the patch with Staines Moor's first seen in a tit flock in the north-west corner6.
The first Short-eared Owl of the autumn appeared on 8th October8, with 2 together on 16th October5 and 20th October5, and the first returning Water Pipit and Jack Snipe were both noted on 22nd October. A Mediterranean Gull on 27th October is, surprisingly, only the third record for Staines Moor and a Dartford Warbler that showed up in the south-east corner of Staines Moor on 11th November is the seventh site record. 2 Jack Snipe were along the Colne on 15th November7 and a juvenile Marsh Harrier south-west over Staines Moor on 4th December1 was the last notable record of the year1.
Personally, 2016 on the patch will be remembered as a highly frustrating and infuriating year, with a huge number of hours spent in the field during spring and autumn migration in particular producing absolutely naff all. This is the nature of inland patch birding of course, but I really hope 2017 is a little better.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following observers for reporting their records: 1Nick B, 2Ed Bates, 3John Edwards, 4Hugh Evans, 5Thomas Gibson, 6Rob Innes, 7Steve Portugal, 8Jim Sweetland and 9Jim and Tony Sweetland.
5 November 2016
Staines Moor: 5 November
Business as usual at the patch today. Staines Moor: at least 3 Water Pipits (Colne), 1 Jack Snipe, 2 Common Snipe, 9 Stonechat (5m, 4f), 2 Little Grebe (Colne), 1 Cetti's Warbler (showed well at the southern end of Bonehead Ditch), 6 Fieldfare (dropped down briefly then off NW), 3 Pied Wagtail (Colne), 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Goldcrest, 2+ Kestrel, 1 Grey Heron. Still very few fungi fruiting.
Stanwell Moor: 1 Little Egret (Lower Mill Farm Lake).
Weather: Cloudy in the morning (7 oktas) becoming sunnier in the afternoon (4 oktas), light north-westerly wind.
Stanwell Moor: 1 Little Egret (Lower Mill Farm Lake).
Weather: Cloudy in the morning (7 oktas) becoming sunnier in the afternoon (4 oktas), light north-westerly wind.
27 October 2016
Staines Moor: 27 October
A half decent day at the patch today. An adult winter Mediterranean Gull hawking insects high over the east side of Staines Moor with c.130 Black-headed Gulls (mainly adults) and a Common Gull is only the third record for Staines Moor and the first here since 2001. Unfortunately it remained too distant for good photographs, mostly hawking insects high over Bonehead Ditch and only briefly resting on the bank of the Colne.
Also noted on Staines Moor were 3-5 Water Pipit along the Colne, 1 Short-eared Owl hunting over the south end late afternoon, 8 Stonechat (5m 3f), 1f Blackcap (NW corner), 2 Goldcrest and 1 Common Chiffchaff (both old railway), 1 Little Grebe (Colne), 2 Little Egret (Colne), 1 Grey Wagtail (Colne), 5+ Pied Wagtail (Colne), 7+ Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, 1+ Kingfisher (Colne), >5 Red Kite, 1-2 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 2+ Kestrel, 1H Cetti's Warbler (Colne), 2 Egyptian Geese W and 1 imm. Mute Swan (Colne). Vis mig was almost non-existent - 2 Common Snipe NW and 2 Reed Bunting E.
A Red Admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell were both noted heading southwards. Also, a few more fungi found fruiting on Staines Moor today in continuing dry conditions, including 3 Blue Roundhead Stropharia caerulea together (a very local species in Britain), 8 Field Mushrooms Agaricus campestris, several Snowy Inkcap Coprinopsis nivea, a few groups of Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus (on Crack Willow Salix fragilis along the old railway), but still only a few Parasol Mushrooms Macrolepiota procera.
Stanwell Moor added a Water/Rock Pipit over east calling towards the King George VI Reservoir, 1H Cetti's Warbler (by the gravel pit), 13 Eurasian Wigeon E and 4f Eurasian Teal on Lower Mill Farm Lake.
Weather: Calm and overcast with mist early morning with sunny periods developing late morning, becoming cloudier again in the afternoon, very light westerly wind.
Also noted on Staines Moor were 3-5 Water Pipit along the Colne, 1 Short-eared Owl hunting over the south end late afternoon, 8 Stonechat (5m 3f), 1f Blackcap (NW corner), 2 Goldcrest and 1 Common Chiffchaff (both old railway), 1 Little Grebe (Colne), 2 Little Egret (Colne), 1 Grey Wagtail (Colne), 5+ Pied Wagtail (Colne), 7+ Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, 1+ Kingfisher (Colne), >5 Red Kite, 1-2 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 2+ Kestrel, 1H Cetti's Warbler (Colne), 2 Egyptian Geese W and 1 imm. Mute Swan (Colne). Vis mig was almost non-existent - 2 Common Snipe NW and 2 Reed Bunting E.
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| Adult winter Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus hawking insects over the east side of Staines Moor today - third site record |
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| 1 of 8 Stonechats on Staines Moor today |
A Red Admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell were both noted heading southwards. Also, a few more fungi found fruiting on Staines Moor today in continuing dry conditions, including 3 Blue Roundhead Stropharia caerulea together (a very local species in Britain), 8 Field Mushrooms Agaricus campestris, several Snowy Inkcap Coprinopsis nivea, a few groups of Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus (on Crack Willow Salix fragilis along the old railway), but still only a few Parasol Mushrooms Macrolepiota procera.
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| Blue Roundhead Stropharia caerulea, Staines Moor, 27 October 2016. Three rather old specimens but note the blue-green cap, that was slimy to touch, with small white veil fragments (especially around the margin), the crowded sinuate pink-brown gills, greenish-white stipe - whiter above the ring, greener below, with white scales (especially below the ring) dusted with brown spores. No odour noted. |
Stanwell Moor added a Water/Rock Pipit over east calling towards the King George VI Reservoir, 1H Cetti's Warbler (by the gravel pit), 13 Eurasian Wigeon E and 4f Eurasian Teal on Lower Mill Farm Lake.
Weather: Calm and overcast with mist early morning with sunny periods developing late morning, becoming cloudier again in the afternoon, very light westerly wind.
22 October 2016
Staines Moor: 22 October
A few hours on the patch today was slightly better than of late (not that this was difficult to achieve). On Staines Moor, 1+ Water Pipit along the Colne (the first returning bird), 1 Jack Snipe (flushed from the Colne), and 1 Short-eared Owl (hunting over the east side late afternoon) were the highlights.
Also noted on Staines Moor were 7 Stonechat (4m, 2f, 1f/imm m), 8 Goldcrest, 4 Common Chiffchaff, 1+ Grey Wagtail (Colne), 1 Kingfisher (Colne), 1-2 Little Grebe (Colne), 1+ Little Egret (Colne), 1f Pied Wagtail (Colne), 3+ Skylark, 3 Greenfinch (2m, 1f), 21 Meadow Pipit, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2+ Song Thrush, 1m Reed Bunting, 3-5 Red Kite, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1H Cetti's Warbler (south end of Bonehead Ditch) and a Red Fox.
Vis mig was poor with just 1 Siskin W, 1 redpoll sp H, 2 Common Chaffinch W, 2 Goldfinch W, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker (2N, 2W), 5 Northern Lapwing N, 28 Common Starling NW and 4 Woodpigeon S.
Stanwell Moor added 4 Common Pochard W.
Weather: Overcast in the morning (8 oktas) with sunny periods in the afternoon (6 oktas), light NNW wind becoming NNE in the afternoon, some very light rain in afternoon.
Also noted on Staines Moor were 7 Stonechat (4m, 2f, 1f/imm m), 8 Goldcrest, 4 Common Chiffchaff, 1+ Grey Wagtail (Colne), 1 Kingfisher (Colne), 1-2 Little Grebe (Colne), 1+ Little Egret (Colne), 1f Pied Wagtail (Colne), 3+ Skylark, 3 Greenfinch (2m, 1f), 21 Meadow Pipit, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2+ Song Thrush, 1m Reed Bunting, 3-5 Red Kite, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1H Cetti's Warbler (south end of Bonehead Ditch) and a Red Fox.
Vis mig was poor with just 1 Siskin W, 1 redpoll sp H, 2 Common Chaffinch W, 2 Goldfinch W, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker (2N, 2W), 5 Northern Lapwing N, 28 Common Starling NW and 4 Woodpigeon S.
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| Record of today's Jack Snipe at Staines Moor |
Stanwell Moor added 4 Common Pochard W.
Weather: Overcast in the morning (8 oktas) with sunny periods in the afternoon (6 oktas), light NNW wind becoming NNE in the afternoon, some very light rain in afternoon.
12 October 2016
Staines Moor: 12 October
A few very quiet hours at the bore this afternoon produced... know what, today was so crap I really can't be arsed to write it up.
Barely notable were: 1 redpoll sp. (flew off SW from north end of Colne), 5 Stonechat (3m, 2f), 8 Common Chiffchaff (north end of Colne), 1 Common Snipe (flew off from Colne), 1m Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 Red Kite N, 1 Kingfisher (Colne) and 2 Pied Wagtail (Colne).
Barely notable were: 1 redpoll sp. (flew off SW from north end of Colne), 5 Stonechat (3m, 2f), 8 Common Chiffchaff (north end of Colne), 1 Common Snipe (flew off from Colne), 1m Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 Red Kite N, 1 Kingfisher (Colne) and 2 Pied Wagtail (Colne).
14 September 2016
Staines Moor: 14 September
A few more migrants at Staines Moor today in unseasonally hot conditions. Migrants on the ground included 4 Whinchat (3 SE corner, 1 NW corner), 1m Stonechat (SE corner) - the first of the autumn, 13+ Yellow Wagtail around the livestock (with others overhead), 1-2 Common Snipe (calling high over the Colne early morning), 2 Northern Lapwing (also over the Colne early morning), 1 Sedge Warbler (beside Colne), 40 Meadow Pipit and 2+ Common Whitethroat.
Some movement overhead with 20 Meadow Pipit S, 63 Barn Swallow (mainly S), and 1 imm. m Eurasian Sparrowhawk WSW.
Also noted were 1+ Hobby, 1-2 Kingfisher, 2 Little Egret, 5 Reed Bunting, 2 Skylark, 8 Linnet, 2 Red Kite, 3 Kestrel, 2-3 Common Buzzard and 1+ Grey Heron.
Still plenty of Red Admirals around in the NW corner, although much fewer than my last visit, and 7 were seen migrating (mainly S), and 1 Small Copper, 4 Small Heath and a Meadow Brown were logged. Stanwell Moor added a few more Red Admirals along the Colne Valley Way.
Some movement overhead with 20 Meadow Pipit S, 63 Barn Swallow (mainly S), and 1 imm. m Eurasian Sparrowhawk WSW.
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| 1 of 4 Whinchats at Staines Moor today |
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| 1 of a single flock of 11 Yellow Wagtail, including males, females and juveniles, around the horses on Staines Moor today |
Also noted were 1+ Hobby, 1-2 Kingfisher, 2 Little Egret, 5 Reed Bunting, 2 Skylark, 8 Linnet, 2 Red Kite, 3 Kestrel, 2-3 Common Buzzard and 1+ Grey Heron.
Still plenty of Red Admirals around in the NW corner, although much fewer than my last visit, and 7 were seen migrating (mainly S), and 1 Small Copper, 4 Small Heath and a Meadow Brown were logged. Stanwell Moor added a few more Red Admirals along the Colne Valley Way.
8 September 2016
Staines Moor: 8 September
A little better for migrants at Staines Moor today with 2 Whinchat, 6 Yellow Wagtail (around the livestock), 2 Sand Martin S, 118 Barn Swallow S (then W from mid afternoon) noted, and 2 Common Whitethroat and 1H Lesser Whitethroat in the hawthorns (which could be local birds). Also noted were 1-2 Hobby, 1 Red Kite, 4+ Skylark, 8 Meadow Pipit, 3 Reed Bunting, c50 Goldfinch (including many juveniles feeding on the thistles) and c100 Eurasian Starling (mainly around the livestock).
Red Admiral butterflies once again stole the show, with an amazing 530+ counted around the blackberries in the NW corner, west side, along the old railway, and in the NE corner, amounting to a spectacular sight. Their origin is a bit of mystery. They are very fresh and so presumably hatched fairly locally, and I suppose they are heading south stopping to feed on the abundance of blackberries currently on the moor. In addition another 24 Red Admirals were seen along the Colne Valley Way through Stanwell Moor in the morning.
Other butterflies on Staines Moor today include 1 Painted Lady (feeding with Red Admirals), 4 Small Copper, 9 Small Heath, 3 Comma and 2 Speckled Wood. Several Migrant Hawkers Aeshna mixta were also noted.
On Stanwell Moor 3 (2H) Chiffchaff were also noted.
Red Admiral butterflies once again stole the show, with an amazing 530+ counted around the blackberries in the NW corner, west side, along the old railway, and in the NE corner, amounting to a spectacular sight. Their origin is a bit of mystery. They are very fresh and so presumably hatched fairly locally, and I suppose they are heading south stopping to feed on the abundance of blackberries currently on the moor. In addition another 24 Red Admirals were seen along the Colne Valley Way through Stanwell Moor in the morning.
Other butterflies on Staines Moor today include 1 Painted Lady (feeding with Red Admirals), 4 Small Copper, 9 Small Heath, 3 Comma and 2 Speckled Wood. Several Migrant Hawkers Aeshna mixta were also noted.
On Stanwell Moor 3 (2H) Chiffchaff were also noted.
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| Painted Lady Vanessa cardui feeding on blackberries with about 20 Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta in the NW corner of Staines Moor today. Heading north or south I wonder? |
| Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta feeding on blackberries, Staines Moor, 8 September 2016 |
12 May 2016
Staines Moor: 12 May
For me, birding is all about finding my own birds. I have little interest in seeing birds that others have found, even on the patch. This spring I've been determined to find a good bird at Staines Moor, especially as last spring was so piss poor on the patch. Over the last week alone I've been up before dawn three times and spent no fewer than 29 hours traipsing around covering every millimetre of the patch, with one eye fixed on the sky. While seemingly every other London site has been awash with Arctic Terns, Little Terns, Black Terns, Sanderlings, Wood Sandpipers, flocks of tundra Ringed Plovers, Grey Plovers and Wood Warblers, Staines Moor has yielded nothing!
But with a good passage of waders through London over the last few days I was hoping today would produce a Wood Sandpiper or some other wader along the Colne. Imagine then how I felt when soon after arriving on site this morning, another birder arrives, walks past me, then comes back a few minutes later and tells me there are two Bar-tailed Godwits along the Colne! Now maybe I am being greedy and ungrateful (and well done to the birder who found them as this is a great patch record), but really, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!
Staines Moor records today: 2 Bar-tailed Godwit ((1m and 1f in summer plumage, seen feeding and resting beside the Colne where they appeared to be catching a lot of food, and also on the east pool. The female was ringed and flagged - I'll try and find out where it was ringed), 20 Common Swift (mainly N), 2 Barn Swallow N, 1 Grasshopper Warbler (heard several times and probably glimpsed in flight), 3 Hobby (hunting together over the NW corner), 3 Redshank (2 Colne, 1 east pool), 1m Gadwall (Colne), 1+ Common Tern (Colne), 4 Common Whitethroat, 4 (1m, 3H) Blackcap, 4 (3H) Sedge Warbler, 3H Chiffchaff, 10 Reed Bunting (8m, 2f), 1 Little Egret (Colne), 4-7 Red Kite (1 high W and the others presumably local birds), 2 Stock Dove (Bonehead Ditch), 1m Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail W, 2 Common Buzzard (including 1 pale phase NW), 1+ Grey Heron, 1 juv. Robin, and plenty of Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Linnet. No sign of the Stonechats today in a brief search, and still no Cuckoos!
Found some Yellow Meadow Ants Lasius flavus on an anthill on the west side - only my second ever sighting at Staines Moor (or anywhere for that matter) as the workers rarely stray above ground. The hairless lower sections of the antennae and the tibiae, which are diagnostic of this species, could be seen on the terrible photos I took with the Samsung Note 4. Butterflies today included my first Green-veined White of the year and a Small Copper.
Stanwell Moor added 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Little Egret W.
So I think I am done with this spring and with the patch for a while - it's all far far far far far far far too much effort for little reward and I'm desperately trying to remember why I keep bothering. Who knows though, maybe I can muster enough energy and motivation for one more day this spring of finding bugger all?
Weather: Sunny with some thin cloud, freshening NE wind, rain previous night.
But with a good passage of waders through London over the last few days I was hoping today would produce a Wood Sandpiper or some other wader along the Colne. Imagine then how I felt when soon after arriving on site this morning, another birder arrives, walks past me, then comes back a few minutes later and tells me there are two Bar-tailed Godwits along the Colne! Now maybe I am being greedy and ungrateful (and well done to the birder who found them as this is a great patch record), but really, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!
Staines Moor records today: 2 Bar-tailed Godwit ((1m and 1f in summer plumage, seen feeding and resting beside the Colne where they appeared to be catching a lot of food, and also on the east pool. The female was ringed and flagged - I'll try and find out where it was ringed), 20 Common Swift (mainly N), 2 Barn Swallow N, 1 Grasshopper Warbler (heard several times and probably glimpsed in flight), 3 Hobby (hunting together over the NW corner), 3 Redshank (2 Colne, 1 east pool), 1m Gadwall (Colne), 1+ Common Tern (Colne), 4 Common Whitethroat, 4 (1m, 3H) Blackcap, 4 (3H) Sedge Warbler, 3H Chiffchaff, 10 Reed Bunting (8m, 2f), 1 Little Egret (Colne), 4-7 Red Kite (1 high W and the others presumably local birds), 2 Stock Dove (Bonehead Ditch), 1m Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail W, 2 Common Buzzard (including 1 pale phase NW), 1+ Grey Heron, 1 juv. Robin, and plenty of Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Linnet. No sign of the Stonechats today in a brief search, and still no Cuckoos!
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| Today's pair of summer plumage Bar-tailed Godwit - check out the size different between the male and female. Still present beside the Colne at 13:39 when I left. |
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| The female was ringed as follows - left leg: pink flag top, 2 yellow rings bottom; right leg: metal ring top, 2 red rings bottom. Can't make out much on the metal ring - perhaps 147..? I've reported it to the BTO so maybe they can shed some light. |
Found some Yellow Meadow Ants Lasius flavus on an anthill on the west side - only my second ever sighting at Staines Moor (or anywhere for that matter) as the workers rarely stray above ground. The hairless lower sections of the antennae and the tibiae, which are diagnostic of this species, could be seen on the terrible photos I took with the Samsung Note 4. Butterflies today included my first Green-veined White of the year and a Small Copper.
Stanwell Moor added 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Little Egret W.
So I think I am done with this spring and with the patch for a while - it's all far far far far far far far too much effort for little reward and I'm desperately trying to remember why I keep bothering. Who knows though, maybe I can muster enough energy and motivation for one more day this spring of finding bugger all?
Weather: Sunny with some thin cloud, freshening NE wind, rain previous night.
5 May 2016
Staines Moor: 5 May
With high pressure over central Europe and a low situated just north-west of Britain, the airflow over southern England finally switched to a southerly today. But with warm temperatures and bright clear skies there was little hope of grounded migrants at Staines Moor today.
2 singing male Garden Warblers (1 NE corner, 1 west hawthorns) were the first of the year and not on the usual territories so presumably migrants. A very secretive Grasshopper Warbler was reeling intermittently and showed only very fleetingly, and Sedge Warblers have now arrived in force with at least 9 (1H) counted, with 3 in the Lesser Pond Sedge in the swamp, including 2 birds paired up (although this is not a site-wide count and many more must be present).
I had higher hopes that the sky would produce something, but 5 Red Kite (1 purposely high N and 4 presumed locals), 1 Common Swift high N, 2 Sand Martin NE and 12 Barn Swallow (mainly N) was all I could pick up. 2+ Eurasian Hobby were probably our local birds returned.
Also noted were 1 Reed Warbler (reeds by bridge to Stanwell Moor), 2(1H) Lesser Whitethroat, 4(1H) Common Whitethroat, 2(1H) Chiffchaff, 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat still in the SE corner (though no sign of any nesting activity), 4 Common Shelduck (1m, 1f on The Butts, and 2 south, landing on the Colne briefly), 4 Redshank (Colne and east pool), 3+ Little Egret (Colne), 2+ Common Tern (Colne), 1 Northern Lapwing over W (probably a Stanwell Moor bird), 25+ Linnet, 5 (4m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 2 (1m, 1f) Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail (Colne), 9 Eurasian Starling (around the cattle), 1 Common Buzzard (presumed local), 2H Cetti's Warbler (Butts Pond and north end of Colne), and lots of Skylark and Meadow Pipit.
Quite a few butterflies flying today at Staines Moor including 1 Small Copper, 1 Red Admiral, lots of Orange-tip, 2m Brimstone, 1 Peacock, 3 Small Tortoiseshell and 1m Small White. Sadly the Long-tailed Tit nest I found on my last visit looked like it had been predated and pulled apart.
Stanwell Moor added 3 Northern Lapwing, 2 Barn Swallow N, 1 Common Buzzard and 4 Common Shelduck E.
Weather: Calm early morning then light S-SE wind developing, warm, sunny with some hazy cloud at times.
2 singing male Garden Warblers (1 NE corner, 1 west hawthorns) were the first of the year and not on the usual territories so presumably migrants. A very secretive Grasshopper Warbler was reeling intermittently and showed only very fleetingly, and Sedge Warblers have now arrived in force with at least 9 (1H) counted, with 3 in the Lesser Pond Sedge in the swamp, including 2 birds paired up (although this is not a site-wide count and many more must be present).
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| Lots of singing Sedge Warblers on site today, including this one in the swamp |
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| Record of today's Grasshopper Warbler - extremely elusive, even by gropper standards |
I had higher hopes that the sky would produce something, but 5 Red Kite (1 purposely high N and 4 presumed locals), 1 Common Swift high N, 2 Sand Martin NE and 12 Barn Swallow (mainly N) was all I could pick up. 2+ Eurasian Hobby were probably our local birds returned.
Also noted were 1 Reed Warbler (reeds by bridge to Stanwell Moor), 2(1H) Lesser Whitethroat, 4(1H) Common Whitethroat, 2(1H) Chiffchaff, 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat still in the SE corner (though no sign of any nesting activity), 4 Common Shelduck (1m, 1f on The Butts, and 2 south, landing on the Colne briefly), 4 Redshank (Colne and east pool), 3+ Little Egret (Colne), 2+ Common Tern (Colne), 1 Northern Lapwing over W (probably a Stanwell Moor bird), 25+ Linnet, 5 (4m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 2 (1m, 1f) Kestrel, 1 Pied Wagtail (Colne), 9 Eurasian Starling (around the cattle), 1 Common Buzzard (presumed local), 2H Cetti's Warbler (Butts Pond and north end of Colne), and lots of Skylark and Meadow Pipit.
Quite a few butterflies flying today at Staines Moor including 1 Small Copper, 1 Red Admiral, lots of Orange-tip, 2m Brimstone, 1 Peacock, 3 Small Tortoiseshell and 1m Small White. Sadly the Long-tailed Tit nest I found on my last visit looked like it had been predated and pulled apart.
Stanwell Moor added 3 Northern Lapwing, 2 Barn Swallow N, 1 Common Buzzard and 4 Common Shelduck E.
Weather: Calm early morning then light S-SE wind developing, warm, sunny with some hazy cloud at times.
14 April 2016
Staines Moor: 14 April
A little vis mig overhead at the patch today but far fewer grounded migrants present. A Eurasian Curlew over low W early morning is only my third patch record, and 1 House Martin N and 10 Barn Swallow (7 W, 2 NE and 1 lingering) were both my first of the year. 9 Sand Martin (4N, 2NW, 3S), 2 Northern Lapwing (1 SW, 1N), 4 Common Buzzard and 1 Linnet NNW were also noted.
2f Northern Wheatear ranging widely at the north end, 2 (1H) Lesser Whitethroat (hawthorns in NW corner and on west side), 11 Common Chiffchaff (including the ringed female nest building along Bonehead Ditch) and 2m Blackcap were the only migrants logged on the ground .
The pair of Stonechat were still present in the SE corner (I wonder if they are attempting to breed?), and 2 Redshank, 22 Linnet, 7 (6m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 1 Kingfisher (Bonehead Ditch), 3 Red Kite, 1-2f Eurasian Sparrowhawk (inc. 1 perched in Bonehead woodland), 2 (1m, 1f) Kestrel, 2 Little Egret (Colne), 3 Grey Heron (a high site count), 1 Canada Goose W, and plenty of Skylark and Meadow Pipit were also logged.
Inverts noted include 2 Large Bee-fly Bombylius major (Bonehead Ditch), 1m Brimstone, and 1 Peacock. Stanwell Moor added 3 Barn Swallow and another 8 Common Buzzard.
2f Northern Wheatear ranging widely at the north end, 2 (1H) Lesser Whitethroat (hawthorns in NW corner and on west side), 11 Common Chiffchaff (including the ringed female nest building along Bonehead Ditch) and 2m Blackcap were the only migrants logged on the ground .
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| Eurasian Curlew over west this morning |
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| 1 of 2 Northern Wheatear present today, showing down to 5 metres this afternoon |
The pair of Stonechat were still present in the SE corner (I wonder if they are attempting to breed?), and 2 Redshank, 22 Linnet, 7 (6m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 1 Kingfisher (Bonehead Ditch), 3 Red Kite, 1-2f Eurasian Sparrowhawk (inc. 1 perched in Bonehead woodland), 2 (1m, 1f) Kestrel, 2 Little Egret (Colne), 3 Grey Heron (a high site count), 1 Canada Goose W, and plenty of Skylark and Meadow Pipit were also logged.
Inverts noted include 2 Large Bee-fly Bombylius major (Bonehead Ditch), 1m Brimstone, and 1 Peacock. Stanwell Moor added 3 Barn Swallow and another 8 Common Buzzard.
12 April 2016
Staines Moor: 12 April
An excellent day for spring migrants at the patch. The day started off well with excellent views of a Grasshopper Warbler in the NW corner along the hedge bordering Stanwell Moor, watched at close range, even flying out into sedges on Staines Moor and heard to sing occasionally. 3 Common Redstart (a male and female in the hawthorns in the NW corner and a male in the hawthorns on the west side) is an excellent site day count, although they proved typically elusive, appearing in front of you one moment and vanishing the next.
A Lesser Whitethroat in the NW corner is the first patch record of the year, as were 7 (3H) Willow Warbler (including 1 on the ground around the anthills in the NW corner). Other grounded migrants included 4 (1m, 3f) Northern Wheatear on the west side, 10 (1H) Blackcap (inc. 8m, 1f) and 14 (6H) Chiffchaff (including a ringed bird along Bonehead Ditch).
Overhead, 13+ Sand Martin (NW to NE, with 9 pausing to feed over the Colne for a while), 1-2 barn Swallow N, 3 Linnet NW, 1 Skylark N, 2 Meadow Pipit N and 1 Peregrine N were noted moving, along with 6 Red Kite and 6 Common Buzzard.
Local breeders logged include 2 Redshank on the east pool (one bird displaying to the other by fanning its tail), 21+ Linnet (including a female collecting nest material in the NW corner), 9 (8m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 1 Greenfinch in display flight over the west hawthorns, a pair of Robin seen courtship feeding, and many Meadow Pipit and Skylark. Also found a discarded Blakcbird egg.
Also noted were 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat still (south end east of Colne), 1 Little Egret (Colne), 1 Coot (Colne), 1 Grey Heron (Butts Pond), 2+ (1m, 1+f) Kestrel, 1+ Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 8 (6m, 2f) Mallard and 4 (2m torquatus, 1f, 1H) Common Pheasant (SE corner). A couple of Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris were in flower today and inverts seen include 3 Comma, 4m Brimstone and a Peacock.
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| Today's Grasshopper Warbler in the NW corner |
A Lesser Whitethroat in the NW corner is the first patch record of the year, as were 7 (3H) Willow Warbler (including 1 on the ground around the anthills in the NW corner). Other grounded migrants included 4 (1m, 3f) Northern Wheatear on the west side, 10 (1H) Blackcap (inc. 8m, 1f) and 14 (6H) Chiffchaff (including a ringed bird along Bonehead Ditch).
Overhead, 13+ Sand Martin (NW to NE, with 9 pausing to feed over the Colne for a while), 1-2 barn Swallow N, 3 Linnet NW, 1 Skylark N, 2 Meadow Pipit N and 1 Peregrine N were noted moving, along with 6 Red Kite and 6 Common Buzzard.
Local breeders logged include 2 Redshank on the east pool (one bird displaying to the other by fanning its tail), 21+ Linnet (including a female collecting nest material in the NW corner), 9 (8m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 1 Greenfinch in display flight over the west hawthorns, a pair of Robin seen courtship feeding, and many Meadow Pipit and Skylark. Also found a discarded Blakcbird egg.
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| Discarded Blackbird egg |
Also noted were 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat still (south end east of Colne), 1 Little Egret (Colne), 1 Coot (Colne), 1 Grey Heron (Butts Pond), 2+ (1m, 1+f) Kestrel, 1+ Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 8 (6m, 2f) Mallard and 4 (2m torquatus, 1f, 1H) Common Pheasant (SE corner). A couple of Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris were in flower today and inverts seen include 3 Comma, 4m Brimstone and a Peacock.
26 March 2016
Staines Moor: 26 March
Cool, drizzly conditions with a freshening southerly wind and heavy showers made birding the patch today very hard work. However, persistence paid off with my first two summer migrants of the year - a male Northern Wheatear that dropped down on to the west side during a downpour and a Sand Martin through south.
Also seen were 2 Water Pipits along the Colne in different stages of moult - 1 in almost full summer plumage and another about half way through its moult, 2 Shelduck (east pool), 3+ Redshank (Colne), 1m Grey Wagtail, 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat, 6 Fieldfare, 1-2 Little Egret, 1 Cetti's Warbler (Colne north of boardwalk), 10 (9m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 3 Linnet, 2 Coot (1 Colne, 1 Moor Lane lake carrying nest material), 10+ (8+m, 2f) Pied Wagtail (feeding and flycatching along the Colne), 2 Kestrel (including the male), 4 ad Mute Swan (Colne), 9 Mallard ((5m, 3f Colne, 1m Moor Lane lake), 4 (3m, 1f) Tufted Duck (Moor Lane lake) and many Meadow Pipit and Skylark.
Noted overhead: 1 Peregrine S, 1 pale phase Common Buzzard S, 3 Red Kite, and 4 Greylag Goose E (and later back W).
Stanwell Moor added 1H Chiffchaff and 8 Redwing,
Weather: Overcast (8 oktas), very light drizzle for most of the day with heavy showers, moderate SW wind, cool.
Also seen were 2 Water Pipits along the Colne in different stages of moult - 1 in almost full summer plumage and another about half way through its moult, 2 Shelduck (east pool), 3+ Redshank (Colne), 1m Grey Wagtail, 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat, 6 Fieldfare, 1-2 Little Egret, 1 Cetti's Warbler (Colne north of boardwalk), 10 (9m, 1f) Reed Bunting, 3 Linnet, 2 Coot (1 Colne, 1 Moor Lane lake carrying nest material), 10+ (8+m, 2f) Pied Wagtail (feeding and flycatching along the Colne), 2 Kestrel (including the male), 4 ad Mute Swan (Colne), 9 Mallard ((5m, 3f Colne, 1m Moor Lane lake), 4 (3m, 1f) Tufted Duck (Moor Lane lake) and many Meadow Pipit and Skylark.
Noted overhead: 1 Peregrine S, 1 pale phase Common Buzzard S, 3 Red Kite, and 4 Greylag Goose E (and later back W).
Stanwell Moor added 1H Chiffchaff and 8 Redwing,
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| Male Northern Wheatear - the first for Staines Moor of the spring (7 days later than last year) |
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| Water Pipit partially moulted into summer plumage along the Colne today |
Weather: Overcast (8 oktas), very light drizzle for most of the day with heavy showers, moderate SW wind, cool.
17 March 2016
Staines Moor: 17 March
A late morning to dusk session at the moor today. With moderate north-easterlies migration was non-existent, although some of today's raptors could have been on the move. Highlights: 6-8 Water Pipit along the Colne (including 3 in almost full summer plumage, and 6 together in the large dying willow along the Colne at dusk), 1 Jack Snipe, and excellent views down to two metres of a showy Water Rail (Colne).
Also noted were: 2 Redshank (Colne), 2-4 Northern Lapwing (2 Colne, 2 over), 3+ (up to 10) Red Kite, 3+ (up to 10) Common Buzzard, 2+ Little Egret (Colne), 3m Reed Bunting (flycatching along Colne), 1 Kingfisher (flew east towards Bonehead Ditch from the Colne), 7 (4m, 3f) Linnet, 7 Fieldfare (over east to Bonehead Woodland), 2 Redwing (Moor Lane), 3 Pied Wagtail (ad m, 1st-W m, f, all flycatching along the Colne), 2 Mistle Thrush (west side), c15 Meadow Pipit (singing and displaying), c20 Skylark (many singing), 4 (3m, 1f) Mallard (Colne), 1+ Kestrel, 1+ Grey Heron, 9 (6m, 3f) Tufted Duck (Moor Land Lake), 1 Coot (Moor Lane Lake) and 2+ ad Mute Swan.
Also managed to find the presumed Scarlet Elfcup Sarcoscypha austriaca fungi along the old railway today (many thanks to Mark Elsoffer and Stephen Minhinnick for directions).
Stanwell Moor added another 3 Red Kite and a Common Buzzard.
Also noted were: 2 Redshank (Colne), 2-4 Northern Lapwing (2 Colne, 2 over), 3+ (up to 10) Red Kite, 3+ (up to 10) Common Buzzard, 2+ Little Egret (Colne), 3m Reed Bunting (flycatching along Colne), 1 Kingfisher (flew east towards Bonehead Ditch from the Colne), 7 (4m, 3f) Linnet, 7 Fieldfare (over east to Bonehead Woodland), 2 Redwing (Moor Lane), 3 Pied Wagtail (ad m, 1st-W m, f, all flycatching along the Colne), 2 Mistle Thrush (west side), c15 Meadow Pipit (singing and displaying), c20 Skylark (many singing), 4 (3m, 1f) Mallard (Colne), 1+ Kestrel, 1+ Grey Heron, 9 (6m, 3f) Tufted Duck (Moor Land Lake), 1 Coot (Moor Lane Lake) and 2+ ad Mute Swan.
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| Today's showy Water Rail along the Colne - present since 12th March |
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| Water Rail, River Colne, Staines Moor, 17 March 2016 |
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| Water Rail, River Colne, Staines Moor, 17 March 2016 |
Also managed to find the presumed Scarlet Elfcup Sarcoscypha austriaca fungi along the old railway today (many thanks to Mark Elsoffer and Stephen Minhinnick for directions).
Stanwell Moor added another 3 Red Kite and a Common Buzzard.
23 February 2016
Spelthorne Borough Council and Thames Water meeting: 11 February
Fellow naturalist Nick Orson and I met with Steve Price from Spelthorne Borough Council and Ian Crump from Thames Water at Stanwell Moor today to discuss the restoration of the field on Stanwell Moor, dubbed by local birders as the 'car field' after the burnt out car dumped in it.
This field (and the field to the west) is owned by Thames Water and forms part of the 'Staines Moor' unit of Staines Moor SSSI (unit 012). This unit was most recently assessed by Natural England on 21 June 2010 as in a Favourable condition. However, from reading the assessment comment I suspect that this field was actually ignored and not assessed at all at the time. If it was then I cannot see how the field could possibly be assessed as Favourable.
A decade ago this field comprised short grazed grass with two shallow muddy pools that were excellent for breeding Northern Lapwing (Red list), Redshank (Amber list) and Shelduck (Amber list), which with no public access were relatively undisturbed by people and dogs. Little Ringed Plover breeding nearby also used the pools for foraging, along with migrant waders and wildfowl.
Now much of the grassland here has been invaded by Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and Blackthorn Prunus spinosa, the pools are choked with willows and Common Reed Phragmites communis and the non-native Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera has spread rapidly along both sides of the Colne Valley Way footpath that runs along the western edge of the field. Furthermore, the field is heavily overgrazed from fly-grazing (we counted 12 horses in this small field today).
Despite the current state of the field, today's meeting was very positive, with both Ian and Steve optimistic that the habitat can be greatly improved. Ideas were put forward for restoring the pools and grassland and perhaps even creating some new habitat for Water Voles and retaining some areas of reeds for wintering Bittern. The idea is for Thames Water, Spelthorne Borough Council and volunteers to work together to help keep the cost to a minimum, and implement managed grazing. Lets hope Thames Water are open to the project.
After the meeting Nick and I walked the length of Bonehead Ditch looking for historical wetland features that could potentially also be restored. Thanks to Nick's excellent historical detective work using old Ordnance Survey maps, we managed to locate an old pond buried amongst the trees along Bonehead Ditch.
Nick has also identified a former meander of the Bonehead Ditch that was cut off when the ditch was straightened at its southern end during the construction of King George VI Reservoir between 1937 and 1939. Rejoining this remnant meander would not only restore part of the original course of the river but would also help with re-wetting the moor, as water would be able to flood out into the swamp easily from this point. The next stage is to write a proposal for restoring these features to present to Thames Water.
Birds noted on Staines Moor today include 3-5 Water Pipit (Colne), 1 Jack Snipe, 1m Treecreeper (singing by Slips Pond), 1-2 Little Egret (Colne), 1 Kingfisher (Bonehead Ditch), 2 displaying Stock Dove (Slips Pond), 1 Goldcrest (Slips Pond), 5 (3m, 2f) Stonechat, 5+ Skylark, 10 Meadow Pipit, 1 Coot (Colne), 1 Red Kite S, several Redwing (old railway) and 1-2 Kestrel.
On Stanwell Moor 1m Siskin (feeding on alders), 1 Common Chaffchaff, c30 Fieldfare, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard and a Red Fox were logged.
This field (and the field to the west) is owned by Thames Water and forms part of the 'Staines Moor' unit of Staines Moor SSSI (unit 012). This unit was most recently assessed by Natural England on 21 June 2010 as in a Favourable condition. However, from reading the assessment comment I suspect that this field was actually ignored and not assessed at all at the time. If it was then I cannot see how the field could possibly be assessed as Favourable.
A decade ago this field comprised short grazed grass with two shallow muddy pools that were excellent for breeding Northern Lapwing (Red list), Redshank (Amber list) and Shelduck (Amber list), which with no public access were relatively undisturbed by people and dogs. Little Ringed Plover breeding nearby also used the pools for foraging, along with migrant waders and wildfowl.
Now much of the grassland here has been invaded by Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and Blackthorn Prunus spinosa, the pools are choked with willows and Common Reed Phragmites communis and the non-native Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera has spread rapidly along both sides of the Colne Valley Way footpath that runs along the western edge of the field. Furthermore, the field is heavily overgrazed from fly-grazing (we counted 12 horses in this small field today).
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| The southern pool in the 'car field' at Stanwell Moor. This pool has been invaded by Common Reed over the last decade or so. |
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| The large pool in the 'car field' at Stanwell Moor. Formally an important habitat for waders and wildfowl, this pool is now choked with willows. |
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| The 'car field' is so overgrazed that the horses have taken to eating bark, here from a Crack Willow |
Despite the current state of the field, today's meeting was very positive, with both Ian and Steve optimistic that the habitat can be greatly improved. Ideas were put forward for restoring the pools and grassland and perhaps even creating some new habitat for Water Voles and retaining some areas of reeds for wintering Bittern. The idea is for Thames Water, Spelthorne Borough Council and volunteers to work together to help keep the cost to a minimum, and implement managed grazing. Lets hope Thames Water are open to the project.
After the meeting Nick and I walked the length of Bonehead Ditch looking for historical wetland features that could potentially also be restored. Thanks to Nick's excellent historical detective work using old Ordnance Survey maps, we managed to locate an old pond buried amongst the trees along Bonehead Ditch.
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| Dubbed Slips Pond by Nick, this historical wetland feature appears on OS maps dating back to 1865. Now almost completely hidden amongst Crack Willows and covered by many fallen trees, this pond is an excellent candidate for restoration. |
Nick has also identified a former meander of the Bonehead Ditch that was cut off when the ditch was straightened at its southern end during the construction of King George VI Reservoir between 1937 and 1939. Rejoining this remnant meander would not only restore part of the original course of the river but would also help with re-wetting the moor, as water would be able to flood out into the swamp easily from this point. The next stage is to write a proposal for restoring these features to present to Thames Water.
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| The south end of Bonehead Ditch looking north. This stretch was straightened during the construction of King George VI Reservoir (current channel on right) but you can still see the part of the original course ('oxbow' on left) |
Birds noted on Staines Moor today include 3-5 Water Pipit (Colne), 1 Jack Snipe, 1m Treecreeper (singing by Slips Pond), 1-2 Little Egret (Colne), 1 Kingfisher (Bonehead Ditch), 2 displaying Stock Dove (Slips Pond), 1 Goldcrest (Slips Pond), 5 (3m, 2f) Stonechat, 5+ Skylark, 10 Meadow Pipit, 1 Coot (Colne), 1 Red Kite S, several Redwing (old railway) and 1-2 Kestrel.
On Stanwell Moor 1m Siskin (feeding on alders), 1 Common Chaffchaff, c30 Fieldfare, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard and a Red Fox were logged.
6 January 2016
Patch highlights of 2015
2015 will be remembered as a vintage year for ornithology at Staines Moor. A lacklustre spring migration and quiet summer was followed by the best autumn passage Staines Moor has seen for many years, that produced a BBRC-CAT A rarity, a first for west London, several excellent patch records and good numbers of common migrants. Over the year six species occurred that are potential additions to the Staines Moor bird list.
All reports below refer to Staines Moor unless otherwise stated, and include unauthenticated records pending acceptance by the London Bird Club rarities recorder.
The year kicked off with some excellent night-birding on Staines Moor. A count of 5-6 Eurasian Woodcock on 23rd January proved a short-lived site record with 7 seen on the evening of 25th January. 3 Jack Snipe and 23 Common Snipe were also logged on 25th January, and further spot-lighting sessions produced 1-2 Tawny Owl (unfortunately heard only) on 14th February (the forth record for Staines Moor), up to 2 Little Owls hunting around the anthills at the north end on several nights, and 3 Roe Deer on 20th March.
January and February also produced some excellent close encounters with Jack Snipe during daylight hours. Several were seen at a range of just metre or so, and 7 on 14th February is just one shy of the equally the highest ever count on Staines Moor.
The Dartford Warbler present since last November showed on and off throughout January and was last seen on the 27th. Sightings from other observers in January include 55 Eurasian Wigeon on the Colne on 4th21 (unusual on the Colne nowadays), 4 Goosander on 11th21, a peak count of 8 Water Pipits on 19th5 and a Short-eared Owl present on several dates in January was last seen on the 31st22.
The start of spring passage was heralded by Staines Moor's second Knot (and first since 1951) over on 14th March7, followed on 20th March by a third for Staines Moor - a summer plumage Scandinavian Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus littoralis. Other spring passage highlights include a Ring Ouzel on 15th April3, 18 and a Grasshopper Warbler on 25th April2.
Spring weather arrived late this year, seemingly delaying the arrival of Sand Martin and Northern Wheatear, though the adverse conditions didn't seem to affect the arrival dates of most common summer migrants, many of which arrived several days earlier than last year. However, numbers of common migrants appeared much lower than usual, especially in early spring.
First arrival dates of common summer migrants at Staines Moor or Stanwell Moor for 2015:
A Coal Tit heard along the old railway on 4th April6, 18, finally allowed Staines Moor's bogey bird to be added to the site bird list. 5 Bullfinch at Stanwell Moor on 16th March21 and 9 Little Egret at Staines Moor on 10th April# are both notable high patch counts, and 2 Water Pipits on 20th April9 were the last of the winter.
The first Redshank returned to Staines Moor on 10th March16, but they just about held on as a breeding species with a single territorial pair present on Staines Moor June. Similarly, only a single Northern Lapwing was present during the summer this year, reflecting the current unfavourable conditions here for nesting waders. On a positive note, a singing Grasshopper Warbler took up territory in the same area as last year's birds.
A very showy Great White Egret on 16th August was the forth record for Staines Moor but the second in the last three years, reflecting increasing records nationally. In contrast, an adult Yellow-legged Gull over west on 29th August# is, perhaps surprisingly, only the second site record.
Things then went completely bonkers, with a string of fantastic inland records and one of the best purple patches that Staines Moor has seen in years.
On 2nd September a 1st-winter Barred Warbler began a 16 day residence in the hawthorns in the north-west corner. Just the 11th record within the London Recording Area and the first for west London*, this bird proved extremely popular with many people coming to see it. Fortunately it responded by showing uncharacteristically well on occasions - gorging itself on blackberries, sunbathing and even flying about out in the open.
Staines Moor's second Wryneck (and first since 1976) was found in the same hawthorns on 12th September11. Last seen on 19th September, the Wryneck proved equally popular despite remaining hidden for long periods.
As if a Barred Warbler and Wryneck together wasn't enough, incredibly, London's seventh* Black Stork flew south-west across Staines Moor on 18th September. At this point it felt as if the patch had been picked up and moved to eastern Europe!
Further additions to the Staines Moor list came in the form of a Eurasian Nightjar seen over the southern edge of the moor from a moving car on the A30 on 11th September1, a long overdue male Yellowhammer perched behind The Butts on 25th September17, and a Raven mobbed by Carrion Crows before flying west on 29th September#.
September also produced good numbers of common migrants. Spotted Flycatchers were seen on three dates and Common Redstarts on eight, with a minimum of 4 of the later recorded (an excellent site tally) including a peak of 3 on 13th September6, 18. Whinchat passage peaked with 7 on 18th September, and the livestock on Staines Moor attracted some large Yellow Wagtail flocks including 45 on 7th September4, 13 and 31 on 18th September10. An early passage Short-eared Owl went through on 9th September15, 18.
On Stanwell Moor 3 Little Owl showed very well to many observers throughout the month.
October continued where September left off, with Staines Moor's forth Hen Harrier (and first male) stopping for a few hours on the 6th to hunt Goldfinches before heading off north-west15.
A Coal Tit at The Butts on 8th October19 was not only the first sight record for Staines Moor but the beginning of a run of sightings. 1 visited the feeders along the old railway set up by Stephen Minhinnick on 11th October18, a probable Continental race (Periparus ater ater) individual was along Bonehead woodland on 25th October14, and at least 3 of the British subspecies (P. a. britannicus) were seen along the old railway on a few dates in November and December.
Easterly winds from the second week of October brought spectacular falls of Goldcrests to the east coast, along with an influx of Great Great Shrikes and Short-eared Owls, and it didn't take long for birds to filter inland. A site count of 19 Goldcrest on 13th October set a new patch record, which was then smashed by 34 on 1st November.
On 18th October Staines Moor's third Great Grey Shrike was discovered and was still present on 19th catching insects from the hawthorns14.
The first returning Water Pipit and Jack Snipe and last departing Northern Wheatear15 were also noted on 19th October, 2 Golden Plover and a Brambling flew over on 24th and a Firecrest put in an appearance in a tit flock on 25th12.
More Short-eared Owls reached Staines Moor on 25th with 2 in from the north14. Up to 3 were seen almost daily by many observers from then until 5th November hunting over the east side, and fellow patch birder Keith Kerr even managed to find a pellet and work out what they were eating - see Keith's blog. Single Short-eared Owls were also seen on 11th and 20th November.
November and December were exceptionally mild, with December being the warmest on record in Britain. Winter thrushes were notable for their relative absence, and spotlighting sessions revealed a maximum count of just 2 Eurasian Woodcock, suggesting conditions on the continent were too mild to push them across the North Sea in large numbers. Another Firecrest on seen on 1st November, and on Stanwell Moor a female Marsh Harrier was seen feeding on a Common Moorhen on 6th.
Another Marsh Harrier was seen over Staines Moor on 2nd December and other notables in December were 1 Jack Snipe on 6th20, a Golden Plover on the ground on the 23rd, and 6 Goosander over on the 29th14. Reasonable numbers of Water Pipits were present along the Colne with 7 on the 6th December20 being the highest count. 3 Bullfinches seen along the old railway on 24th is a notable count and wintering Stonechats peaked at 12+ on 28th December8.
Really looking forward to seeing what 2016 brings.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following observers for reporting their records: 1Kit Britten, 2Peter Carlill, 3Graeme Charles, 4Andy Culshaw, Tony Cummings, 5John Edwards, 6Mark Elsoffer, 7Deacon Frost, 8Thomas Gibson, 9Sue Giddens, 10Dick Haydon, 11Harringay Birder, 12Ben Hollands, 13David Howdon, 14Rob Innes, 15Keith Kerr, 16Chris Lamsdell, 17Robert Martin, 18Stephen Minhinnick, 19Andrew Moon, #Dave Morris,
20Samuel and Ephraim Perfect, 21Dominic Pia, 22Ian Strickland, Jim Sweetland, Euan Tapper and Richard Woolley.
Also, a special thanks to Kevin Campbell and Andrew Moon for their excellent photos.
References
* Self, A. (2014) The Birds of London. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
All reports below refer to Staines Moor unless otherwise stated, and include unauthenticated records pending acceptance by the London Bird Club rarities recorder.
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| Barred Warbler, Staines Moor, 2 September 2015. With this personal find I thought inland patch birding couldn't get any better... then 16 days later, it did! |
The year kicked off with some excellent night-birding on Staines Moor. A count of 5-6 Eurasian Woodcock on 23rd January proved a short-lived site record with 7 seen on the evening of 25th January. 3 Jack Snipe and 23 Common Snipe were also logged on 25th January, and further spot-lighting sessions produced 1-2 Tawny Owl (unfortunately heard only) on 14th February (the forth record for Staines Moor), up to 2 Little Owls hunting around the anthills at the north end on several nights, and 3 Roe Deer on 20th March.
January and February also produced some excellent close encounters with Jack Snipe during daylight hours. Several were seen at a range of just metre or so, and 7 on 14th February is just one shy of the equally the highest ever count on Staines Moor.
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| Jack Snipe, Staines Moor, 14 February 2015 - 1 of 7 seen that day |
The Dartford Warbler present since last November showed on and off throughout January and was last seen on the 27th. Sightings from other observers in January include 55 Eurasian Wigeon on the Colne on 4th21 (unusual on the Colne nowadays), 4 Goosander on 11th21, a peak count of 8 Water Pipits on 19th5 and a Short-eared Owl present on several dates in January was last seen on the 31st22.
The start of spring passage was heralded by Staines Moor's second Knot (and first since 1951) over on 14th March7, followed on 20th March by a third for Staines Moor - a summer plumage Scandinavian Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus littoralis. Other spring passage highlights include a Ring Ouzel on 15th April3, 18 and a Grasshopper Warbler on 25th April2.
Spring weather arrived late this year, seemingly delaying the arrival of Sand Martin and Northern Wheatear, though the adverse conditions didn't seem to affect the arrival dates of most common summer migrants, many of which arrived several days earlier than last year. However, numbers of common migrants appeared much lower than usual, especially in early spring.
First arrival dates of common summer migrants at Staines Moor or Stanwell Moor for 2015:
| Species | Arrival date | Location | Observer |
| Northern Wheatear | 19 Mar | Staines Moor | Tony Cummings |
| Common Whitethroat | 4 Apr | Staines Moor | Mark Elsoffer |
| Willow Warbler | 4 Apr | Staines Moor | Mark Elsoffer |
| House Martin | 6 Apr | Staines Moor | Samuel Perfect |
| Barn Swallow | 11 Apr | Staines Moor | Richard Woolley |
| Yellow Wagtail | 17 Apr | Staines Moor | Stephen Minhinnick |
| Eurasian Hobby | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Common Tern | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Sand Martin | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Sedge Warbler | 21 Apr | Stanwell Moor | Jim Sweetland |
| Garden Warbler | 21 Apr | Staines Moor | Euan Tapper |
| Common Cuckoo | 24 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Common Swift | 24 Apr | Stanwell Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Whinchat | 24 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Reed Warbler | 24 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
| Lesser Whitethroat | 24 Apr | Staines Moor | Lee Dingain |
A Coal Tit heard along the old railway on 4th April6, 18, finally allowed Staines Moor's bogey bird to be added to the site bird list. 5 Bullfinch at Stanwell Moor on 16th March21 and 9 Little Egret at Staines Moor on 10th April# are both notable high patch counts, and 2 Water Pipits on 20th April9 were the last of the winter.
The first Redshank returned to Staines Moor on 10th March16, but they just about held on as a breeding species with a single territorial pair present on Staines Moor June. Similarly, only a single Northern Lapwing was present during the summer this year, reflecting the current unfavourable conditions here for nesting waders. On a positive note, a singing Grasshopper Warbler took up territory in the same area as last year's birds.
A very showy Great White Egret on 16th August was the forth record for Staines Moor but the second in the last three years, reflecting increasing records nationally. In contrast, an adult Yellow-legged Gull over west on 29th August# is, perhaps surprisingly, only the second site record.
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| Staines Moor's forth Great White Egret was present on 16th August pretending to be a Cattle Egret |
Things then went completely bonkers, with a string of fantastic inland records and one of the best purple patches that Staines Moor has seen in years.
On 2nd September a 1st-winter Barred Warbler began a 16 day residence in the hawthorns in the north-west corner. Just the 11th record within the London Recording Area and the first for west London*, this bird proved extremely popular with many people coming to see it. Fortunately it responded by showing uncharacteristically well on occasions - gorging itself on blackberries, sunbathing and even flying about out in the open.
Staines Moor's second Wryneck (and first since 1976) was found in the same hawthorns on 12th September11. Last seen on 19th September, the Wryneck proved equally popular despite remaining hidden for long periods.
As if a Barred Warbler and Wryneck together wasn't enough, incredibly, London's seventh* Black Stork flew south-west across Staines Moor on 18th September. At this point it felt as if the patch had been picked up and moved to eastern Europe!
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| London's seventh Black Stork - a juvenile over Staines Moor on 18th September |
Further additions to the Staines Moor list came in the form of a Eurasian Nightjar seen over the southern edge of the moor from a moving car on the A30 on 11th September1, a long overdue male Yellowhammer perched behind The Butts on 25th September17, and a Raven mobbed by Carrion Crows before flying west on 29th September#.
September also produced good numbers of common migrants. Spotted Flycatchers were seen on three dates and Common Redstarts on eight, with a minimum of 4 of the later recorded (an excellent site tally) including a peak of 3 on 13th September6, 18. Whinchat passage peaked with 7 on 18th September, and the livestock on Staines Moor attracted some large Yellow Wagtail flocks including 45 on 7th September4, 13 and 31 on 18th September10. An early passage Short-eared Owl went through on 9th September15, 18.
On Stanwell Moor 3 Little Owl showed very well to many observers throughout the month.
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| 3 Little Owls showed very well from the Colne Valley Way on Stanwell Moor during September (Photo by Kevin Campbell) |
October continued where September left off, with Staines Moor's forth Hen Harrier (and first male) stopping for a few hours on the 6th to hunt Goldfinches before heading off north-west15.
A Coal Tit at The Butts on 8th October19 was not only the first sight record for Staines Moor but the beginning of a run of sightings. 1 visited the feeders along the old railway set up by Stephen Minhinnick on 11th October18, a probable Continental race (Periparus ater ater) individual was along Bonehead woodland on 25th October14, and at least 3 of the British subspecies (P. a. britannicus) were seen along the old railway on a few dates in November and December.
Easterly winds from the second week of October brought spectacular falls of Goldcrests to the east coast, along with an influx of Great Great Shrikes and Short-eared Owls, and it didn't take long for birds to filter inland. A site count of 19 Goldcrest on 13th October set a new patch record, which was then smashed by 34 on 1st November.
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| Goldcrest, 20 November - part of an unprecedented influx at Staines Moor in the autumn |
On 18th October Staines Moor's third Great Grey Shrike was discovered and was still present on 19th catching insects from the hawthorns14.
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| Staines Moor's third Great Great Shrike was present from 18-19 October (Photos by Andrew Moon) |
The first returning Water Pipit and Jack Snipe and last departing Northern Wheatear15 were also noted on 19th October, 2 Golden Plover and a Brambling flew over on 24th and a Firecrest put in an appearance in a tit flock on 25th12.
More Short-eared Owls reached Staines Moor on 25th with 2 in from the north14. Up to 3 were seen almost daily by many observers from then until 5th November hunting over the east side, and fellow patch birder Keith Kerr even managed to find a pellet and work out what they were eating - see Keith's blog. Single Short-eared Owls were also seen on 11th and 20th November.
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| Up to 3 Short-eared Owls showed well along the east side from late October to early November (Photo by Kevin Campbell) |
November and December were exceptionally mild, with December being the warmest on record in Britain. Winter thrushes were notable for their relative absence, and spotlighting sessions revealed a maximum count of just 2 Eurasian Woodcock, suggesting conditions on the continent were too mild to push them across the North Sea in large numbers. Another Firecrest on seen on 1st November, and on Stanwell Moor a female Marsh Harrier was seen feeding on a Common Moorhen on 6th.
Another Marsh Harrier was seen over Staines Moor on 2nd December and other notables in December were 1 Jack Snipe on 6th20, a Golden Plover on the ground on the 23rd, and 6 Goosander over on the 29th14. Reasonable numbers of Water Pipits were present along the Colne with 7 on the 6th December20 being the highest count. 3 Bullfinches seen along the old railway on 24th is a notable count and wintering Stonechats peaked at 12+ on 28th December8.
Really looking forward to seeing what 2016 brings.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following observers for reporting their records: 1Kit Britten, 2Peter Carlill, 3Graeme Charles, 4Andy Culshaw, Tony Cummings, 5John Edwards, 6Mark Elsoffer, 7Deacon Frost, 8Thomas Gibson, 9Sue Giddens, 10Dick Haydon, 11Harringay Birder, 12Ben Hollands, 13David Howdon, 14Rob Innes, 15Keith Kerr, 16Chris Lamsdell, 17Robert Martin, 18Stephen Minhinnick, 19Andrew Moon, #Dave Morris,
20Samuel and Ephraim Perfect, 21Dominic Pia, 22Ian Strickland, Jim Sweetland, Euan Tapper and Richard Woolley.
Also, a special thanks to Kevin Campbell and Andrew Moon for their excellent photos.
References
* Self, A. (2014) The Birds of London. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
29 December 2015
Final patch visit of 2015: 29 December
A very uneventful final patch visit of 2015 today. Highlights on Staines Moor were 4 Water Pipit (Colne), 1 Treecreeper (old railway), 11 Stonechat (6m, 5f), 3 (1H) Common Chiffchaff, 15 Goldcrest (including 1 in subsong), 5 Little Grebe (Colne), 1 Coot (Colne - first of the winter), 2f Reed Bunting, 1 Little Egret, 1 Redwing, 17+ Fieldfare (Bonehead Woodland), 1H Siskin over, 15+ Goldfinch, 4 Meadow Pipit, 2+ Skylark, 2-5 Red Kite, 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Stock Dove and a Great Spotted Woodpecker seen entering a roost hole along Bonehead Woodland at dusk.
Also, plenty of birds heard singing today in the extremely mild conditions including Song Thrush, Common Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin and Great Tit.
Stanwell Moor added 39 Northern Lapwing, 4m Northern Shoveler E and 1m Sparrowhawk.
Weather: Mild, sunny, 2 oktas, light but cool S wind.
Also, plenty of birds heard singing today in the extremely mild conditions including Song Thrush, Common Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin and Great Tit.
Stanwell Moor added 39 Northern Lapwing, 4m Northern Shoveler E and 1m Sparrowhawk.
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| 1 of 4 Water Pipits along the Colne today. Unfortunately I couldn't get close enough for any better photos. |
Weather: Mild, sunny, 2 oktas, light but cool S 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 |
24 October 2015
A trickle of migrants overhead: 24 October
A few very quiet hours at Staines Moor today with a just a little vis mig overhead. 2 Golden Plover over W and 1f Brambling WSW then dropping down into the willows along the Colne (by the northern footbridge) were the highlights. Also noted overhead were 1 Water Pipit N, 8 Fieldfare WSW (the first of the winter, dropping down briefly in the hawthorns in the NW corner), 1 redpoll sp. W, 14 Chaffinch SW, 1 Linnet S, 1 Greenfinch N, 1 Goldfinch W, 1 Pied Wagtail W, 3 Mistle Thrush S and 1 Song Thrush S.
On the ground, 1(H) Redwing, 10 Stonechat (7m, 3f), 4 Goldcrest, 2f/imm. Reed Bunting, 32 Meadow Pipit (east side), 1m Kingfisher (Colne), 1+ Little Egret (Colne), 1+m Pied Wagtail, c100 Goldfinch (mainly around the thistles at the south end), another 5 Greenfinch, 2 Kestrel and 2-3 Egyptian Goose (2W, 1E). A Red Fox (on the northern footbridge) and lots of huge Parasol Mushrooms Macrolepiota procera (on the west side) today.
Stanwell Moor added a Common Buzzard.
Potted a Feathered Thorn on the kitchen window last night - photographed this morning.
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| Rubbish pic of one of two Golden Plover over west today |
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| Female Brambling heading WSW before dropping down into willows by the Colne where it stayed for about 15 minutes |
On the ground, 1(H) Redwing, 10 Stonechat (7m, 3f), 4 Goldcrest, 2f/imm. Reed Bunting, 32 Meadow Pipit (east side), 1m Kingfisher (Colne), 1+ Little Egret (Colne), 1+m Pied Wagtail, c100 Goldfinch (mainly around the thistles at the south end), another 5 Greenfinch, 2 Kestrel and 2-3 Egyptian Goose (2W, 1E). A Red Fox (on the northern footbridge) and lots of huge Parasol Mushrooms Macrolepiota procera (on the west side) today.
Stanwell Moor added a Common Buzzard.
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| A good show of Parasol Mushrooms Macrolepiota procera on Staines Moor this year - many are huge! |
Potted a Feathered Thorn on the kitchen window last night - photographed this morning.
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| Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria, Worcester Park, 24 October |
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