Birdwatch magazine - Where to watch birds: Stanwell and Staines Moors

Written a birding route for Stanwell and Staines Moors for the Where to watch birds section of the May issue of Birdwatch magazine (263: 28). Until fairly recently I could go for weeks without seeing another birder at both Staines and Stanwell Moors (especially since the demise of the once excellent pool in the 'car field' on Stanwell Moor), but over the last few years Staines Moor seems to have gained some popularity amongst local birders. I hope this route encourages even more birders to visit.

To get hold of it though, you'll have to go buy the mag - go to http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/.

Mothing with Giants

Since September 2014 a small group of amateur entomologists have been conducting an inventory of the moth species found at REGUA - a rainforest reserve (and my foreign patch) located in the Atlantic Forest of south-east Brazil. With no guides to aid with identification and very limited references published online, building a sound species list has been a slow and difficult task.

In a short article published in the latest issue of Butterfly Conservation's Butterfly magazine (spring: 115), I summarise the work we've done at REGUA so far, highlight some of the distinctive and endemic species that have been identified at the Reserve, and show how guests at the REGUA lodge can get involved.

To get hold of a copy you'll need to join Butterfly Conservation - see their website for details: http://butterfly-conservation.org/.

First comprehensive bird list for Staines Moor

Another shameless plug! Staines Moor in north-west Surrey has been visited by naturalists and birders (of one sort or another) since at least the mid 1800s - long before the west London reservoirs were built and placed the area firmly on the birding map. Along with part of Stanwell Moor, Staines Moor has formed part of my patch since 2003, but up until now there has not been a comprehensive list of the birds recorded here.

The Avian History of Staines Moor, by yours truly, published in the latest London Bird Report (2011: 76) includes the first bird list for the site, covering up to the end of 2011 (note that I have noticed an error in the article - the first Rock Pipit was actually recorded on 20 October 2000, not 1999). An additional three species have been recorded since then, all in 2012: Northern Gannet, Yellow-legged Gull and Tawny Owl.

Furthermore, since writing the article I have found out that a Hoopoe found by Rob Innes on the bank of King George VI Reservoir in 2005 actually flew out onto Staines Moor on its first day - 6 October, and was also photographed on Staines Moor on 8 October. These records bring the total number of bird species recorded here to 191. Not bad for 91 hectares of grass right next door to Heathrow!

To get hold of a copy you need to join the London Natural History Society - see their website for details: http://www.lnhs.org.uk/Join.htm.

Birdwatch magazine article about REGUA

Beware, shameless plug coming up! Check out my article in this month's issue of Birdwatch magazine (July 2013), looking at how birding tourism is helping to conserve and restore part of Brazil's Atlantic Forest.

Long-tailed Potoo article available to download

In 2010 at REGUA in southeast Brazil, I discovered a new feature for Long-tailed Potoo Nyctibius aethereus. The feature is unique to this potoo species and easily observed in the field, making it a very useful for identification. My paper on this, A new identification feature for Long-tailed Potoo Nyctibius aethereus, was published last April in Neotropical Birding (Neotrop. Birding 10: 27–30.), and is now also available online to download as a PDF.

To download a copy click here.

Research into the avian history of Staines Moor

It was back to the Darwin Centre in the Natural History Museum today for Pete and I, this time to the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity library, to carry out some research into my patch, Staines Moor, in preparation for an article (Pete was attending a course on Diptera - see here). I concentrated on the London Bird Reports, which started in 1936 (and have remained almost unchanged in format ever since). There's a lot reports to get through and I only managed to read to 1951, nevertheless, I found some interesting records and trends.

Staines Moor once held large breeding and wintering populations of Tree Sparrows (up to 150 in winter), a breeding population of Corn Buntings, breeding Red-backed Shrikes, a few pairs of Whinchat, and good numbers of wintering waders such as counts of 200 Golden Plover! Notable records include a Kittiwake found dead on 21 February 1937, 2 Twite on 29 September 1948, a Temminck's Stint on 27 April 1949, a flock of 35 Ringed Plover on 20-28 May 1950, 60 White-fronted Geese on the deck on 20 December 1950 and a Knot on 26 March 1951. For a rarity-starved inland patch worker like me, these records are pure fantasy!

Patching is by no means a new concept, with the same initials appearing time and time again for the moor. Without the dedication of C. A. White in particular (who watched the moor both before and after WWII), there would be far less data on record for the moor and so I'm grateful for his many years of commitment. Some of the old English names also made interesting reading - White-breasted Barn Owl, British Willow Titmouse and Fire-crested Wren to name a few.

Cover of the first ever London Bird Report

The first illustration in a London Bird Report -
Great Grey Shrike in the 1946 report by the
legendary Richard A. Richardson - who used
to watch St James Park before moving to
Norfolk. Richard also visited Staines Moor

This Lesser Yellowlegs was one of two that visited Staines Moor and Perry
Oaks Sewage Farm in 1953 (photo by G. des Forges)

A female Sparrowhawk flying in front of the iconic Natural History Museum as we were queuing to get in was the only notable wildlife sighting of the day. I've got a lot more research to do so I'll be back to the library in due course. Looking forward to seeing what else has turned up at the moor in the past.

Long-tailed Potoo article published

My article on the new diagnostic identification feature for Long-tailed Potoo that I discovered in 2010 at REGUA in Brazil's Atlantic Forest has now been published. Check out A new identification feature for Long-tailed Potoo Nyctibius aethereus in the latest issue of Neotropical Birding - the magazine of the Neotropical Bird Club.

If you're interested in Neotropical birds and are not already a member then it is well worth joining the Neotropical Bird Club. They are helping to promote birding and conservation in Latin America and their annual journal Cotinga and bi-annual magazine Neotropical Birding are both excellent, and more than justify the £21 joining fee!

Neotropical Birding REGUA article now online

The highly threatened Atlantic Forest of South America has some of highest levels of endemism on the planet, with around 200 endemic bird species. REGUA, a large reserve two hours from Rio de Janeiro, is one of the best places to find them, and to date 462 species have been recorded on the reserve, including 118 Atlantic Forest endemics and 62 Brazilian endemics. Specialities include Shrike-like Cotinga, Russet-winged Spadebill, Salvadori's Antwren, Black-legged Dacnis, the enormous Giant Snipe and the secretive Masked Duck.

Last year I wrote an article about REGUA's speciality birds for the Neotropical Bird Club's Neotropical Birding magazine, and this is now available online. To download a copy click here.

Giant Snipe Gallinago undulata, REGUA, November 2008. The world's largest
snipe, these largely nocturnal birds are 20% bigger than Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticola! Although not restricted to the Atlantic Forest they are a
notoriously difficult species to see and most often encountered when flushed, but
at REGUA you can get up close and personal with these incredible birds.

Neotropical Birding article on REGUA

Just had an article I wrote about REGUA published in the spring 2011 issue of Neotropical Birding. REGUA is an NGO in south-east Brazil protecting over 7,000 ha of Atlantic Forest - the second most threatened biome in the world and home to a very high number of endemics. An incredible 455 bird species (and counting) have been recorded at REGUA, including 62 Brazilian endemics and 118 Atlantic Forest endemics! 13 species classified as Threatened by BirdLife International are also found here - a very high total for one site. REGUA is a fantastic birding destination, and moreover, the lodge is non-profit, with all income going towards REGUA's conservation work. This article, Seeking out Atlantic Forest specialities at Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, describes where and when to find the Reserve's specialities, such as Shrike-like Cotinga (Elegant Mourner), Russet-winged Spadebill, Salvadori's Antwren and Giant Snipe. If you would like a copy, or are interested in neotropical birds, please join the Neotropical Bird Club.