We've been back in the UK for nearly a week now and decided it's time to venture back out to some of our local sites. Today we tried Stanwell. Here the owners have always shared plans for changes that might affect us, but the nature of vehicles using the site often makes tracks difficult, even for our 4x4. Today we found that much of the hardcore mound was gone with a load of top soil in its place. But the deep trenches from HGV movements, random hunks of concrete and protruding metal rods made it difficult to get the equipment to the reed bed. The area should be flattened and restored to grass by early autumn.
After doing some minor maintenance to keep the ride clear we switched to plan B, scouring the mounds and flooded field for wader pulli. In spite of best efforts only one well grown Lapwing chick was found (a second was present but already fledged), while two pairs of Redshank that obviously had young refused to settle down, from the time that we arrived, even though we observed from some distance away, until we departed. There was little evidence of Lapwings nesting when we last went in early May and it still seems there are very few nesting at Stanwell this year. Perhaps they have favoured Staines Moor.
Total: 1
Lapwing - 1
After doing some minor maintenance to keep the ride clear we switched to plan B, scouring the mounds and flooded field for wader pulli. In spite of best efforts only one well grown Lapwing chick was found (a second was present but already fledged), while two pairs of Redshank that obviously had young refused to settle down, from the time that we arrived, even though we observed from some distance away, until we departed. There was little evidence of Lapwings nesting when we last went in early May and it still seems there are very few nesting at Stanwell this year. Perhaps they have favoured Staines Moor.
Lapwing pullus
The flooded field - vehicles have clearly been passing close by.
Total: 1
Lapwing - 1