Lamsdell Bird Ringing and Wildlife Blog: Stanwell Moor GP

Friday 11 October 2019

Stanwell Moor GP - 3rd October 2019

Recently back from Mongolia, it wasn't long before we realized that the weather in the UK has been less than favorable for ringing, and noticing an up and coming quieter spell in the forecast we took time out from bringing the blog up to date and loaded the kit into the car, and went to work Stanwell.
We erected 7 nets and decided to play audio lures for three of our key autumn migrants.

The Meadow Pipits were our most successful effort, coming from three nets arranged as a box with one side left open. We got some Goldcrest, although we expected to catch more, and surprisingly the Redwing lures that were a bit of a punt at this early stage in the month managed to bring in several small groups with two birds being caught.

The most unexpected capture was a Stonechat that found its way into the Meadow Pipit nets.

3M Stonechat

Juvenile Meadow Pipit

Greater and median covert patterns of Meadow Pipits,

juvenile above, adult below

Redwing - hopefully the first of many this autumn

Totals: 76 (4)

Meadow Pipit - 28

Redwing - 2

Blackbird - 1

Song Thrush - 2

Dunnock - 2

Robin - 1 (1)

Cetti's Warbler - 2

Blackcap - 11

Chiffchaff - 6

Goldcrest - 3

Long-tailed Tit - 5 (3)

Blue Tit - 2

Great Tit - 6

Goldfinch - 2

Linnet - 2

Stonechat - 1

About us

Chris and Denise Lamsdell

We have both been birders for about 40 years based in South Bucks near the West London reservoir complexes.

Since September 2021 we have been based in North Norfolk. We have done our bit of twitching in the past, but with other priorities this has become a much reduced activity with a preference for seeing new birds where ever our travels take us.

We both have been ringing since 2005. Our local group was the Runnymede RG while based in Buckinghamshire. Since moving to Norfolk we have started a new group called The Iceni Bird Monitoring Group, aimed at increasing public engagement through colour ringing projects on Black-headed Gull, Turnstone and Lapwing. We ring at several sites including Sculthorpe Moor, Sandringham Estate, Deepdale Farm and also monitor bird populations for the Norfolk Rivers Trust. We do ringing at home and support with foreign projects when opportunities allow. Chris also has an interest in Butterflies and Dragonflies and contains his limited photographic skill to them.