Stanwell Moor GP - 21st August 2017

After a showery start, CL and DKL arrived on site at around 8.30am, erecting first the track net, then a double on the soil mound , initially for Swallows followed by the three nets closest to the lake in the reed bed. Most birds came from the soil heap, producing two Lesser Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler and another Whitethroat. We have struggled at Stanwell for Whitethroats over the last few years, and we do wonder whether drastic ground management has caused a lot of the birds to follow the River Colne and pass through Stanwell, rather than be drawn to what used to be the excellent autumn stopover site at Wraysbury.

We found that there were a few Meadow Pipits around and managed to catch five, with the added bonus of a Tree Pipit. The lures did attract some Swallows but the nets failed to catch.

The reed bed brought us a few Reed Warblers and a retrapped Cetti's Warbler.

We, with LON, returned in the evening, hoping that the Swallows would remain in the area and roost and after a couple of hours with very few Swallows in evidence, we noticed a small group low over our nets. We caught seven, one an adult female with the others all first years, but one was a control, S366137.

Tree Pipit age 3

Lesser Whitethroat age 3

Meadow Pipit age 3

Totals: 31 (3)

Swallow - 6 (1)
Tree Pipit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 5
Wren -1
Robin - 1 (1)
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 4
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Whitethroat - 1
Blackcap - 4
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldfinch - 1
Linnet - 2