We have more disruption at Stanwell, this time due to our usual access route being blocked with concrete blocks. This was discovered on the evening of the 1st when we went to try for a roost. On hearing back from the site manager we found that the action had been taken after the inner padlock was cut off and the subsequent theft of battery packs from two mobile phone masts amounting to some £5000.
We were authorised to drive through the recycling plant, setting the motion sensors off as we went and were only able to get on to the rubble track, from the heavily rutted earthy track due to having the 4x4 vehicle - this site being the reason why we'd bought it.
We were considerably delayed by the time we put nets up and there were few hirundines about, perhaps due to the presence of two Hobbies hunting above the lake.
Our only captures that evening were a couple of Reed Warblers.
1st August
Total: 1 (1)
Reed Warbler - 1 (1)
Returning the next day we again went via the working site, stopping off to sign in as required. We erected a total of seven nets, five in and around the reedbed with two more on the track by the River Colne. The most interesting observation was that we were unusually catching a lot of Reed Warblers near the stream where as they normally come out of the reedbed nets. Several were adult birds and it seemed likely that they were birds moving through, following the River Colne. Numbers of Garden Warblers were again higher than Blackcaps. Numbers of Chiffchaff seemed well down on what we would normally expect by this point in the year.
We were authorised to drive through the recycling plant, setting the motion sensors off as we went and were only able to get on to the rubble track, from the heavily rutted earthy track due to having the 4x4 vehicle - this site being the reason why we'd bought it.
We were considerably delayed by the time we put nets up and there were few hirundines about, perhaps due to the presence of two Hobbies hunting above the lake.
Our only captures that evening were a couple of Reed Warblers.
1st August
Total: 1 (1)
Reed Warbler - 1 (1)
Returning the next day we again went via the working site, stopping off to sign in as required. We erected a total of seven nets, five in and around the reedbed with two more on the track by the River Colne. The most interesting observation was that we were unusually catching a lot of Reed Warblers near the stream where as they normally come out of the reedbed nets. Several were adult birds and it seemed likely that they were birds moving through, following the River Colne. Numbers of Garden Warblers were again higher than Blackcaps. Numbers of Chiffchaff seemed well down on what we would normally expect by this point in the year.
Juvenile Sedge Warbler
Totals: 61 (2)
Meadow Pipit - 2
Dunnock - 1
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Songthrush - 1
Reed Warbler - 18 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 4
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 7
Garden Warbler - 12
Blackcap - 7
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Great Tit - 1
Greenfinch - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Meadow Pipit - 2
Dunnock - 1
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Songthrush - 1
Reed Warbler - 18 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 4
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 7
Garden Warbler - 12
Blackcap - 7
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Great Tit - 1
Greenfinch - 1
Reed Bunting - 1