23rd July 2018
Finally, after a spell during which I've been stuck in the house after surgery, I felt that it was time to get back into 'being out' so to speak. Chris suggested we start with a few hours trying for a roost, so Stanwell it was.
We were shocked by the low water level in the lake as tankers full are removed daily to dampen the roads of the recycling operations and shocked by how much the reedbed had shot up, but worse than that the ride width was severely narrowed to the point that birds would be impeded from flying into the nets. Chris had no alternative other than to set to work with the shears, trimming mature reed grow back and clearing the areas around our wooden stakes where new growth of reeds, Purple Loosestrife and Water Mint were obscuring them. There had been some Swallows over the lake but by the time Chris was able to leave the rides there was little to be seen. As the light began to fail we saw that a group of 15 or so Sand Martin were making ever decreasing circuits. However, a Hobby also appeared on the scene and we were fortunate that we managed to net three of them.
Total: 4
Sand Martin - 3
Reed Warbler - 1
25th July 2018
Two days later we gave it another go. This time there was no ride disturbance once we'd set up, but the 50+ Swallows attracted to one particularly tall tree on the opposite bank and flying above the lake swiftly disappeared. Perhaps the Hobby was around, but as before a small party of Sand Martins showed up quite late. We caught four.
Total: 4
Sand Martin - 4
26th July 2018
We were back on site for 6:30am and sited nets in the reedbed, by the lakeside and up the ramp track.
The first two rounds were extremely busy with most birds captured in the ramp nets, providing an unexpectedly diverse range of species. We began taking down at 10am and packed up the last nets before 11am on a day when temperatures at Heathrow peaked at 35degrees.
Total: 60 (1)
House Martin - 1
Meadow Pipit - 3
Wren - 1
Blackbird - 2
Songthrush - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 8 (1)
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Whitethroat - 13
Garden Warbler - 5
Blackcap - 10
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Great Tit - 4
Greenfinch - 2
Goldfinch - 2
Linnet - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Finally, after a spell during which I've been stuck in the house after surgery, I felt that it was time to get back into 'being out' so to speak. Chris suggested we start with a few hours trying for a roost, so Stanwell it was.
We were shocked by the low water level in the lake as tankers full are removed daily to dampen the roads of the recycling operations and shocked by how much the reedbed had shot up, but worse than that the ride width was severely narrowed to the point that birds would be impeded from flying into the nets. Chris had no alternative other than to set to work with the shears, trimming mature reed grow back and clearing the areas around our wooden stakes where new growth of reeds, Purple Loosestrife and Water Mint were obscuring them. There had been some Swallows over the lake but by the time Chris was able to leave the rides there was little to be seen. As the light began to fail we saw that a group of 15 or so Sand Martin were making ever decreasing circuits. However, a Hobby also appeared on the scene and we were fortunate that we managed to net three of them.
Total: 4
Sand Martin - 3
Reed Warbler - 1
25th July 2018
Two days later we gave it another go. This time there was no ride disturbance once we'd set up, but the 50+ Swallows attracted to one particularly tall tree on the opposite bank and flying above the lake swiftly disappeared. Perhaps the Hobby was around, but as before a small party of Sand Martins showed up quite late. We caught four.
Total: 4
Sand Martin - 4
26th July 2018
We were back on site for 6:30am and sited nets in the reedbed, by the lakeside and up the ramp track.
The first two rounds were extremely busy with most birds captured in the ramp nets, providing an unexpectedly diverse range of species. We began taking down at 10am and packed up the last nets before 11am on a day when temperatures at Heathrow peaked at 35degrees.
Willow Warbler juvenile
Reed Bunting 3M
House Martin 4F
Total: 60 (1)
House Martin - 1
Meadow Pipit - 3
Wren - 1
Blackbird - 2
Songthrush - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 8 (1)
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Whitethroat - 13
Garden Warbler - 5
Blackcap - 10
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Great Tit - 4
Greenfinch - 2
Goldfinch - 2
Linnet - 1
Reed Bunting - 1