Wraysbury GP - 28 September 2013

This morning we joined others from the group to monitor Wraysbury GP. The wind speed started off much lower than may have been expected from some of the available forecasts and despite the session being increasingly wind affected as the morning went on, a total of 100 birds were processed.
There were several warblers carrying substantial fat supplies and a retrapped Garden Warbler was on the latest date ever recorded by the group. The majority of the catch were Blackcap and Chiffchaff.
There are no images from the session but the following story was unfolding just a short distance away. We saw the smoke well before emergency services were on the scene and heard all the sirens and both explosions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-24315661

Totals: 90 (10)

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Wren - 1

Dunnock - 1 (2)

Robin - 1 (2)

Blackbird - 0 (1)

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

Garden Warbler - 0 (1)

Blackcap - 59  (2)    

Chiffchaff - 24 (1)

Goldcrest - 0 (1)

Bluti- 1

Greenfinch - 1

Stanwell Moor - 27 September 2013

The wind was forecast at 6mph, similar to that on Tuesday when more than 70 birds were caught - but it was clear even before the mipit nets were fully up, that this was not the case. Added to this, there were fewer birds about and those that were attracted were more interested in practicing their balancing prowess on the top shelf string and guy ropes than foraging on the ground.

We had a brief moment of excitement when a Sparrowhawk was flushed from right next to the audio lure, but it made good its escape, flying right along the line of the billowing 60ft net.

So we accepted that this was one of those 'some you lose' days and not being in the mood for more plane spotting than bird  watching, began closing at 10am for an early finish.

Total 5:

Meadow Pipit - 5

Stanwell Moor - 24 September 2013

C arranged another try for Meadow Pipits, this time with EP. The mist was slow to clear and this delayed catching until well after 9am. The aircraft continued to take off in the general direction of the catching area but by moving a couple of 100 metres in the direction of Staines Moor it was found that the noise had less effect and audio lures were not drowned out by the roar of jet engines every 90 seconds.

A total of 71 Meadow Pipits were caught, bringing the monthly figure to 150 so far. Interestingly, we have yet to capture a single ringed Meadow Pipit this month, just an indication of the sheer numbers of birds circulating in the area or maybe suggesting that they can steer clear of the nets after being caught. A double panel net also bought a few Linnet to the total.

Total: 74

Meadow Pipit - 71
Linnet - 3

Stanwell Moor - 23 September 2013

Conditions on the soil mound were absolutely perfect and we set a Meadow Pipit box with a run of three nets directly behind to catch any birds that went up from behind the box as we had observed this to happen quite often. As well as the configuration for Meadow Pipits we also put up a double double with a tape for Linnet, and another double totalling 100ft close to the lake for anything that might be circulating with the tit flock. We had just taken out the first captured Meadow Pipits and gone to the bottom of the bank to collect the ringing box when C noticed a falcon flying swiftly in the direction of the nets, then the nets jink as though the bird had hit it. I ran up the bank and closed on the bird, thinking all the time that it certainly wasn't a Sparrowhawk or Kestrel. The bird was a completely brown, extremely aggressive falcon and as I returned to C (with the talons firmly controlled) I was very pleased that it hadn't escaped - and even more pleased when C said that he was happy for me to do it, since neither of us had done Merlin before.

The bird was larger than I had expected, having a wing of 231mm and weighing 178g. This places the individual well in the biometric range for the Icelandic race (F. c. subaesalon) being in excess of 223mm but as being longer-winged is the only indication, we won't be making any claims in this regard.

 3F Merlin Falco columbarius

 

Heavily fringed rufous on upper parts and broad light bands on tail (just about visible in this photo.)

 
The Meadow Pipits responded well to the audio lure until the airport changed the runway and flight path being used (and we had aircraft passing overhead, every 90 seconds) after take off. We closed and were packed up by 1pm.

Total:  54

Merlin - 1
Meadow Pipit - 52
Blue Tit - 1

Chobham Common - 22 September 2013

After Thursday's success on the Meadow Pipit front C & D revisited an area of the common that is regenerating after the area was burnt last year. It started slowly with fewer Meadow Pipits about. We had a double in some trees but somehow the tit flock managed to completely avoid it. There was also a double double panel that works well for Dartfords but no luck today.

After 3 hours we had barely made it into double figures, the bulk being Meadow Pipits.

 Meadow Pipit median coverts juvenile above and adult below. Also note difference on greater coverts.

 

We had just reached the stage of saying how Chobham can be such a disappointment when it promisies so much when small groups of hirundines started to pass through overhead, heading south. Being ever the optmist where birds are concerned, C changed the mipit tape to House Martin. We spent quite a long time watching them skim above the nets but as the cloud closed in briefly the first few went in and before we knew it they were alighting on the top line and in the skeletal conifers that surrounded the nets.

When those that had not been caught began to gain height we went in to extract and were stunned that from being on the verge of packing up, we were suddenly close to running out of bags.

 Juvenile House Martins

All of the House Martins were juveniles in various stages of post juvenile moult.

Thanks to the unexpected bonus we finished on a very respectable total of 57.

Totals: 57

House Martin - 43
Meadow Pipit - 11
Chiffchaff - 3

Stanwell Moor - 21 September 2013

The promise of 6mph wind never quite materialised, but we still gave it our best shot with nets in the reedbad extending out into the lake, a double on the bramble lined spit and a triangle for Meadow Pipits on the soil mound.

There were a great deal of Meadow Pipits about and we consistently had much more in the catching area than was actually netted. It wasn't long before the wind began to billow out the mound nets with unwelcome attention from  a Kestrel causing the birds to behave nervously and frequently scatter farther afield. The nets were very visible and it soon became clear that the birds were favourling an area just to the left of where we had set. All the same we managed a respectible number and this made up the majority of our catch.

Meadow Pipit aged 3 showing diagnostic longer tooth marking on median coverts and diffuse greater coverts.

We were interested to note that we appeared to have birds from two separate populations. Apart from some birds being longer winged and heavier, these had all without exception completed their moult while the birds that were of a slighter build were still in the process of moulting.

There was very little from the bramble double so this was taken down by 10am. We would have relocated it close to th-e Mipit triangle, but there was too much wind so we settled for more frequent trips onto the mound as we no longer had the double to check.

The Reed bed gave us a few Sedge and a Reed Warbler. At least two Cetti's Warblers had been heard and one male was enticed into the net with the assistance of a recording. 

 

3M Cetti's Warbler

Apart from a couple of Blackcap and the odd Chiffchaff, that was about it. We saw some small groups of Swallow heading south and tried to draw them into the vicinity of the nets over the lake but they were travelling with purpose and showed not the faintest interest in taking a break.

Total : 54

Meadow Pipit - 39

Song Thrush - 1

Blackbird -1

Cetti's Warbler - 1

Sedge Warbler - 4

Reed Warbler - 2

Blackcap - 2

Chiffchaff - 1

Blue Tit - 1

Great Tit - 2

Broadwater GP - 20 September 2013

Another trip to Broadwater with very low wind and temperatures creeping up again as we near the end of the third week in September, and things had changed quite a bit since our last visit some 10 days ago. Warblers were right down with fewer Chiffchaff, hardly any Blackcap and absolutely no sign of Willow Warblers. The tits on the other hand were much more in evidence, as Chris said "It's becoming rather too tittified." This can be demonstrated numerically by looking at the ratios of warbler to tit. On 15/09 the ratio of tits to warblers was 1:7 ( both original numbers being divisible by 4), however today's catch came in at 7:8 ( after halving the actual numbers caught). There were a few other species including a couple of Chaffinch and the third Treecreeper for the month.

 

Treecreeper aged 3

Ageing criteria - drop shaped pale trip on 3rd outer primary covert

We also made a quick dash to the net to secure this young Sparrowhawk.

Sparrowhawk. Wing of 194mm indicated the youngster as male.

 

 Gender confirmed by emergent grey feathering.

The House Martins were tantalisingly close but remained just too high for any realistic chance of capture and the Cetti's Warbler still fails to comply with all the literature that states just how readily they will come to the audio lure. All the same we managed over 30 birds - not bad considering we didn't start until after 9am.

Total: 32 (5)

Sparrowhawk - 1

Dunnock - 1

Robin - 1

Blackbird - 0 (1)

Blackcap - 1

Chiffchaff - 12 (3)

Chaffinch - 2

Blue Tit - 9 (1)

Great Tit- 4

Treecreeper - 1