Tyttenhanger and Staines - 2nd September 2018

A run up to Tyttenhanger to have a look around the area by the spit for Willow Emerald unfortunately proved fruitless. There were a few Common Blue Damselflies around, plus quite a few Hawkers, most of wich appeared to be Migrant Hawkers, plus a few Common Darter. On the spit was a single Greenshank and Little Egret, with a Common Sandpiper heard flying around.

Common Blue Damselfly 

Migrant Hawker, pair in tandem below

Brown Argus

Afterwards over to Staines, first of all a look on the Moor, which by midday appeared quite, with again quite a few Migrant Hawkers and a few Blue-tailed Damselflies present, and a Yellow Wagtail flew over provide the only bird of minor note.

 Migrant Hawker

Common Darter

Small Heath, male & female

The reservoir still held a few Black Tern, with sixteen still present, plus a single Little Gull, and a female Goldeneye.

female Goldeneye

Wraysbury GP - 1st September 2018

After decent number from just six nets a couple of days before, we returned to the site with WA and LON hoping that the low wind and increased number of nets (11) might bring our catch up to something close to the 'big day' totals that we used to achieve before battle commenced on the vetch with whole sale mowing of the site and a few doses of weed killer over the last couple of years. The vetch persists, by the way.

It was soon clear that there were fewer birds in the immediate areas around our rides than on Thursday, although large numbers of phylloscopus could be seen skirting the site in the tall trees that grow around the lake. It was clear that they would, in the main, evade our nets while present in very good numbers.

It is clear that the site is less attractive to birds with so little cover in the more open areas. It looks as though there will be no prospect of a 'big day' this autumn.

Totals: 81 (14)

Robin - 5
Dunnock - 5 (4)
Blackbird -1 (1)
Song Thrush - 1
Reed Warbler - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Whitethroat - 2 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 34 (3)
Chiffchaff - 13 (3)
Willow Warbler - 9 (1)
Blue Tit - 3
Great Tit - 2
Goldfinch - 1
Bullfinch - 0 (1)

Stanwell Moor GP - 31st August 2018

The session brought a good range of species. The two nets on the track provided most of the birds with 6 Meadow Pipits coming from a V configuration set low for pipits and nets around the lake bringing just a couple of Reed Warblers and recaptured Cetti's Warbler Z958014 that was ringed as a juvenile on 30/10/2016.

4F Z958014, captured a third time since it was ringed on 30/10/2016

Captures of Goldfinch juveniles proved interesting with some birds in tail and main wing moult while others showed no signs of changing their flight feathers.

3J M Goldfinch APA1398

APA1398 5555530000

3J M Goldfinch AKE4003

5554230000

3J Male Linnet

White edging on primaries reaches to feather shaft indicating

that the bird is male.

Total: 75 (2)

Meadow Pipit - 8
Dunnock - 4
Robin - 2
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (1)
Reed Warbler - 3 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Blackcap -  35
Willow Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 3
Blue Tit - 1
Great Tit - 1
Goldfinch - 11
Linnet - 3

Wraysbury GP - 30th August 2018

The weather was favourable for Wraysbury. There were reports of good numbers of birds from the ringing stations in the coastal dunes of the Netherlands and along the East coast as well as it being very close to the final Whitethroat RAS date.

As we set up our six nets we could see birds moving around the site and the morning looked promising. The first two rounds were busy, although Blackcap and Willow Warbler were the chief species. We noticed that the activity tailed off early and were taking the first nets down, shortly after 10am. A brief reccie of the site showed, not only that we have horses on site again, but also that the remaining birds were at the far end of the site.

We had finished the session and packed up all equipment for 10:50am having processed in excess of 100 birds.

Age 3 Whitethroat

Total: 94 (11)

Green Woodpecker - 0 (1)
Robin - 4
Dunnock - 1(1)
Blackbird - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 2
Garden Warbler - 1 (1)
Blackcap - 53  (3)
Chiffchaff - 6 (3)
Willow Warbler - 18
Goldcrest - 1
Great Tit - 0 (1)
Goldfinch - 4

Broadwater GP - 25th & 28th August 2018

Broadwater was the location of choice due to the wind being too strong for Wraysbury. Joined by WA and LON we were hoping for decent numbers of birds but we only managed 32 birds by midday.

25th August

Total: 28 (4)

Blackbird - 1 (1)

Wren - 1

Dunnock - 1

Reed Warbler - 3

Blackcap - 6 

Chiffchaff - 4 (2)

Willow Warbler - 7

Blue Tit - 4 (1)

Great Tit - 1

Willow Warbler

A few days later we were back again, this time with MRB and BC. There were a few more birds, but no larger captures of flocks moving together. Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and tits accounted for the majority of the catch. 

28th August

Total: 48 (10)

Blackbird - 1

Robin - 1

Reed Warbler - 1

Blackcap - 16 (1)

Garden Warbler - 1

Chiffchaff - 3 (4)

Willow Warbler - 11

Blue Tit - 9 (3)

Great Tit - 5 (2)

Panshanger Park - 24th August 2018

A visited was made primarily to try and find Willow Emerald Damselfly without any success, despite checking the area around Kings Lake. A few other common species were present, but nothing esspecially out of the ordinary, with a single Little Egret on Osprey Lake, and a number of worn Small Coppers present.

Small Copper

Migrant Hawker

Common Blue Damselfly, adult and freshly emerged (below)

Common Darter

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Little Egret

Stanwell GP - 22nd August 2018

The track nets were a little more wind affected than we would have hoped. although that didn't stop them from catching all but five of the birds today. As expected Blackcaps made up most of the numbers. The reedbed was very disappointing giving just two birds all morning and with hindsight we might as well have not bothered to put these nets up, but the reeds were leaning in and tidying was required so we put them up anyway.

We sited one net hoping for hirundines, but these were elusive in spite of the overcast conditions and another that might have been excellent if birds working along the Colne were to have crossed towards the lake at the opportune spot. Today the flock didn't, but the net did give us a Kingfisher.

Willow Warbler aged 3

Kingfisher 3M

Lesser Whitethroat aged 3

Whereas there seem to be fewer Lesser Whitethroats at Wraysbury, they are being caught more frequently than usual at Stanwell Moor.

Total:  60 (2)

Kingfisher - 1
Dunnock - 2 (1)
Robin - 3
Reed Warbler - 3
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 3
Garden Warbler - 4
Blackcap - 33 (1)
Willow Warbler - 3
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Blue Tit - 2
Great Tit - 3