More Migrants at Staines Reservoir.

 

If you are a regular follower you may well recall this view of the causeway between the two basins at Staines Reservoir taken on a damp cold day in mid March when I explained the virtues of this site as a 'Birding Hotspot'.

During the last six weeks this site has continued to play host to a varied array of visiting species so with much better weather I paid a return visit on Monday morning.

As you can see (below) the view hasn't changed very much; the pathway has been cleared and the view looks far more inviting under a cloudy blue sky; except there is far less water in the previously drained north basin.

Unfortunately the one drawback of visits on such a calm warmer day is the volume of black flies everywhere! 

Whilst these can be an irritating but harmless nuisance they do attract certain species including good numbers of Pied Wagtails and during this visit I also found a White Wagtail plus five Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava) in various plumages enjoying this bountiful supply of insects.

Yellow and Pied Wagtail.

Other species spied far out on the drained north basin included a single Whimbrel (a first for my County list), two Little Egrets, Dunlin (7), Lapwing, Common and Arctic Terns plus Shelduck and a few Wigeon.

Some fifty feet beyond the fence I also spotted two Northern Wheatear and somehow managed to capture this image (above) of one of them just about to grab a tiny mid morning snack.

I was told by a fellow birder that this basin might not be refilled until the Autumn and providing some water remains it will be interesting to see what else turns up here over the coming months. FAB.

Linking to Good Fences and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.

Birding Hotspot - Staines Reservoir.

For this weeks edition of Good Fences I'm taking you to one of the most exposed birding hotspots within the Surrey County recording area ... the Staines Reservoir causeway that bisects the north and south basins.

Definitely not the place to be on a dreary, cold and wet winter day unless you go well wrapped up but with rarities turning up anytime throughout the year sometimes you just have to brave the elements.

What I hadn't anticipated to find was that the north basin had been emptied for maintenance purposes but this does provide the ideal habitat for migrant waders etc to drop in from time time.

I recall this basin also being empty in September 2004 when I logged my first Pectoral Sandpiper in the UK.

Visitors this month have already included Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Dunlin, Ruff, Rock and Water Pipit, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Wheatear and a nearby Black Redstart.

Scanning the water to the south, while looking into the wintery sun,  and the mud to the north while coping with the interruptions of several wind driven rain showers wasn't particularly comfortable but I did locate the Great Northern Diver, Oystercatcher (2), Common Redshank (4), Lapwing, Dunlin (3) plus the usual ducks such as Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Mallard, Tufted, Common Pochard, Northern Shoveler and several Shelduck.

Along the causeway bank I counted around 45 Pied Wagtails (Motacilla alba ssp. yarrellii) busily feeding on insects. I should have paid more attention to all these Wagtails as there was probably a White (ssp. alba) amongst them.  While looking through a small group of Meadow Pipits I located a moulting Water Pipit.

A Coot taking a stroll.

With a good number of [Eurasian] Wigeon frequenting the concrete slopes I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a few shots before heading home.

So enduring the elements added four species to my Surrey year list including one new addition to my 2015 annual list from the 29 species seen during a 55 minute visit.

Next time I'll try to plan a visit here when the sun is shining!  FAB.

Frozen water ...........and few birds!

Well wrapped up against the cold & a blue sky it was off to Staines Reservoir which is a bleak location particularly in winter but does usually hold a varied selection of grebes, waders and the occassional diver. I unexpectedly met a very old friend, Alan, who said there was very little to see as most of the water was frozen. Movement of the water had created these large slabs of ice.
A scan of the 2 basins produced Great Crested Grebes(7), Little Grebe, a mixture of Gulls way out on the frozen water, a few Wigeon, Gadwall, Coot, Mallard, Northern Shovellers (50+)hugging the distant shoreline, a single Cormorant, 12 Ruddy Ducks (who obviously survived the culling process!), plus Pochard and Tufted Ducks.

Common Pochard

Male Tufties

A Kestrel was hunting the causeway margins and eventually dropped onto the pathway with a kill and enabled me to get this distant digi-snap through the scope.

A Meadow Pipit called as it flew overhead. As I returned to my car Tony & Hugh turned up with other members of the Surrey Bird Club. I updated them on the lack of species and headed off to Wraysbury Gravel Pits. Once again all the pits were frozen ..... apart from a small patch of clear water where most of the ducks & gulls were gathered.
As I wandered around the various pits species seen were Great-spotted Woodpeckers, Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tits, Grey Herons (2), Jackdaw, Starlings, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Kestrel, Cormorants, Mute Swan, Parakeets, Coot, Moorhen, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Shovellers, Teal & Goldeneye (3).

Despite the abundance of seed heads there was a distinct lack of finches....I guess most of them are still in Tricia's garden!

Whilst searching to locate winter thrushes I disturbed a Water Rail (heard it call as it flew into cover) but failed to get my bins onto it and also flushed 2 Snipe alongside the stream .....one of them might have been a 'Jack' but again I was too slow to react. I eventually caught up with the thrushes - Fieldfare, Redwing and a Song Thrush and just managed to get some half decent photos. Fieldfare

Redwing
Song Thrush

This final shot was taken to remind me of the best location for Kingfisher and Water Rail sightings in the past.....But not today. Never mind it was a pleasant stroll in much improved weather conditions.