A light south-westerly wind that strengthened over the morning allowed us to set a fair number of nets, but meant that catches started to decline before mid-morning.
A moderate total of 80 birds broke down as follows:
|
Species Name
|
Ringed
|
Recaptured
|
Total
|
|
Blackcap
|
21
|
|
21
|
|
Blue Tit
|
3
|
|
3
|
|
Cetti’s
Warbler |
3
|
1
|
4
|
|
Chiffchaff
|
8
|
|
8
|
|
Dunnock
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
Great
Tit |
1
|
|
1
|
|
Green
Woodpecker |
|
1
|
1
|
|
Meadow
Pipit |
21
|
|
21
|
|
Reed
Bunting |
2
|
|
2
|
|
Reed
Warbler |
5
|
1
|
6
|
|
Robin
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
Sedge
Warbler |
5
|
1
|
6
|
|
Whitethroat
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
Willow
Warbler |
1
|
|
1
|
|
Grand Total
|
75
|
5
|
80
|
The highlights were:
- The recapture of a young male green woodpecker. It is possible that this bird is feeding in a ringing ride in the reed bed, as it is unusual capture at the site.
- Three new Cetti’s warblers, with a further bird recaptured.
- A modest influx of blackcaps and chiffchaffs
- The first meadow pipits of the year, captured in a triangle of nets. Our early morning attempts to capture grey wagtail were again unsuccessful despite birds noted regularly commuting over the marsh.
- A few remaining sub-Saharan migrants, including a very nice adult whitethroat, a willow warbler and a few reed and sedge warblers. The reed warblers included one controlled bird. We will await the results with interest.
For the meadow pipits, hind claw (and on occasion bill depth) measurements were taken to confirm there were no late tree pipits among them (albeit none had features that suggested tree pipit / would have caused particular confusion without this).
Thanks to Heather Coats, Keith Vaughton, Val Wilson, Alex McCubbin, Richard Dann, Amy Schwartz and Kathryn Dunnett for company and assistance this morning.
Owain Gabb
16/09/2018
 |
| Cetti’s warbler (Amy Schwartz) |
 |
| Young male green woodpecker (Richard Dann) |
 |
| Meadow pipit (Richard Dann) |
