An extra session to make the most of the settled weather (until today anyway) proved a good decision. Although the catch was modest, probably reflecting the fact that birds have no current reason to stop off at the site when the conditions are so good for migration, we had some real quality. The breakdown was as follows:
| Species | New | Re-trapped | Total |
| Kingfisher | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tree Pipit | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wren | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Dunnock | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Whinchat | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Stonechat | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cetti’s Warbler |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Grasshopper Warbler |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sedge Warbler | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Reed Warbler | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Whitethroat | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Blackcap | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Chiffchaff | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Willow Warbler | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Blue Tit | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Great Tit | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Greenfinch | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Siskin | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bullfinch | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Reed Bunting | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Total: | 54 | 26 | 80 |
The highlights were the first whinchat for the site, a juvenile bird, the eighth unique grasshopper warbler of 2015, a young stonechat, and the first tree pipit of the year. The eighteenth unique Cetti’s warbler of 2015 was a bonus – it was a bird in entirely juvenile plumage.
Only a short write up, as it is difficult to fit everything in on a week day!
Thanks to the team today: Heather Coats, Dan Rouse, Keith Vaughton, Paul Aubrey and Mike Shewring (who joined us for the first time).
Some pictures of the birds are below.
Owain Gabb
18/08/2015
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| Tree pipit. This shot shows the short, stout bill (in comparison to meadow pipit) well (Pic: Paul Aubrey). |
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| Male siskin. This bird was well advanced in its post juvenile moult, and was replacing its central and outer tail feathers for good measure (Pic: Paul Aubrey). |
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| A young whinchat. Always nice when something unexpected turns up – albeit we did run a net through some warm bracken patches with a view to catching stonechats (pic: Keith Vaughton) |
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| Whinchat (Keith Vaughton) |
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| Whinchat (Keith Vaughton) |
