A quiet session in a low to moderate south-westerly breeze. The visibility was good on the marsh, but there was thick fog on the higher ground for the first few hours.
The modest catch of 23 birds was as follows:
|
Species
|
New
|
Recaptured
|
Total
|
|
Water Rail
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
Jack Snipe
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
|
Snipe
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
|
Great Spotted
Woodpecker |
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Wren
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Dunnock
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Robin
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
|
Cetti’s Warbler
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Goldcrest
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
Blue Tit
|
2
|
6
|
8
|
|
Great Tit
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Goldfinch
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Total
|
9
|
14
|
23
|
The highlights were a water rail, two jack and two common snipe.
The water rail was almost certainly a female. Wing length and bill length were well outside the male range, albeit tarsus length was at the upper end of the female scale.
The snipe species (all of which were first winters) took us to year end totals of 14 jack and 19 common respectively for 2016.
Thanks to today’s team of Heather Coats, Keith Vaughton and Val Wilson.
Some photographs are below.
Happy New Year – Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Owain Gabb
31/12/2016
 |
| Wing of 1st winter snipe |
 |
| Snipe |
 |
| Water rail |
 |
| Jack snipe (a small individual showing a lot of pale feathering in the crown) |
 |
| Two jack snipe (showing variation in crown colour – atypical bird left) |
 |
| Dunnock. This bird showed some warty skin around the eye and bill, It was a retrap originally ringed a juvenile in the summer. |
 |
| A barn owl has been roosting on our wooden hanger (which is left in an open shed) |
