Oxwich Marsh late August 2019: a new species but continued frustration

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The second half of August has proven no better than the first half. Settled weather has been very limited, with wind speed consistently limiting catches. 
The overall result has been that what was was looking like a good year in terms of new birds ringed is now looking distinctly average. A comparison of new bird totals for Oxwich in the period between the 1 Jan and late August for the past three years is below:

Table 1: New birds ringed 1 Jan – 26 August (2017-2019)

Species
Name
2019
2018
2017
Blackbird
31
43
28
Blackcap
72
70
40
Blue Tit
219
178
120
Brambling
21
Bullfinch
11
11
10
Cetti’s
Warbler
11
10
12
Chaffinch
136
135
65
Chiffchaff
52
17
49
Coal Tit
4
2
2
Dunnock
29
51
40
Garden
Warbler
6
12
6
Goldcrest
2
5
4
Goldfinch
183
162
232
Grasshopper
Warbler
6
5
13
Great
Spotted Woodpecker
17
29
15
Great
Tit
98
163
73
Greenfinch
120
44
90
Jack
Snipe
3
5
6
Jay
2
0
0
Kingfisher
0
0
2
Lesser
Redpoll
0
1
0
Lesser
Whitethroat
0
1
0
Long-tailed
Tit
7
3
6
Marsh
tit
0
3
0
Meadow
Pipit
1
0
0
Nuthatch
0
1
0
Pied
Flycatcher
1
0
0
Pied/White
Wagtail
5
8
4
Reed
Bunting
30
51
36
Reed
Warbler
124
215
151
Robin
37
37
44
Sand
Martin
3
31
11
Sedge
Warbler
97
161
119
Siskin
124
182
153
Snipe
29
27
22
Song
Thrush
5
10
5
Sparrowhawk
2
0
0
Starling
0
10
0
Stonechat
5
1
4
Swallow
237
146
289
Tree
Pipit
7
7
10
Treecreeper
7
3
2
Whinchat
0
1
0
Whitethroat
18
24
18
Willow
Tit
0
1
0
Willow
Warbler
45
89
63
Wren
27
36
30
Yellowhammer
1
0
1
Yellow
Wagtail
0
1
0
Grand
Total
1814
2013
1775

Late August highlights have been limited to:
  • A pied flycatcher, the first for the site, on 24 August
  • 5 tree pipits on 24 August
The results of the limited August catches have been to make it a very poor year for willow warbler (totals are typically massively influenced by a few big days in August), sand martin, reed warbler and sedge warbler, and a very average one for tree pipit and garden warbler (we may have caught our last of both for 2019).
A good September is desperately needed for the purposes of sanity!
Thanks to all who have attended the various blustery sessions: Heather Coats, Keith Vaughton, Wayne Morris, Emma Cole, Val Wilson, Sarah Davies, Joanne Conway, Bethan Dalton, Sophie de Grissac, Alex McCubbin, Richard Dann, Amy Schwartz, Dionne Jenkins, Martin Thomas, Colin Baker, Miguel Lurgi and Lucy Rowley.
Owain Gabb
29/08/2019
Pied flycatcher (a provisionally sexed young female) (Amy Schwartz)
Tree pipit (Sophie de Grissac)
Tree pipit (Amy Schwartz)
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