Early Migrants

Areas of high pressure and winds in the right direction have meant early arrivals of summer migrants this year. Whitethroats are one of these species and I caught 2 at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve yesterday along with a Grasshopper Warbler.



Above: A Common Whitethroat



Above: A Grasshopper Warbler

A list of what was caught in order of appearance (retraps in brackets): 21 birds of 9 species:

Whitethroat 2 (0)
Chaffinch 1 (1)
Great Tit 0 (4)
Blue Tit 1 (0)
Reed Bunting 2 (0)
Wren 2 (1)
Grasshopper Warbler 1 (0)
Long Tailed Tit 1 (1)
Goldfinch 4 (0)

March synopsis

5 ringing sessions last month at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR) and 3 new species caught.

Session 1: 05/03/11

Totals: 15 birds of 8 species (retraps in brackets)

Coal Tit 1
Great Tit 1 (1)
Blue Tit 2 (1)
Dunnock 1
Chaffinch 2
Long Tailed Tit 1 (3)
Siskin 1
Marsh Tit 1



Above: A Marsh Tit

Session 2: 12/03/11

Totals: 10 birds of 4 species (retraps in brackets)

Goldfinch 6
Blue Tit 1 (1)
Chaffinch 1
Wren 1

Session 3: 18/03/11

Totals: 15 birds of 7 species (retraps in brackets)

Coal Tit 1
Siskin 1
Goldfinch 2
Chaffinch 5 (1)
Lesser Redpoll 1
Blue Tit 0 (3)
Reed Bunting 1



Above: Lesser Redpoll



Above: Front view of this Lesser Redpoll. The pointed tail indicates that this bird was born last year (2010).



Above: A male Reed Bunting.

Session 4: 21/03/11

Totals: 17 birds of 7 species (retraps in brackets)

Blue Tit 2 (2)
Siskin 2
Goldfinch 5
Chaffinch 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Reed Bunting 1
Dunnock 1 (1)

Session 5: 25/03/11

Totals: 3 birds of 3 species

Goldfinch 1
Coal Tit 1
Dunnock 1

Synopsis over.