Sunday 17 April 2011

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)

Sunday 3 April 2011

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.