Green Flag inspection day. Also visit 3 of the Constant Effort survey. 28 birds caught including a Jay - that energetically flapped free of my, now slightly dodgy, left hand on its way to be ringed!
The first bird of the day was an adult (2yr+) female Bullfinch that had severe schlerosis of the legs caused by a typical avian mange. Early on, 3 adult Garden warblers - one of them (f) at least 5 years old and another, a female, returning to the site where she was raised last year. A female Chiffchaff retrap, a couple of Blackcaps (m&f), a Wren (m), two Dunnocks (f), a Greenfinch (m), a Blackbird (m) and a Reed Warbler (m) made up the rest of the adults.
Five young, spotty Robins were caught, a mother Blue Tit and her brood, of which threelike mum, failed to avoid the net, two young Long-tailed Tits and two more juvenile Song Thrushes. [That makes three males and four juvvies this month - unprecedented!] Best of all, a very young Blackcap, just out of the nest, but capable of 'low level' flight, nonetheless.
Overhead, up to 16 House Martins and an unseasonal Herring Gull
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sunday 20th May 2007
Walked from the park, out along the cycle track, to Danish Camp (Willington) and back today. There was a mistle thrush singing in the Long Hedge at the sewage farm end. Other highlights were a pair of grey wagtails at the sewage farm bridge, 4 Shelduck over 100 Acre, common sandpiper at the Dragonfly lake (Meadow Lane GP), 5-6 linnets at the side of the cycle track just before it rises up and over the bypass and 8 barnacle geese over Willington GP.
Most of the residents and summer migrants were also in evidence with common whitethroat the most common song. There seem to be less blackcaps and garden warblers in song now as they settle down to the business of breeding. On the other hand long tailed tits and dunnock seem to be more in evidence now, probably having finished their first broods.
On the return leg there were 2 yellow wagtails along the cycle track by the Tern Pool and a Kingfisher fishing by the sewage farm bridge. There was a grey heron at the mouth of the Cut.
Most of the residents and summer migrants were also in evidence with common whitethroat the most common song. There seem to be less blackcaps and garden warblers in song now as they settle down to the business of breeding. On the other hand long tailed tits and dunnock seem to be more in evidence now, probably having finished their first broods.
On the return leg there were 2 yellow wagtails along the cycle track by the Tern Pool and a Kingfisher fishing by the sewage farm bridge. There was a grey heron at the mouth of the Cut.
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