Vismig & things

Friday 28th - put the nets up for a couple of hours; all new birds - chaffinch, 3 goldfinch (1 ad in moult), 2 dunnock, a lovely, classic adult robin with some spots on the coverts, very young reed warbler (no fat), male blackcap (some fat) eager to go, female blue tit, & whitethroat (some fat), which was the first for some time.
Overhead - 2 house martins back and forth, 2 sky lark south-west, 3 sparrowhawk - 2 wheeling together before drifting off north, 12 fieldfare west at first light, 2 redwing (blogging), 5 swallow north, 3 mipits SW, 22 goldfinch (blogging & feeding on thistles) 2 redpoll south, and a large/heavy broad-winged BOP showing white flying upstream (towards Oasis) just before 9 o'clock - possibly an OSPREY.
Other birds - good early view of 2 great spots, 5 chaffinch, blue tit & male bullfinch all together in top of an elder "tree". At least 3 chiffs around the rough, but more seemed to appear just before the rain (about half hour before it started at 11:00)

Murmurings

Wed 26th - wandered round Fingers and got 7 singing/calling Chiffs widely spaced. 3 of 6 Gadwall seen, also the 3 cygnets by the old dipping platform. 2 Shoveler hiding in the reeds. Lots of young Moorhens, a few not quite independent. Green W/pecker calling. Mipit over
Thur 27th - same again mid am. Missed the 170+ Redwings SW @ 8:30/8:50 but 2 seen later. 5 Herons hiding in the Fingers. This time, only one Chiff. DK also had 2 C.Terns, a Swallow & a House Martin & 9 (nine) Gadwall and a few Shoveler. I think the Kingfishers have emigrated - or lost their tongues!
Weather cold and bright with a stiff NE'ly. Park very empty by the look of it

Sat 22 Sept

Immature male Chiffchaff 22-09-07, PCP

This week has seen a little more movement of birds, e.g. Jay (fri), L.Grebes (DK), Mipit (daily), up to 4 Smarties (some days), Swallow (sat). Cormorants have jumped up to 14.

Ringing on Sat ended with 32 birds after 4 hours, including 6 Chiffs, 1 Willow, 5 Blackcaps & 4 Reeds. Other birds included Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Bullfinch (2) and an adult (in heavy moult) Goldfinch.

Female Willow Warbler 22-09-07, PCP

One of the Blackcaps, a female, was very grey/washed out colour - see pic below.

Female Blackcap 22-09-07, PCP