It's mornings like these that make you realise why you do this hobby. Shortly after we set the nets the birds started moving around and we started catching. We had a steady flow of birds till we finished at 09.00, and ended up with a superb ( probably record breaking) total of 147 new birds.!!
What was particularly interesting was how the spread of species has changed abruptly since the last session. The reedbed species were significantly down--but were more than replaced by blackcaps. We have been wondering where they had got to but today showed that they are now moving--just a little later than in previous years.
Of the 147 birds 108 were migrant warblers with 61 Blackcaps, 15 Reed warblers, 9 Chiffchaff, 8 Sedge warblers,3 each of Garden and Willow warblers, 4 each of Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat , and 1 Goldcrest.
Of the remaining birds the most numerous were-as always, Blue tits--but 4 juvenile Tree sparrows were very nice and a bit of a Belvide speciality.
This juvenile Tree sparrow shows the three main characteristics defining as a Tree sparrow--brown cap, white collar and black ear patch. However all three features are quite poorly defined because juvenile feathers generally are not a colourful or robust as those which grow later in the bird's life.
We also had a new species for the reserve I the form of a Magpie. Mixed feelings about this--but useful for trainees to handle. It looks a bit tatty in the picture because it's undergoing it's post juvenile moult.
Wonder what Wednesday will bring.?
If anyone is at a loose end tomorrow we are doing a bird ringing demonstration at Ashwoods Nursery starting at 9 am, free entry!!
Colin
No comments:
Post a Comment