Team members are really stepping up to the plate to make the best of a settled period of weather, with sometimes up to 4 teams out and about on any given day. As a consequence we are ringing lots of birds --mainly Redwing as mentioned in the last post--but also a range of other special birds.
Here is yet another Sparrowhawk--this time showing the juvenile characteristics mentioned lately--which compare well with the adult type shown last time,
The eyes on this bird are turning orange--but the breast and belly have arrowhead type markings rather than bars--and the wing feathers are all edged buff--all juvenile features.
This is a male Blackcap which is a warbler--so why isn't it in southern Europe/North Africa given that it's November. Well over the last twenty or so years there have been increasing numbers of Blackcaps wintering in the UK. Ringing studies suggest that they are NOT 'our' birds but they come from eastern Europe to exploit the warmer temperatures here-along with good food provided by gardens in the form of berry bearing plants and things like fat balls.
This is a great portrait of a male Blackcap with a black cap. But more careful study shows it to be a juvenile bird because of the bits of brown plumage in the cap which are the remnants of the feathers it had when it left the nest.
Farmland birds are really under the microscope at the moment and one such species of concern is the Yellowhammer. Fortunately the farms we work with are doing lots to support this species and we ring quite good numbers. This was Kevin's first session at this farm and he ringed a pleasing 7 individuals.
Close examination of this bird shows that all the wing feathers are of the same generation, showing it to be an adult ( ie more than one year old)--and the relatively small amount of yellow is because it's a female. Juvenile females have virtually no bright yellow on them at all.
The weather looks reasonable for the coming few days so I hope to report lots of good birds next time!
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