Sunday 13 November 2016

Woodcock and friends

Hello

A ringing session in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today provided 65 captures made up of 49 new birds, 16 re-traps and 2 controls (birds ringed from elsewhere).

Pride of place goes to the first Woodcock to be caught and ringed at Pitsford Reservoir, expertly caught by Neil Hasdell as it scrambled out of a mist net.

Big birds caught in the duck trap included three Mallard and five Moorhens and thrushes were well-represented with a Song Thrush, 14 Redwings and 8 Blackbirds, probably all of continental origin.

Smaller birds hitting the nets involved 11 Goldcrests which included a previously ringed bird from an unknown location, a couple of Meadow Pipits, a Willow Tit and a Kingfisher. A Grey Wagtail already bearing a ring was ringed as a nestling at Stanford Reservoir earlier this year.

Other birds noted by the ringing team on-site included a fly-over Crossbill, a Siskin, a Brambling and 2 Ravens. Visual water birds were four Great White Egrets on view at the same time, a dozen Little Egrets, several Pintail, 2 Shelduck, 2 Scaup, a Redshank and 3 Dunlin.

At Hanging Houghton noteworthy birds were 2 Ravens, 2 Bramblings and a Grey Wagtail with 2 Bramblings and 2 redpoll sp at Walgrave. Harrington Airfield hosted 2 Woodcock, 2 Snipe, a Short-eared Owl and a female Peregrine plus plenty of thrushes and Blueberry Farm provided views of a Barn Owl and a pair of Stonechat. Another Barn Owl was hunting near Scaldwell village early this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher


Woodcock.
All images courtesy
of Jacob Spinks.

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