Hello
I'm just back from a successful ten day trip to Portugal with other members of the Northants Ringing Group, spending three days birding and then seven days ringing migrants on the west Atlantic coast. I hope to publish some images in due course...
In the meantime Eric Graham has been industrious at Thrapston Pits/Titchmarsh Reserve of course with a Marsh Harrier over North Lake on 14th Sept plus a Green Sandpiper, and a Great White Egret, eight Little Egrets and two Hobby yesterday (15th).
Back on the 12th Sept Chris Payne embarked on a little ringing at his Bradden site catching an excellent 118 birds which included only four re-traps. Chris must have finished the session with sore fingers because I'm quite sure that all 66 Blue Tits and 32 Great Tits would have pecked him well in turn before they left him! Other birds included a Coal Tit, 8 Chaffinches, seven Blackcaps and singles of Robin, Wren, Dunnock and Nuthatch.
Chris returned there again today with reinforcements and caught 52 birds (12 re-traps) amounting to 22 Blue Tits, 15 Great Tits, 3 Coal Tits, 4 Chaffinches, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Goldfinches, a Wren and a Nuthatch. The team also processed an odd Chiffchaff which showed some features of the notoriously difficult to identify Iberian Chiffchaff. These birds tend to look like Willow Warblers, exhibit paler legs and brighter bare part colouration than most standard Chiffchaffs, generally have a longer 'Primary 2' feather and the emargination on the sixth primary tends to be less obvious than the standard 'collybita' Chiffchaff. In reality though it is only the distinctive call or DNA that confirms identity - this bird wasn't heard to call (of course)...
A short stop-off at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon (16th) provided views of a Green Sandpiper, a Little Egret, two Pintail and two Hobby.
Regards
Neil M
I'm just back from a successful ten day trip to Portugal with other members of the Northants Ringing Group, spending three days birding and then seven days ringing migrants on the west Atlantic coast. I hope to publish some images in due course...
In the meantime Eric Graham has been industrious at Thrapston Pits/Titchmarsh Reserve of course with a Marsh Harrier over North Lake on 14th Sept plus a Green Sandpiper, and a Great White Egret, eight Little Egrets and two Hobby yesterday (15th).
Back on the 12th Sept Chris Payne embarked on a little ringing at his Bradden site catching an excellent 118 birds which included only four re-traps. Chris must have finished the session with sore fingers because I'm quite sure that all 66 Blue Tits and 32 Great Tits would have pecked him well in turn before they left him! Other birds included a Coal Tit, 8 Chaffinches, seven Blackcaps and singles of Robin, Wren, Dunnock and Nuthatch.
Chris returned there again today with reinforcements and caught 52 birds (12 re-traps) amounting to 22 Blue Tits, 15 Great Tits, 3 Coal Tits, 4 Chaffinches, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Goldfinches, a Wren and a Nuthatch. The team also processed an odd Chiffchaff which showed some features of the notoriously difficult to identify Iberian Chiffchaff. These birds tend to look like Willow Warblers, exhibit paler legs and brighter bare part colouration than most standard Chiffchaffs, generally have a longer 'Primary 2' feather and the emargination on the sixth primary tends to be less obvious than the standard 'collybita' Chiffchaff. In reality though it is only the distinctive call or DNA that confirms identity - this bird wasn't heard to call (of course)...
A short stop-off at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon (16th) provided views of a Green Sandpiper, a Little Egret, two Pintail and two Hobby.
Regards
Neil M
 |
| Blue Tit courtesy of Robin Gossage. |
 |
| Great Tit. Both Great Tits and Blue Tits seem to have produced good numbers of fledged young this year. |
 |
| Hobby courtesy of Robin Gossage. |
No comments:
Post a Comment