May May continue like this

Following on from yesterday, it was another stunning flat calm, sunny, warm, joyous day - although an occasional cloud did try and spoil the party but they couldn't get a foothold and snuck away almost unseen.   Another good morning's ringing saw 64 new birds caught but like yesterday the vast majority were in the first two hours after dawn and as soon as the sun was fully on the nets catching was very slow.
   Birds included an early Garden Warbler, a good influx of 24 Lesser Whitethroats, 12 Blackcaps, 3 Redstarts, 8 Willow Warblers and another 5 Lesser Redpolls.

2K (1st year) and 3K+ (adult) Redstarts

 

A couple of ringing landmarks were reached in the last few days with the year's total zooming past 2000 birds and 300 Dunnocks for the year - an excellent spring total (plus control Dunnocks from Belgium, Spain, Sweden and two from Denmark!).

   The two birds from Denmark were both ringed at Keldsnor, Sydlangeland, 83Km to the WNW last autumn, coincidentally the two birds were only 20 rings apart and ringed on consecutive days.

Watch out Frogs!

Shoulder-stripe