29/10/2013 You can't Polish a bird...

Yet another day dawned of strong winds ruling out misting netting once again.  At least this time there were some signs of movement with lots of sparrowhawk visible from the garden with one even taking a rest on one of the picnic benches immediately outside the front door.

A resting adult male Sparrowhawk, picture taken through the kitchen window! (Hugh Hanmer)

After a leisurely breakfast Hugh and Lars went to the tip to see what migration was occurring and recorded the following from 09:30 to 12:00:

Red-breasted Merganser 23
Eider 107
Common Scoter 11
Long-tailed Duck 6
Red-throated Diver 1
Great-crested Grebe 3
Common Buzzard 1
Rough-legged Buzzard 1
Buteo Sp. 1
Hen Harrier 1
Sparrowhawk 36
Kestrel 4
Little Gull 6
Wood Pigeon 25
Stock Dove 1
White Wagtail 1
Starling 3
Loxia Sp. 20
Redpoll 4
Linnet 450
Twite 86
Goldfinch 87
Siskin 17
Greenfinch 39

On our way back for lunch we investigated a mixed flock of Gulls sitting on the stretch of beach closest to the observatory itself and to our pleasant surprise discovered a juvenile Caspian Gull in amongst them and even better that it had a yellow darvic colour ring with a 4 letter code beginning with the leter P suggesting a Polish ringed bird.  The flock spooked easily though so we couldn't read the code but they did want to hang around, so we decided to leave them in peace for a bit. Lars managed sneak back later to read it, giving PNHB and Jack later managed to get clear record shots of it.

Record shot of first winter Caspian Gull showing a Polish darvic ring reading PNHB (Jack Ashton-Booth)

Further searching found another unringed 1st winter Caspian later in the afternoon in the same flock as the above bird.

Also during the afternoon Jack and Lars found another colour ringed bird this time a 3rd winter Danish Herring Gull (V.P9C) ringed fairly locally by Jesper Brinkmann as a rehabilitated bird that had been taken into care, named 'Heidi' and subsequently ringed on her release.  Its always great to a healthy rehabilitated bird back out in the wild!

'Heidi' ready for release after being rehabilitated back to good health, photo by Anders Nielsen

Thanks for reading Hugh, Jack, Rael and Lars