Respectable

A really nice start to the day - especially after the previous few days gales, with light westerly winds and scattered cloud; the wind however, gradually increased through the morning to become pretty strong by lunchtime but by then I had already caught a very respectable 58 new birds (a very good total for this late in the spring).   The total included another female Hawfinch, 2 Marsh Warblers (plus a Swedish control), 3 Reed Warblers, 15 Icterine Warblers, 12 Blackcaps, 5 Garden Warblers, 5 Whitethroats and a White Wagtail.

Hawfinch

A slightly unseasonal arrival of Blackcaps with several of them having high fat scores indicating that they are genuine late passage migrants but equally there were a few females in amongst the total that had big brood patches so were probably failed breeders moving around - perhaps the recent gales disturbed a few nests. 

The first Tree Sparrow fledglings appeared today although how this one got up into the top panel of the high net only he knows!

 

There were a few things seen out at the tip today but it was a fairly quiet day elsewhere as birds included 2 Hobbies, 1,800 Brent Geese still moving north-east and a few waders with Grey Plover, Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits passing in small mixed flocks.

Common Darter