Migration slows

Last night I attempted to catch Owls. Again succeeding which was nice. Just 1 Long-eared Owl, better than a night with nothing however (I've had plenty of those).

This morning, 14th November. 11 new birds were caught.

1 Stor Dompap - Northern Bullfinch
1 Fuglekonge - Goldcrest
3 Solsort - Blackbird
3 Lille Gråsisken - Lesser Redpoll
1 Rødhals - Robin
2 Stillits - Goldfinch

Hopefully I can catch another Owl or 2 this (my last) evening.

I will blog tomorrow with an Update

Craig Brookes

Wind, wind, wind

Firstly apologies for no post yesterday, the internet here at the station was playing up and so I couldn't access the particulars needed. Today however it's back up and working, so...

No attempts have been made to catch bird during the last 2 days due to the wind being too high to safely ring birds. Fortunately the garden was empty of birds and therefore not a missed oportunity. Birds have been taking advantage of the clear conditions overhead however and a few Buzzards and a continued passage of Bullfinch over the garden was notable. This evening a Long-eared Owl was seen flying over the garden, also 3 Woodcock have been flushed this night.

We try to catch Owls this evening as the wind should drop into the early hours. Hopefully a Pygmy Owl will have made it's way into a net by the morning... As always I'll update tomorrow.

Craig Brookes

Today (3rd November) was a weird sort of a morning. By first light I had seen no fewer than 50 Sparrowhawks whizzing around, through or over the garden and I anticipated catching a few throughout the day. When I took the first net round slightly after light I could make out 2 Sparrowhawks right next to each other in the net, as I approached closer through the mist and haze I could make out they were not in fact Sparrowhawks but Woodcock.

Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)

Adult birds.

This was a nice suprise. Duely ringed and released I carried on with the daily Robin ringing of late until I heard an unseasonal call, at first I put it down to my lack of sleep and tiredness, but I heard it again. Just as I was getting back to the house Benny came to me excited and said he'd just heard a strange bird flying around, I knew at once he'd had it too. It was a Serin, a very very late bird. Later in the morning the tapes were on to try and attract it. Within minutes I had heard and seen the bird again and was hopeful. Finally at 1pm I took a Serin from the nets.

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Adult female.

 A very happy man indeed with 2 species seldom caught in one day. Both of which were new species for me to handle.

 Photo's: Craig Brookes
Posted by: Craig Brookes

Pea-Super

A Pea-souper today, you couldn't see a thing. But the title reads 'super' this reflects the days ringing.

So the first net round in the dense fog and the dark yielded a little over 70 birds. The day turned out to be quite good although the dense mist failed to clear many birds were in the garden and so found the nets.

In total 118 New birds were ringed.
86 Robins,
13 Redpoll,
8 Sparrowhawks,
6 Greenfinch,
4 Wrens,
1 Dunnock.

Many more Sparrowhawks hunted in the garden but obviously didn't feel like migrating in such horrible conditions when they had an all you can eat Robin-buffet in the garden.

We also controlled (caught an already ringed bird) 2 birds from 2 different countries.

The first a Juvenile Robin which was originally ringed in Poland.

The second a Juvenile Greenfinch which was originally ringed in Sweden.

I wouldn't have been able to cope with so many birds in such a short time if it wasn't for the help I recieved from Frants, Benny and Hans. Thanks guys.

Craig Brookes

Mixed bag

A nice way to end October with 62 new birds of many different species.

19 Robin, 4 Common Redpoll, 5 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Wrens, 5 Dunnock, 3 Blue Tit, 7 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Song Thrush, 5 Redwings, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Bullfinch, 3 (Northern) Bullfinch, 1 Greenfinch and a big female Sparrowhawk.

Sightings included : 2000 Barnacle Geese, 8 Curlew, 3 Lapwing, 10+ Rough-legged Buzzards, 30+ Bullfinch, 10+ Yellowhammer. The visibility was very bad today and so not many birds made the crossing to Germany.

Craig Brookes