During a morning ringing session in East Dunes the new birds were a Willow Warbler, a Meadow Pipit, a Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat; and the retraps were a Dunnock and a Blue Tit.
April 29th. Birds around included a Cuckoo, 2 Whimbrel and 4 Swallow.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 11 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, a Goldfinch, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Tree Pipit, a Linnet and a Robin; and 7 retraps: 2 Whitethroat, 3 Goldfinch, a Wren and a Dunnock.
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| Tree Pipit, ringed 29th April 2014. Photo - George Gregory |
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 10 new birds: a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat, a Chaffinch, a Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Song Thrush (continental type) and a Great Spotted Woodpecker; and 2 retraps: a Whitethroat and a Blue Tit.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker was a large female, with wing length 142mm and bill depth 10mm. It was also rather white below. Baker (1993) gives for full grown females: D. m. anglicus wing length 126-134mm and bill depth 8-9mm; and D. m major wing length 138-144mm and bill depth 9-10mm. However, more recent work apparently shows that some British birds (whether pure D. m. anglicus or an admixture) can have longer wings than Baker gives for D. m. anglicus.
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| Large female Great Spotted Woodpecker, ringed 28th April 2014. Photo - George Gregory |
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| Large female Great Spotted Woodpecker, ringed 28th April 2014. Photo - George Gregory |
A morning ringing session in East Dunes was disappointing. The news were 2 Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Whitethroat; and the retraps 2 Whitethroat.
A similarly disappointing ringing session at Aylmer Avenue by David and Liv Vincent resulted in just 3 new birds and 8 retraps. The new birds were a Great Tit, a Goldfinch and a Blackcap. The retraps were 2 Greenfinch, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a Chaffinch and a Blue Tit.
April 26th. Around were a Whinchat, a Redstart, a Ring Ouzel, a Fieldfare, 2 Siskin, a Brambling and a Hen Harrier.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes, with James Siddle, provided 3 new birds: a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat; and 3 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Goldfinch and a Reed Bunting.
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| Whinchat, 26th April 2014. Photo - James Siddle |
Birds around included a Redstart, a Jack Snipe, a Tawny Owl, a Cuckoo, a Green Woodpecker and 3 Brambling.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 7 new birds: 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroats and a Lesser Whitethroat; and a retrap Goldfinch.
April 24th. Around were a Redstart, 10 Wheatear, a Ring Ouzel, a Cuckoo, a Barn Owl, a Hen Harrier, a Marsh Harrier,10 Snipe, 3 Little Tern, 2 Common Tern, 20 Sandwich Tern and a Jay. Flying south were 31 Swallow, 7 Sand Martin, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite and a Common Buzzard. 2 adult Mediterranean Gull flew high north.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes yielded 3 new birds: 2 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler; and 6 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Goldfinch, 2 Wren, a Blackcap and a Dunnock.
April 23rd. A Hoopoe was discovered near the Mere. A Great White Egret was on the Freshwater Marsh briefly. Around were a Goosander, a Jay, 15 Rook, a Fieldfare, 5 Wheatear, a Reed Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Siskin, a Cuckoo, 2 Common Tern, a Greenshank and 9 Whimbrel. South went 14 Yellow Wagtail, a Peregrine, a Common Buzzard, 2 Grey Heron and 4 Stock Dove. A Marsh Harrier went north over Croft Marsh.
A morning session provided 6 new birds: a Long-tailed Tit, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Robin and a Song Thrush; and 4 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, a Goldfinch (from 2008) and a Blue Tit.
A Scorched Carpet Moth was trapped overnight, the 2nd reserve record.
April 22nd. Rain on and off during day.
Birds around included a Hen Harrier, 8 Whimbrel, 8 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, a Fieldfare, a Black Redstart, 2 Wheatear, 6 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Siskin and 14 Corn Bunting. On Jackson's Marsh was a White Wagtail, a Spotted Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper.
April 21st. Around were 13 Little Tern, a Marsh Harrier, 11 Wheatear, 5 Rook, a Siskin, a Whimbrel, a Jack Snipe, a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper. Flying north were a Fulmar, a Hobby and 6 Swallows.
A morning ringing session in East Dunes produced 10 new birds: 3 Chiffchaff, a Wren, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Bullfinch (British subspecies), a Chaffinch and a Linnet; and 4 retraps: a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Linnet and a Dunnock.
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| Bullfinch, ringed 21st April 2014. Photo - George Gregory |
