Half Century

The weather was perfect for a ringing session at Moss House Farm this morning. We were due to meet on site at 5.00 a.m. but as usual I couldn't sleep and so arrived at 4.00 a.m. The moon gave a silvery light pre-dawn, just as the first hint of orange colour could be seen low down to the east. A Quail sang from a field of wheat and two each of Tawny Owl and Yellowhammer dueted with the other.

At the plantation, whilst we were putting the nets up another Quail was singing alongside the jangling notes of Corn Bunting. It was flat calm and clear and we wondered how well we would catch. Four hours later we had ringed 55 birds and retrapped 9. New birds included 10 Willow Warblers, 13 Whitethroats, 3 Reed Buntings, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden warbler, 4 House Martins, 7 Swallows and Treecreeper.

Willow Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

As we were thinking about packing up a few Swallows and House Martins started to move through and we put a mixed hirundine tape on and that was how we caught the Swallow and House Martins. The only other things we had of note were 100 Lapwings and a single Buzzard.