At Last!!!

Ian and I have been trying for weeks to get into the reedbed at Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park to do some ringing, but have been constantly thwarted by the weather. At last the forecast gave us some hope and at 4.30 a.m. this morning we were putting the nets up.

As we were putting the first line of '60s' up in the reeds we could hear Swallows calling as they exited the roost. It was difficult to tell how many, but back at 'base camp' after putting the nets up a 100 came out, so I am guessing there is probably at least 3-400 roosting.

A Barn Owl put in an early appearance and was constantly mobbed by large Gulls as it hunted over the grassland on the tip. An early Grey Wagtail dropped on to the pool and two breeding plumaged Black-tailed Godwits fed alongside 10 Lapwings.

It seemed quiet in the reeds and willow scrub but our nets proved otherwise and we ended up trapping 40 birds of 8 species as follows:

Reed Warbler - 17
Whitethroat - 11
Reed Bunting - 1
Sedge Warbler - 7
Robin - 1
Wren - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Goldfinch - 1

Reed Warbler

Robin

Sedge Warbler

Whitethroat

Willow Warbler

Wren

We retrapped the french ringed Sedge Warbler that we controlled here in the Spring, so it had obviously stayed around to the breed. At the time of our original capture we wondered whether it was still on passage as it was May when we caught it.

 Sedge Warbler - French ringed (not that you can tell!)

After we packed up I had a quick look on the 'deep' pool and it was quiet other than 20 Coots and 5 Little Grebes. The weather is looking okay at the moment for the rest of the weekend, so hopefully plenty of more birding and ringing ahead.