Mipit Surge

The ridge of high pressure covering the UK today gave Ian and I the opportunity to get to Rossall and do some ringing. As I was putting the poles on my roof rack in the half light 12 Pink-footed Geese headed south, which were the first of the autumn for me.

It was flat calm at the obs and wet put the nets up and set up the MP3s with various songs and calls of species that we thought would be on the move this morning.

Meadow Pipits were certainly the most numerous visible migrant and we had 5-600 head south. There was a supporting cast of 45 Swallows, 12 Pied Wagtails, 4 Goldfinch, 6 Chaffinch, 5 Grey Wagtails, 350 Pink-footed Geese (5 groups), 12 Skylarks, Tree Pipit and Sparrowhawk.

 Meadow Pipit

We ringed 71 birds as follows (recaptures in brackets):

Dunnock - 7
Robin - 2
Meadow Pipit - 43
Blue Tit - 8 (1)
Great Tit - 4
Goldcrest - 1
Greenfinch - 6

 Dunnock

Greenfinch

I have to work tomorrow and fortunately the weather isn't that brilliant, but unfortunately it doesn't look that fantastic over weekend at the moment either. However, whatever it does I will be out doing some kind of birding!