The Early Bird (Ringer) Catches The......Well Erm......Birds!

It was an early start yesterday morning for Ian and Me, but not as early as it could be as we met at the reedbeds at 4.30 a.m. We could have made it 4.00 a.m. but setting your alarm for 3.30 a.m. is so uncivilised and for some reasons, psychological (?), a 4.00 a.m. alarm call feels better!

 Sedge Warbler

Driving towards the reedbeds I had my first bird for the morning in the form of a Barn Owl hunting the rank grassland and plantation woodland alongside the road and a party of Swifts feeding low down on aerial insects that hadn't gained any height as yet in the cooler early morning air. It was a pleasant start to what turned out to be a good morning.

 Reed Warbler

A few Swallows were exiting the roost, but it was difficult to tell how many, and this did reemphasise the fact that it is indeed Autumn. Another autumnal bird was a Grey Wagtail that flew into the pools to feed. Other than that the birding was slow but the ringing certainly wasn't. We ringed 45 birds of 14 species as follows (recaptures in brackets):

Reed Warbler - 8
Robin - 2
Goldfinch - 3
Sedge Warbler - 2 (1)
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 9 (1)
Greenfinch - 10
Wren - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Chaffinch - 1
Blackcap - 1
Chiffchaff - 3 

 Chiffchaff

I have a busy week work wise this week, so I might struggle to get out before work, but I will certainly try!