Thursday 25 August 2022

Still Ticking Over

At last, I managed a ringing session this morning at the Nature Park, my first since 13th August, but more of that in a moment. 

Things are still ticking over for me as far as autumn birding is concerned, and its Sod's law that I have loads of time at the moment, but the weather hasn't been playing ball. A few days ago, I had to check a hedge for nesting birds, and Gail accompanied me on what was a dreich morning. The highlight after standing in the rain for over an hour, was a flock of at least 60 House Martins that had been brought down by the low cloud and constant wet stuff. 
 
The following morning had more of a migratory feel to it, but once again it was too windy for any ringing. Two Grey Wagtails south over the garden added to the migratory feel, and later in the morning Gail and I had a wander along the quay. Out on the mud were 160 Redshanks, four Oystercatchers and a Little Egret, and a 1CY/female type Wheatear grounded at the old ferry terminal. 
 
A few Swallows were flying in and out of a few of some of the wrecks in the quay, and I don't doubt that these former fishing boats will be providing a safe place to nest for the Swallows. The wrecks out on the saltmarsh certainly used to, so I suspect these wrecks will too. 
 
Some of the wrecks that used to have Swallows nesting in them
 
Back to this morning. Conditions were perfect for operating mist nets, with no wind and at least 6 oktas cloud cover, but along with the conditions you need the birds, and it felt very quiet this morning. Sometimes it feels quiet, and you still catch reasonable numbers, but not today, with just ten birds ringed as follows:
 
Robin - 2
Goldfinch - 1
Blackcap - 5
Chiffchaff - 1
Dunnock - 1
 
Robin
 
At least it was a leisurely 5:45 a.m. start! There was nothing going over at all, other than a handful of Swallows that headed south and east. As I was putting the nets up, all two of them, I had a flock of about 15-20 'twittering' Swallows, that probably had come from a roost close by. Unlike Starlings, Swallows do leave their roost early, and there would probably have been more, had I been there earlier. 
 
Three Cetti's Warblers and a Chiffchaff were singing before it warmed up, and a Stock Dove went over. I had a flock of 73 Goldfinches, which I'm guessing are part of the larger flock of 200 on the old landfill site. A Great Spotted Woodpecker in reedbed and scrub is always noteworthy, but that was it. 
 
At the moment the forecast is looking favourable into next week, and I've still got time, so hopefully Sod's law won't make an appearance again! 
 
On this date in 2007, it was a very different morning with a brisk west-north-westerly wind, and most definitely sea-watching weather. A few hours at the Point logged 172 Oystercatchers, 422 Knot, 46 Gannets, 102 Sandwich Terns, a Great Crested Grebe, 85 Common Scoters and one pale morph, and four dark morph Arctic Skuas. A very different kind of a morning indeed!

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