Morning Edition

Our Rawcliffe Moss morning started just perfect for a ringing session, no wind, 100% cloud and no rain. All that Will and I needed to complete the picture was a decent number of birds of a good variety; by the time we packed in at 11am after a six hour stint we had met or even exceeded our target, with one or two favourite species like Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler and Garden Warbler included in the overall catch.

In all we caught 52 birds of 9 species with a good selection of warblers and finches, 44 new birds and 8 recaptures. New birds: 12 Whitethroat, 12 Goldfinch, 8 Willow Warbler, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Blackcap, 2 Blackbird, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Great Tit and 1 Garden Warbler. Recaptures: 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat and 1 Great Tit.

After a few weeks of waiting for fresh juveniles to appear we made up ground today with 34 of the 52 captures being birds of the year. However, as in recent weeks juvenile Willow Warblers remain scarce, with upon closer examination just three of our ten today proving to be juveniles, and the remaining seven adults each in a stage of their full feather renewal.

Blackcap - juvenile
Reed Bunting - juvenile
Reed Bunting - juvenile
Garden Warbler - juvenile
Sedge Warbler - juvenile

It’s still early July so migration for small passerines is somewhat invisible, more post breeding dispersal than true “vis mig”, but we added to recent sightings of moving Siskins with a party of 17 birds flying high and south about mid-morning.

Otherwise our sightings were: 100+ Swallow feeding over nearby fields, 10+ House Martin, 2 Swift, 30+ Lapwing, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Corn Bunting, 2 Skylark, 4 Stock Dove and 2+ Buzzard.

Stock Dove