Sunday Jobs

After Saturday’s disappointment Will and I promised ourselves another bash today so met up again, usual time, and usual place. As we hit the moss road at 0615 a heavy shower threatened to wipe out our ringing session: the downpour didn’t last and we soon erected just three nets in the eastern most part of our plot, mindful of the promised scattered showers and 15mph westerly for 10am.

It didn’t rain more but the stiff breeze did curtail the session early at 1030. Despite this we caught a good mix of yet more warblers and several finches, during what proved an interesting and varied morning of birding and ringing.

Our overall catch was 27 birds of 8 species, 22 new and 5 recaptures. New birds: 5 Whitethroat, 5 Willow Warbler, 6 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Blackcap and 1 Lesser Whitethroat – not only one of the smartest warblers, but the first of our year. Recaptures: 2 Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler and 1 Blackcap.

Lesser Whitethroat

The young Blackcap had almost dispensed with its brown cap and sported a not quite black hood.

Blackcap

Many of the young Goldfinches are now in stages of their post-juvenile moult, and with a little care it is possible to sex some of them, like the juvenile male below. Despite the lack of Goldfinch red on the face the new black nasal hairs show that this bird is a male - a female has greyer nasal hairs.

Goldfinch

Birding wise there was perhaps a little evidence of finch movements, with several Greenfinch and Chaffinch, but also 4 singles of Lesser Redpoll, all chattering south. Local Linnet and Goldfinch numbered 15 and 35 respectively. We estimated Swallows this morning at 80+, but found no difficulty in counting the single Swift that headed north about mid-morning. Otherwise, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 60 Woodpigeon, 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Pied Wagtail and 4 Skylark.

Sunday On The Moss

About 9am we had brief views of a cream-headed female Marsh Harrier before it flew off in the westerly direction of Pilling Moss, disturbing dozens of gulls and Lapwings from its path. Not the bird we saw here a week ago, and definitely a different bird.

On the way home I called at Hambleton to ring the penultimate brood of 4 Swallows for the year, where youngsters ringed last week now looked on the verge of leaving their stable. The final brood should be ready for ringing on Thursday next.

Swallow

I just looked outside at the lawn. With all the rain of the last week the grass really needs a cut. OK it’s Sunday afternoon when we should all take it easy, but if I go and get the job done now there are a few Brownie Points on offer for next week’s birding.