Wow - Double Figures

Out on Rawcliffe Moss I’d gone out with the intention of birding only but decided to put up a couple of nets when after looking and listening for a while I thought there might be a few more birds about than of late. 

In recent months it’s quite an achievement to get into double figures for a ringing session and I managed that today, but only just. 12 new birds of three species caught – 7 Whitethroat, 4 Chaffinch and 1 Willow Warbler. Six of the Whitethroats proved to be juveniles, the seventh bird an adult. 

At this time of year adults are easily determined by the amount of wear in the plumage, especially those feathers that do a lot of work and/or are more exposed to the light, like the primary feathers in the third picture below. 

Whitethroat - juvenile

 Whitethroat - juvenile

Whitethroat - adult

Today’s juvenile Willow Warbler proved to be a very yellowish example. 

Willow Warbler - juvenile

It was good to start catching autumn Chaffinches again – here’s hoping for a couple of hundred during August, September and October. 

 Chaffinch

Not a lot to report on the birding front – a minimum of 15 Whitethroats present including those ringed, 4+ Willow Warbler and 1 Garden Warbler. Approximately 140 Swallows and 15 House Martins feeding over a rough grass/thistle field, a combination of local birds and other arriving from the north during the morning, plus a minimum of 8 Swifts over and heading south in a couple of hours. 4+ Siskin over and heading south at early doors, as distinct from 30+ Goldfinch dispersing from a local roost at a similar time. The roost may also involve Chaffinches as the four caught were on first and second checks of the nets. 

Still singing Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Corn Bunting, 2 Kestrel and 2 Buzzard completed the picture. 

Kestrel

Stay tuned for more news soon from Another Bird Blog.