Another early breakfast. Then at 0525 a drive towards Oakenclough, a 35 minute journey and ETA 0600 for a meet with Andy.
Half a mile from home came the welcome distraction of a flypast Barn Owl. A white van ahead had slowed down and alerted me to a Barn Owl heading my way alongside but below the raised road. There was time for a few clicks of the shutter before continuing east and into the rising sun. Doesn't everyone drive with a camera on the passenger seat just in case?
Barn Owl
Andy was already there as I pulled in at 6.02 with the excuse of "Barn Owl" the reason for the poor timekeeping.
Over the fence 15 yards away a Garden Warbler was in full song, a good omen for what lay ahead.
We enjoyed a quiet ringing session of quality rather than a quantity of birds with the sum totals of 3 Garden Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Goldfinch and 2 Lesser Redpoll.
It was during 2020 we noticed increased numbers of Garden Warblers here at Oakenclough, a site where the species has not bred for at least ten years. But now the plantation is revitalised by a clearance of rhododendron and restocking with native trees, we are confident Garden Warblers will return. Our three today consisted of one male, one female and one yet early season indeterminate.
Garden Warbler
Goldfinch
Willow Warbler
While there's a good population of Willow Warblers here we think that Lesser Redpolls breed close by if not in the plantation in which we ring. Similarity to Garden Warblers, the redpolls bred here in the not too distant past and they too may return as the planting matures and thickens.
Lesser Redpoll
Our birding was unremarkable in the clear and cool morning but we notched up several Swallows, 15 Sand Martin, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Buzzard, 1 Siskin, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 12+ Willow Warblers,. In nearby fields were several Oystercatchers and Lapwings plus a good number of Greylag families.
Linking this weekend to Eileen's Saturday Blogspot and Anni in Texas.
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