Another try on the common with Lesser Redpoll, Redwing and Goldcrest as key targets and the outside chance of Dartford Warbler. The problem of finding a good spot now that the usual place has been burnt out persists. Redwings come in but insist on staying in the higher trees, in the main, and Redpolls remain elusive.
Total: 16
Meadow Pipit - 4
Redwing - 2
Goldcrest - 8
Blue Tit - 1
Lesser Redpoll - 1
Today was our first attempt at catching Water Pipit with the intention of fitting darvic rings for our project. We walked the gear across a mist shrouded moor to find the horses in the area where we were to put nets up. One of the horses was very interested in me, coming close several times causing me to discourage the behaviour. All the other horses began approaching and wouldn't be shooed away. There was a bit of interaction between horses, including some rearing and kicking - there seemed to be some frustration and we decided that they've become accustomed to being fed, and we had nothing for them. Keeping one eye on the herd, we put up two doubles and a single - being interrupted once as the group advanced towards our equipment dump, with one horse grabbing my rucksack and shaking it.
On returning to set up our base we found that the table had been thoroughly licked and somehow one of the bananas had been pilfered from the bag.
We didn't succeed in catching any Water Pipits, although we did hear and see one as we walked across the moor. Even the Meadow Pipits were a little sparse. Our most unexpected capture was a Snipe that landed in one of the three panel nets.
Totals: 30
Snipe - 1
Meadow Pipit - 14
Redwing - 1
Wren - 1
Goldfinch - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 6
Blue Tit - 5
It was a fairly calm day so we tried Chobham Common, at an area close to where we used to ring that had been burnt out. We had two doubles up, but of the three target species only Goldcrest worked. The tall trees that remained close by drew the few Redwings that came in, only a few got anywhere near the nets. But, the Redpoll numbers were very low, whether this is due to the loss of a big area of silver birches in the late summer fire is not entirely clear. Subsequently the catch was not high and when the news of a Masked Shrike in Kent came through, only 90 miles, and around 90 minutes away we decided to pack up and head off to see the bird on the first day. Not something we do often, but we were clearly not going to provide much data from the few birds coming in.
Totals: 14
Goldcrest - 10
Coal Tit - 3
Lesser Redpoll - 1
10th October
Was rather rainy so we decided to drive to Cambridgeshire and try for the Lammergeier. When we arrived it had just flown off having given good views as it fed on a hare in a field adjacent to the road. We set off in the direction that it had flown and after some searching it was seen in flight overhead. We were fortunate enough to spend some time watching it as it drifted above the ploughed field, often harassed by Red Kites and Buzzards.
We dropped off at Welney on our drive east, to Norfolk, most memorable for being impossible to use binoculars or a scope while wearing a face covering. Some Whooper's have already started to arrive but these remain some distance from the hide making it impossible to read any darvic rings. There was a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits resting on one of the islands and Chris managed to record some colour ring combinations.
