No large influx of Blackbirds unfortunately, or unusual vagrants this morning. A net in the wood on the hill brought 5 Goldcrest to the record sheet and the most unexpected capture was a young Kingfisher that found the net, placed for birds flying along the drainage channel.
Total: 16 (3)
Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Dunnock - 2 (1)
Goldcrest - 5
Kingfisher - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Reed Bunting - 1
Wren - 1 (1)
A first session of the winter ringing program at this farm. The wild bird seed crop has done much better than last year and the total captured was probably our best ever at this site.
Total birds captured 119, of which 115 were new. Ringing team of CL, DKL and Sophia a prospective trainee that found herself rather more involved than expected as she scribed throughout the session on her first outing with us. Things are looking good for Bunting and possibly Finch ringing at this farm.
Total: 115 (4)
Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 19 (1)
Chaffinch - 3
Dunnock - 8
Goldcrest - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 8 (3)
Redwing - 2
Reed Bunting - 51
Robin - 2
Starling - 1
Yellowhammer - 14
Wren - 1
Now that autumn is definitely here the winter migrants are with us, so it's time to try for new birds for the Water Pipit project. The last two seasons have been poor, but things seem to be looking up as 6 birds have already been marked by the Stour Ringing Group in Dorset.
One of our birds has also appeared in the 2024 BTO ringing report and has taken the longevity record in the United Kingdom. The bird ringed at Cantley Beet Factory on 26/11/2020 was then observed at Strumpshaw fen on 15 & 19 November 2024.
The latest in the year that we've monitored this site yet. We were hoping to attract migrant winter thrushes (but failed miserably.) We still managed to catch 42 birds, rather more tits than we would have liked but a decent number of Goldcrests and Reed Bunting, three Cetti's Warblers that rather surprised us as we didn't play for them and the first Meadow Pipits for the site.
Total: 39 (3)
Blue Tit - 12 (1)
Cetti's Warbler - 3
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 7
Goldfinch - 1
Great Tit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 3
Reed Bunting - 5
Robin - 1 (1)
Wren - 4 (1)
We travelled via Walcott to try our luck with the Turnstones along the front and managed to catch one for the flagging project. Once the birds saw the capture they became even more wary and our chances of a further capture were gone.
An end of the day attempt to see what comes into the reedbed at night. The answer seemed to be that there were Reed Buntings and a few Stonechats present throughout the afternoon with little other than Meadow Pipits dropping in at the end of the day. We only managed to catch 5 Meadow Pipits with most other captures coming from a large tit flock.
Total: 28 (2)
Blue Tit - 6
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 2 (2)
Goldfinch - 1
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 11
Meadow Pipit - 5
Robin - 1
Now the summer migrants have left and other species are arriving to spend the winter, we concentrate our focus on sites that offer slightly different habitat and importantly sheltered areas in windy conditions. Today started much windier than forecast, but we persevered omitting to put up the net that often performs best since today it would have been completely exposed to the wind and billowing like the sails of a galleon. We put up a couple of extra nets across the track, as thrushes often move out of the worst of the wind between the hedgerows as they work their way inland.
The wind soon calmed a bit and we actually did rather better than we expected. LC was with us on her first visit to this farm and gained experience of two new species, Green Woodpecker and Goldcrest.
Birds were passing overhead as we worked and Redpoll, Brambling and Crossbill were all heard. Chris flushed a Woodcock that managed to evade the nets we'd put up for thrushes.
Total: 36 (6)
Blackbird - 12
Blue Tit - 9 (5)
Dunnock - 0 (1)
Goldcrest - 5
Great Tit - 3
Green Woodpecker - 2
Redwing - 1
Robin - 2
Wren - 2
Another day by the coast, attracting tit flocks in the hope that they would bring a vagrant with them. There were two flocks today forming the greater part of our catch, 67 new and 2 retrapped birds but nothing really unusual. The garden held quite a few Blackbirds although only 3 were caught from a minor influx after 10am. One capture had to be released when hunting in the adjacent field sent several Red-legged Partridges into the garden site for cover. One found its way into a mist net but was released safely and again evaded the hunting. Best birds were probably 3 Redpoll.
Total: 67 (2)
Blackbird - 3
Blue Tit - 16 (1)
Chaffinch - 2
Chiffchaff - 2
Dunnock - 4
Goldcrest -15
Great Tit - 7
Long-tailed Tit - 7 (1)
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Redwing - 1
Robin - 5
Wren - 2
Not much arriving today, just a few Blackbirds and an odd Redwing. The total consisted of a tit flock that found the nets put up for Redwing as they crossed from the brambles along the coastal path away from the seaward side of the site, 8 Dunnocks also 5 Reed Buntings that we managed to lure in. Only one Stonechat today and the only one that we managed to see.
Most unexpected observation was of a single Swallow rushing westwards.
Total: 37 (7)
Blackbird - 2
Blue Tit - 5 (3)
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (1)
Dunnock - 7 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 11 (2)
Reed Bunting - 5
Robin - 1
Stonechat - 1
Wren - 3
We have never monitored this site once the summer migrants have left so were unsure of what we might find. We started off with flocks of Redwing overhead, a pleasant surprise although we did know that thrush arrivals have been reported over the last few days. We managed to catch a few of those. Then we noticed some birds along the field edges where grass has been left to grow a few feet high and reeds are beginning to encroach. One bird was a Stonechat, but later Chris heard the unmistakable pinging call of Bearded Tits. Three of those found their way into our nets.
A large flock of Long-tailed and Blue Tits was a bit of a surprise. We have seen Blue Tits in the trees of course, and caught a few, but this large group came right down to the hedge behind the lagoons and connected with two of the nets.
We were joined by Maiana, collecting samples for the Zoological Society London studying Usuto virus and she very kindly scribed for the two of us. The help was much appreciated.
Totals: 64 (9)
Blackbird - 3
Bearded Tit - 3
Blue Tit - 32 (6)
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (2)_
Chiffchaff - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 12
Redwing - 5
Reed Bunting - 1
Robin - 0 (1)
Song Thrush - 2
Wren - 5
Low wind this morning and not too cold, a heavy mist contributed to the slow start as birds took a while to get moving. There were hardly any Stonechats about and summer migrants are now long gone.
We tried Meadow Pipit on a dog-leg around a bramble bush, narrowly missing a large Sparrowhawk that went storming into the net just over the audio-lure. Unfortunately she escaped the net just before we could get to her.
The total, just over the 30 mark, was partly down to a mixed tit flock that travelled along the ditch and ended up in the nets put up for Meadow Pipits. We could have also used the same nets to try for Redwings but barely any came through.
The winter birdfeed crop is looking very autumnal and shaping up nicely for seed provision throughout the winter period.
Total: 22 (11)
Blue Tit - 4 (4)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Dunnock - 0 (3)
Greenfinch - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 8
Meadow Pipit - 4
Robin - 2 (3)
Stonechat - 0 (1)
Wren - 2
A calm, misty start to the day with two doubles and a single erected outside of the beavers' enclosure. We were aware of some large tit flocks in the trees and tits formed just over half of the catch. We were pleased to get 5 Reed Buntings for the colour marking project, along with 5 Goldcrest and 3 Cetti's Warblers. Just a single Chiffchaff was an indicator that most of these have now moved off site.
Total: 34 (7)
Blue Tit - 14 - (5)
Cetti's Warbler - 3
Chiffchaff - 1
Great Tit - 1
Goldcrest - 5
Long-tailed Tit - 5 (1)
Reed Bunting - 5
Robin - 0 (1)
A very brief session aimed at catching Meadow Pipits, but there weren't many about and the wind soon strengthened in addition to some squally showers moving through. Despite catching absolutely none of the pipits, a short net through the hedge did provide a few birds, mostly Goldcrest. Off site at 10:15 with only 9 captures.
Total: 9
Blue Tit - 1
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 4
Great Tit - 2
Wren - 1
It's looking as though this will be our last ringing day since the weather will probably be against us by tomorrow morning. Rain and wind is forecast, and with Storm Amy battering the British Isles the chances of getting out ringing are very slim.
But today was a good day. Numbers were down but there were two goodies that made the 5:20am wake up call, all week, worthwhile. Blackcaps continue to dominate with Chiffchaffs continuing to move through the valley. Meadow Pipits have been attracted to calls these last couple of days while the number of Firecrest is dropping.
The best birds of the day were a juvenile Barred Warbler and a Yellow-browed Warbler.
The next round and finally we have managed to catch a Yellow-browed Warbler. This bird was fitted with a colour combination for a project that was started last year, hoping to discover where these autumn vagrants go after arriving in the UK.
Total: 136 (17)
Blackcap - 60 (2)
Barred Warbler - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 2 (1)
Chaffinch - 3
Chiffchaff- - 25 (9)
Firecrest - 9 (2)
Goldcrest - 6 (2)
Meadow Pipit - 25
Robin - 3
Whitethroat - 1
Willow Warbler - 0 (1)
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Day six and the weather is still holding for us. Another 200+ bird day but no unusual species this morning.
Blackbird - 2 (2)
Blackcap - 88 (5)
Blue Tit - 4
Cetti's Warbler - 2 (4)
Chiffchaff - 68 (8)
Dunnock - 1 (1)
Firecrest - 19(10)
Garden Warbler -1
Goldcrest - 10 (4)
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (5)
Meadow Pipit - 19
Reed Warbler - 5
Robin - 5 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 2
Wren - 5 (1)
A chilly, misty start but the birds were still in the valley. We actually caught more than yesterday. We spent the afternoon walking at Kenidjack where there were very few birds to see. A visit to Pendeen churchyard where a Yellow-browed Warbler has been seen yielded a single call heard but no sight of the bird.
Total: 293 (23)
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 138 (4)
Blue Tit - 4 (3)
Cetti's Warbler - 3
Chaffinch - 2
Chiffchaff - 96 (5)
Firecrest - 18 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 8 (4)
Great Tit - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 7
Reed Warbler - 4 (1)
Robin - 1 (3)
Sedge Warbler - 1
Song Thrush - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Wren - 6 (1)
Very low wind today and looking good for a better catch from the first round. We ended up on 271 new and 24 retraps of 20 species. A lot were Blackcaps with Common Redstart, Common Nightingale and Coal Tit rather less commonly captured here. Off site 2:30pm
Total: 271 (24)
Blackbird - 0 (2)
Blackcap - 136 (5)
Blue Tit - 5
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (4)
Chaffinch - 5
Chiffchaff - 59 (4)
Coal Tit - 2
Dunnock - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Firecrest - 21 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 10
Goldfinch - 1
Common Nightingale - 1
Common Redstart - 1
Reed Warbler - 2 (1)
Robin - 20 (2)
Sedge Warbler - 1 (1)
Wren - 1 (2)
A little busier than yesterday but still not so many birds around. It was a lovely day with less wind and with sunshine, but the southerly wind of yesterday certainly is not the wind direction to bring birds. The wind has now turned north westerly and we still have little to show for it. Hoping for more birds tomorrow on a north easterly that will be rather low by the time nets are dropped tomorrow morning. Today there were 18 species.
Total: 107 (26)
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 52 (5)
Blue Tit - 2 (1)
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (2)
Chaffinch - 2
Chiffchaff - 17 (6)
Dunnock - 2 (2)
Firecrest - 7 (1)
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 2
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (1)
Reed Warbler - 6 (1)
Robin - 7 (2)
Sedge Warbler - 0 (1)
Siskin - 3
Song Thrush - 1 (1)
Wren - 3 (2)
The weather forecast wasn't good for today with rain expected in the late morning. It was also rather windy, with winds coming from the south. There were a few wind effected nets that were not opened, but those that were in use had only a few birds on the first round with not many more on the second. There was quite a high proportion of Firecrests, more in fact than the previous day when there were over 150 birds all told.
The rain was setting in earlier than expected and all nets were closed soon after 10am.
Totals: 28 (11)
Blackcap - 8 (2)
Cetti's Warbler - 2
Chaffinch - 0 (2)
Chiffchaff - 6 (5)
Firecrest - 7 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Great Tit - 0 (1)
Long-tailed Tit - 1
Reed Warbler - 2
We were expecting to start on Saturday, but were asked to get to the site as soon as we could, from our hotel in Camborne as there was only one ringer on site for the Friday. We arrived shortly before 8am and began ringing straight away. We haven't needed to pick up the pace for quite some time, with catches usually around the 30-40 mark in Norfolk, but we managed with no problem. We even remembered parts of the site, and on recalling the drops under some of the boarding, decided to avoid working there in the dark and opted for a later start time.
The total for the day was 145 new birds with 10 retraps. Leading species Blackcap with 72.
Total: 145 (10)
Blackbird - 1
Blackcap - 72 (4)
Blue Tit - 1
Chaffinch - 2
Chiffchaff - 41 (3)
Dunnock - 1 (1)
Firecrest - 5
Garden Warbler - 2
Goldcrest - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 2
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 4 (1)
Reed Warbler - 1
Robin - 5
Sedge Warbler - 1
Song Thrush - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Wren - 3
After we'd closed we went for lunch at the Land's End Airport cafe and also managed to see the Isabelline Wheatear that has been staying around the runway. This was the second vagrant of our spell in Cornwall, having seen the very obliging Grey Phalarope at St. Gothians Sands LNR yesterday.
After a spell of windy weather we took a chance on Morston this morning. We were expecting the gusts to pick up quite quickly, but the presence of a sea fret also seemed to influence the coastal wind flow and nets were more wind affected than we would have hoped from early on.
We caught our first Meadow Pipits of the autumn. Dunnocks were moving through again, as were Stonechats, although whether they were heading south or on an extended feeding circuit is as yet unclear. Stonechats seem to peak in numbers at around 10am, then drop off again. We have darvic marked 10 at Morston this year and none have been seen or recaught so far.
Totals: 33 (2)
Blackcap - 6
Blue Tit - 5
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (1)
Chiffchaff - 4
Dunnock - 4
Linnet - 1
Meadow Pipit - 5
Reed Bunting - 3
Robin - 1 (1)
Stonechat - 3
Whitethroat - 1