Cold and frosty weather always tempts us out to Wraysbury and as usual, our focus was for winter thrushes. On arrival the numbers of Fieldfare seemed to have reduced, as had the supply of rosehips, the reason why this site is such a draw for thrushes in winter.
Frosted rosehips
We only managed to catch one Fieldfare but there were four Blackbirds, all adults and a Song Thrush.
6M Fieldfare
Unusually, the leading species was Bullfinch with six individuals. All were aged 5.
Old greater coverts on the first male
5M Bullfinch
4 ogcs on one of the female Bullfinches
Female Bullfinch aged 5
There were a few retraps but the most interesting was Z071069 a Cetti's Warbler that started off life at Windsor Great Meadow Pond where it was ringed as a 3J on 29/06/2014. It had made its way to Wraysbury by 12/07/2014 when it was recaptured. This bird had a wing of 62mm and a weight of 15.3g so undoubtedly male, and judged to be a 5 (before referral to the data base) on the quality of the eye colour, a technique routinely used in Europe.
Cetti's Warbler Z071069
During the late morning a Snipe was flushed from a grassy area close to one of our dog-legs and a Woodcock flew over low in the direction of some nets but both eluded capture.
Totals: 17 (7)
Wren - 0 (1)
Robin - 3 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Blackbird - 4
Fieldfare - 1
Song Thrush - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 0 (1)
Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (2)
Bullfinch - 5 (1)