Sculthorpe Moor - 9th & 10th November 2024

 

9th November

A visit to the reedbed with CJH hoping for more Redwings and Reed Buntings produced more tits than anything else in the mix of 8 species. A try at the north fields  revealed a single Jack Snipe that evaded capture.

Total: 25 (2)

Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 11 (2)
Goldcrest - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Redwing - 2
Reed Bunting - 2
Robin - 1
Wren - 4

10th November 2024

A first full morning session, targeting Meadow Pipit, Redwing and Reed Bunting at the north fields. The first two nets failed to perform but the low net in the reeds and a single net by the gate did rather well, bringing more birds that the previous day's session on the reserve. Leading species was still Blue Tit, despite not a feeder in sight, with Reed Bunting totalling 9 birds and surprisingly Stonechat in third place with 3 individuals.

3M Stonechat

4F Stonechat

2M House Sparrow

These are both new species for Sculthorpe Moor, Hawk and Owl Trust.

Ringing team CL, DKL, EGB.

Total: 31 (4)

Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 11 (3)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Great Tit - 1
House Sparrow - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Reed Bunting - 8 (1)
Robin - 1
Stonechat - 3
Wren - 2

 

Sculthorpe Moor - 7th November 2024

 Another successful attempt at daylight thermalling for Jack Snipe resulted in the capture of an adult and juvenile. This allowed for some nice comparison photos.

Adult on right with cleaner, more extensive pale feathering on head

Undertail coverts, brown streaks along shafts of some feathers for adult, 

very little on undertail coverts of juvenile

Juvenile has narrower white tips to primary coverts

More strongly marked throat feathers on adult

There was quite a weight difference between these two, adult 48.4g and juvenile a very healthy 73.3g.

A farm in North-west Norfolk - 7th November 2024

 A first winter session at the site. Forty birds captured including a Grey Wagtail, a couple of Redwing. The other birds would have been completely at home at a feeding station in any back garden. The catch did include an unusually high proportion of adult Blue Tits including 3 retraps from previous years.

Age 3 Grey Wagtail

3M Chaffinch

Age 4 Redwing

Total: 35 (5)

Blackbird - 3
Blue Tit - 15 (3)
Chaffinch - 2
Dunnock - 2 (1)
Great Tit - 6 (1)
Grey Wagtail - 1
Redwing - 2
Robin - 2
Wren - 2

Sculthorpe Moor - 6th November 2024

 CL has now started thermalling some evening while I try for owls if the weather is suitable. Photos are not usually good as we will not use flash photography. Nice to get a daytime Jack Snipe this afternoon.

Age 3 Jack Snipe

Processed and back in the field

Total: 1

Jack Snipe - 1

Deepdale Farm - 6th November 2024

 A last try at the marsh fields with few pipits or thrushes. There weren't a great deal of birds but a female Stonechat and a couple of Redwings were very nice captures. 

We also caught a Goldcrest that had been ringed in March 2022.

3F Stonechat

4F Goldcrest

Total: 11 (4)

Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 5 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 0 (2)
Meadow Pipit - 1
Redwing - 2
Stonechat - 1
Wren - 0 (1)

Morston - 4th November 2024

The promise of thrushes and finches arriving from the continent failed to materialise at Morston today. The wind was low and despite having nets up for a variety of species only 17 birds of 4 species were caught, many of those being a tit flock that, at 11:40am, saved the time spent resulting in only 5 birds with 4 being Dunnocks.

Marsh Harriers, Buzzard, Red Kite and Kestrel were seen.

This juvenile Blue Tit, although difficult to see on this image, was 

moulting the greater coverts out of sequence.

Total: 17

Blue Tit - 5
Dunnock - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 7
Robin - 1

Sculthorpe Moor - 2nd November 2024

 Very pleasing to have Redwing as the leading species, counting new birds only, Reed Bunting was second.

Ringing team of CL, PWL, DKL, EGB & GN.

Age 3 Redwing with pale areas on feather tips

Total: 41 (5)

Blackbird - 1
Blue Tit - 5 (2)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Dunnock - 1
Goldcrest - 0 (1)
Great Tit - 2 (1)
Long-tailed Tit - 4 (1)
Redwing - 20
Reed Bunting - 6
Wren - 1