Morston - 16th September 2024

 A first session at the new Morston site. This area is very much wind affected on the majority of days so it will take a bit of working out to develop the ringing opportunities to make the most of sessions there.

We achieved a modest 18 birds of 8 species but some very nice migrants and less often captured resident species too.

Juvenile Stonechat

Juvenile Lesser Whitethroat

Adult female Stonechat

Total: 18

Dunnock - 2
Goldfinch - 1
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Meadow Pipit - 5
Reed Bunting - 2
Stonechat - 2
Whitethroat - 2
Wren - 2

Deepdale Farm - 14th September 2024

After a sustained spell of windy weather, the forecast told of a drop in the windy conditions, but this turned out to be false. The nets were wind affected and the chilly breeze gave a distinctly autumnal feel. No surprise then that we only had one summer migrant bird, a Chiffchaff, in the meagre catch of 12 birds. We might have been a bit happier had the Barn Owl that we saw in the net had stayed until we reached it, but this was not the case, and unsurprising given that we were using a 16*16 mesh for passerines.

Juvenile female Goldcrest

Skeins of Pinkfeet overhead and Marsh Harrier in flight brought another dimension to the morning as did three Migrant Hawkers sunning themselves in the hedge opposite, and a Chinese Water Deer that emerged from the field just a couple of feet from CL, startling us as much as it startled itself.

Migrant Hawkers amongst the rosehips

Total: 12

Blackbird - 0 (1)
Blue Tit - 2
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 3 (2)
Wren - 2

Sculthorpe Moor - 4th September 2024

 

Forty one birds this morning of ten species. The summer migrants continue to reduce in the main with just one Blackcap and no Acrocephalous warblers at all. We are still getting some Chiffchaffs through and three Willow Warbler was the most in one morning all year.

Adult Willow Warbler

We caught two finches, both young males, but the Chaffinch had completed much more of its post juvenile moult than the Bullfinch.

3M Chaffinch

3M Bullfinch

Wrens seem to be bouncing back after their bad winter of 22/23 and Willow Warbler, although present and heard in a few different locations, are not responsive to audio lure.

Total: 32 (9)

Bullfinch - 1
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 1
Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Chaffinch - 1
Chiffchaff - 10 (2)
Great Tit - 5 (3)
Robin - 2
Willow Warbler - 3
Wren - 8 (2) 

Deepdale Farm - 2nd September 2024

 After a weekend that's been windy, especially on the coast, we were tempted to get a short session in at Deepdale, our site closest to the sea, after a fall of migrants all along the coast on the previous evening. CL had been out birding and seen Redstart, Wheatear, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher and Whinchat so despite the wind being set to get up before long got 4 nets up on Hilly piece, and waited.

The first three birds out were a Willow Warbler and two Lesser Whitethroats, quality species and no doubt there due to the conditions that had caused the 'fall' on the 1st. As expected the wind got up very quickly and the nets were wind affected by 8:30am. We were packed up by 10am with only 8 birds but glad to have given it a try, despite the lack of any Redstarts or flycatchers.

One of two juvenile Lesser Whitethroats

An interesting fact about the Lesser Whitethroat is that it does not use the East Atlantic Flyway migration route, that extends from the Arctic Circle via Western Europe to Southern Africa, used by most UK summer passerines. The Lesser Whitethroat instead flies to Italy and then heads east to its East African wintering grounds, where it stays in a habitat very similar to that used by other UK migrants south of the Sahara.

Juvenile Willow Warbler

Total: 8

Chiffchaff - 1
Dunnock - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Robin - 1
Willow Warbler - 1

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe - 30th August 2024

 With fewer and fewer migrants about now we went to the filter lagoons for what may be one of our last summer sessions. It turned out to be a good decision as we caught 4 new species for the site, giving a distinctly autumnal feel to the session despite the warm sunshine.

Juvenile Cetti's Warbler

We have always thought it strange that we have never heard Cetti's Warbler at the site. It does not seem likely that this bird was bred here, but if it stays and we recatch it, then we'll know that we were correct about this being a good site for what they need.

Age 3 female Sparrowhawk.

We hadn't even seen this bird before it turned up in a net. Juvenile female, possibly in the area following flocks of passerines moving through.

Juvenile male Grey Wagtail, captured in the net across the stream.

New species number 4,  a couple of young Greenfinch were attracted from a small flock that were seen in the tall trees between the track and lagoons.

3 male Greenfinch

A very worthwhile session, some nice records of species not caught here before, a few summer migrant species, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat included and some adults well into their primary moult.

The team for today was CL, DKL, DKH & FB.

Total: 38 (1)

Blackcap - 11
Blue Tit - 2
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 10
Coal Tit - 1
Dunnock - 1
Greenfinch - 2
Grey Wagtail - 1
Reed Warbler - 5
Song Thrush - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Wren - 1

Sculthorpe Moor - 28th August 2024

 Still a few migrants around as six hours in the field resulted in a catch of 39 birds. The Sedge Warblers have finished moving through now and only three Reed Warblers were caught by our efforts in the reedbed. We managed to attract some Chiffchaffs and a few Blackcaps, including an adult in primary moult that was ringed by us in May 2023.

Juvenile Chiffchaff

Adult male Blackcap ANZ9706, ringed as adult May 2023,

 well into main moult. Primary 5555554332 and replacement of some 

adult type retrices.

Juvenile Reed Warbler

We managed 11 species, boosted by singles of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Treecreeper.

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker in main moult

Totals: 36 (3)

Blackcap - 5 (1)
Blue Tit - 6
Chiffchaff - 8 (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Great Tit - 6
Long-tailed Tit - 2
Nuthatch - 1
Reed Warbler - 3
Robin - 1
Treecreeper - 0 (1)
Wren - 3

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Baconsthorpe - 18/08/2024

 A total of 41 birds on the record sheet today, with Wren very nearly coming in as leading species, but not quite due to one more Blue Tit. There were no large feeding flocks connecting with the nets in the beavers' enclosure so not a bad total although there were only 5 summer migrants in the mornings catch, there were plenty of resident species young birds that have been bred locally.  

Green Sandpiper and Kingfisher were both heard from the adjacent fishing pond.

One of 3 young Chiffchaff caught today

Total: 41

Blackbird - 3
Blackcap - 2
Blue Tit - 10
Chiffchaff - 3
Dunnock - 2
Goldcrest - 5
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 1
Robin - 4
Song Thrush - 1
Wren - 9