With the forecast for it to be windy, and with rain setting in at about 11:00, we changed venue from Brown’s Farm to the more sheltered environs of Ravensroost Meadow pond. In the event, it was a bit too windy for this site as well. Not dangerous for the birds, but too much billowing of the nets and too little pocket. So, not the busiest day we have ever had, which was unfortunate given that I had both Andrew and Jonny with me. However, we did add two more Lesser Whitethroat and two more Willow Warbler to this year’s list. One of the Willow Warblers was a female, already with a well developed brood patch. This is a good sign, given the recently observed change in behaviour of the females of this species to a more northerly migration.
We also caught out first Whitethroat of the year. This bird was caught at the pond as a juvenile in August 2016. Nice to see it back!
The total list for the day was: Blue Tit 1(1); Great Tit (1); Whitethroat (1); Lesser Whitethroat 2; Willow Warbler 2. Totals: five birds ringed from three species, three birds retrapped from three species, making eight birds processed from five species. Despite the poor catch, we enjoyed the session, watching the Swallows, Reed Buntings and Goldfinches flying over the nets and listening to the Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing away in the bushes. We also enjoyed the Cowslips that are out in bloom all round the area. Lovely flowers:
To finish the day, we drove up to Coped Hall roundabout to have a look at the reported three Glaucous and single Iceland Gulls on the fields there. Needless to say, they had departed by the time we got there. Just a simple reminder of why I no longer twitch birds.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 