A brief visit before work, Janet had already started to put some nets up when I arrived. The first bird I heard, then saw, when getting out of the car was a yellow-browed warbler. It was flitting about the whitebeam berries in lovely light.
I left Janet to it, to go to Amble and take a whole class of seven year-year-olds on a birdwatching walk around Amble. We didn't see very much, but they enjoyed learning about common species like jackdaws and collared doves.
I took the afternoon off and relieved Janet at the ringing site. A shift system. She had caught about forty birds - wrens, robins, blackbirds, goldcrests as well as a redwing (our first of the autumn) and a blackcap.
After I arrived we caught a flock of long-tailed tits and this great-spotted woodpecker.
 |
| First-winter male great-spotted woodpecker |
Saturday 18th
Curry night at the local and a few pints of ale made for a later start this morning. I checked the plantation which contained the usual suspects and a bunting, which I only saw twice, for about 30 seconds each time. It flitted about, a bit like a leaf warbler, amongst the pines. It had a really strong supercillium, but I didn't get much else on it. Despite looking quite sparse, there is a lot of cover in the plantation and it easy to loose birds (as I know only too well..... http://ipinswildlifeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-tale-of-one-that-got-away.html)
I gave the bunting 40 minutes with no further sign and headed north. There are still butterflies and dragonflies on the wing. The butterflies are looking at a bit tatty now.
 |
| tatty-looking speckled wood |
There was about six migrant hawkers amongst the bushes and on the sheltered edge and some common darters too.
 |
| male migrant hawker |
On Wednesday morning I saw a brambling in the plantation - my first since 2011.
167 Brambling
PWC Score = 259
No comments:
Post a Comment