Tick and ring

 With time off work last week I squeezed in some ringing on  the 12th. 14 species were ringed Redwing and Redpoll added a spalsh of autumn colour. 14th 7 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest were the highlights of 17 species ringed. The 16th in my garden this time produced 12 birds 3 Goldcrest, 3 Long-tailed Tits (both new for the garden list) and Blackcap were best. Brambling and Coal Tit over was also very good. Back at our site on the 17th with PH we ringed 2 Brambling and another 14 flew over as did 2 Crossbill making it a very good morning.The Brambling were new for the both us and our site to be ringed!

 

Male Brambling 1cy code 3

 

Goldcrest from my garden

This Adult Blue Tit above ringed in my garden had a bill length of 15mm!

The afternoon on the 17th I crossed the Dartford bridge to Kent and successfully twitched the 1cy Masked Shrike at Shuart. It showed really well and I now regret not taking my camera as I went straight away after ringing without poping home first. I've seen them abroad before in Turkey but this was a UK tick for me. All in all a great week off and I got the jobs done too in doors so Mrs H is pleased too.

Bearded Vulture

 Last week I had the week off work to do a couple of jobs around the house and to go birding/ringing. So on 15th October I went see the Bearded Vulture that's been wandering Britain with Howard down in East Sussex. We arrived before dawn with a small crowd scoping the tree that she roosted in the night before- wow! We spent the next two and half watching her in tree before seeing her in flight and being chased by a gang of covids. Really pleased I made the effort,  it was amazing experience to see her!

After all the excitement calmed down we went looking for our own birds and added Ring Ouzel, Datford Warbler, 2 Firecrest, Black Redstart, Merlin, Corn Bunting, 2 Peregrine, 7 Brambling and 5 Crossbill for the day list and also had more views of the Lammergeier going over Birling gap.

 

Lammergeier 

 

 
 Male Black Redstart

 

Female Merlin having just chased a lucky Skylark.

 10th October

Processed 31 birds of 13 species on Saturday the highlight was the 1st Redwing of the autumn to be ringed. 

 

1cy Male Green Woodpecker

12th October 

A short solo session produced 14 species : 4 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush, Redpoll, 2 Goldcrest, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, 4 Blue Tit, Great Tit, 2 Wren. 

1cy Redpoll

1cy female Goldcrest

Overhead was a good passage of Redwing and Finches along with the 1st Fieldfares of the autumn. I also had a Tawny Owl calling whilst setting in the dark.   

Ringing update

 On the 30th September I done a 2 hour solo ringing session before work 19 birds processed 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler, Greenfinch, 2 Robin, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit and the first Goldcrest of the autumn.

 1st October  with PH was much better with 70 birds being processed over a 4 hour period. Chiffchaff numbers were in double figures and again Greenfinches were too. Other highlights was Kestrel, 2 Redpoll and a site first Snipe to be ringed.  

 

1cy Snipe
 

 

 

1cy Female Kestrel

1cy Redpoll