Just like 'buses

None. Then three come at once. New species ringed for the 1km square.      

1CY female

 On Saturday, the the meadow on the west side of the stream was mown. On Monday it was teddered. On Wednesday (yesterday) it was baled. I was able to get into the site before it was baled, this being the first time this year that I have been able to do so. [Firstly, the area was heavily flooded in April, it then remained very wet and, finally, the hay was so tall and thick I couldn't get my car on there].

Ringing site in middle ground, Rydon Hill in the background

I did get to do some ringing on Wednesday with a little success. This was pleasing as it was quite windy and I finished with 11 new birds and three re-traps, covering 10 species. When I went to bed, the sky was starlit, but when I got up, it was 8/8 cloud and the promised decrease in wind strength had not materialised. Nevertheless, I trogged off down the meadows and opened the nets, all 180' of them, in the small orchard and round the bend in the stream. After one hour, I had caught nothing and was thinking 'what a waste of effort'. But it turned out better than I had hoped; best catch all year down there with 21 new and 2 re-traps, covering 10 species. I also found a "crossing", where it is just possible to get from one side of the stream to the other, right where we put the nets. That will save a long (10+ minute) walk round! What a good dog 'Cerise' is to point me in the right direction!

Cerise - or Belsharose Cote D'Or (a BSD)

By the end of the two days, I had ringed 34 new birds and re-captured 5 of some 15 species. After far too long being unable to get in a really good session (considering the constraints of the site), I was really pleased with the result. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next two days will bring forth.  Visible migration is a bit stop-start at the moment. This depends to some extent here on the tides in the Bristol Channel as many birds feed up again as soon as they hit the shore-line and cliffs, if they have come over the water from Wales - as many do.

Today It started with a couple of Blackcap and a couple of Chiffs calling from the brambles; they had probably dropped with the front but they didn't hang about once it had warmed up a little. A few Chaffinches then appeared, followed by the first wave of Greenfinches. Some Swallows were on the wing by half-seven but a second wave moved through swiftly an hour later, followed by a very large insurgence around 10 o'clock (GMT +1) that hugged the newly cut floor of the field. Some moved on after 15 minutes feeding while others went and rested on the overhead electricity cables as the sun came out. Around 8 o'clock, a few Linnets and Pied Wagtails appeared. "Putting a tape on", I managed to seduce three Linnets into the nets. These became my "new" birds, bringing the total species ringed so far in the 1km square to 49. As usual, the Goldfinches moved from place to place, exploiting the thistles on a daily basis as they ripen. The Meadow Pipits were late this morning and in very poor numbers; none came to 'tape' although I thought one might have been interested at one point.

Pointed tail feathers of a 1CY (female) Linnet

1CY male Linnet

 The final bird turned out to be a "new for year" one, a juvenile Sedge Warbler. This particular bird, with a wing of 64mm, weighed 11.7 gms and was carrying some reasonable fat (ESF 30). We would have had more if only we had been able to access the site in July and August. One other bird of note was a fully grown adult male Blackbird that had lost half its tarsus and foot on the left side. No photo, I'm afraid, as I don't have three hands!

Juvenile Sedge Warbler

 The final tally over 2 days was:
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 - adult male in moult
Blue Tit 3 (1) - mix of ages
Great Tit (1) - adult female
Long-tailed Tit 4 (1)
Blackcap 4 - 50/50 sexes
Chiffchaff 1 (1)
Sedge Warbler 1 - NFY
Wren 1 - a very juvenile one
Blackbird 1
Song Thrush 1 - juv (6 ogc)
Robin 1 (1)
Chaffinch 4 - all PJ-ing with some fat; 50/50 M/F
Greenfinch 5 - from a spotty young female to a smart adult male
Goldfinch 3 - ??local birds, PJ-ing
Linnet 3 - today's jackpot

"Bring me sunshine..." but not too bright and with some broken cloud!