It's starting to feel like autumn...

We have managed to get out ringing a couple of times over the past week. Starting with a trip to another local site in the middle Ascot racecourse. This heath/scrub site holds a surprising number of birds and we processed over 40 birds in the morning, mostly consisting of juvenile goldfinches.

  

            A sure sign of autumn

            with many birds making

            the most of available

            berries

Thursday (8th) morning we visited Fleet Pond for the latest CES visit. Still relatively quiet with only just over 20 birds processed though it was good see the majority birds handled were juvenile. Highlight of two sedge warblers (which do not currently breed on the site).

Saturday (10th) was a bit of a change of scenery for us with a visit to some friends who ring on Salisbury Plain. A fantastic morning with 172 new birds ringed (plus retraps). A nice selection of warblers, nightingale, redstart, tree pipit and 7 whinchat. 

Ideal finish too with a young male sparrowhawk being the final bird of the day.

  

           One of several tree 

               pipits caught

  

               A blue tit's worst

                    nightmare

01/08 - Fleet Pond

We had to make a midweek visit to complete the latest CES session at Fleet. Set up was nice a quick apart from missing pegs and bamboos at one of our rides which was frustrating. Luckily whoever had been in didn't visit any other rides nor did they find our spare bamboos. 

It was a fairly slow morning again ending with 22 birds including 5 retraps but this wasn't too bad given the bright conditions. It was also nice to get 9 new reed warblers including 6 juveniles.

Unexpected species of the morning arrived in the form of a juvenile tree creeper. Needless to say we don't catch many in the reedbeds (though there is mature woodland all along the reed edge).