Saturday 27th
A cool but calm morning. Only a few nets could be used but we still got 70 new birds. Chiffchaff pipped Blackcap 25 to 24. There were also 13 Goldcrests. The remainder added nice variety and were three Siskins, two Great Tits, and singles of Firecrest, Swallow and Song Thrush.
Friday 26th
After a windy night the morning dawned calm and overcast.This brought about expectations of a busy morning but there were just 49 new birds. This was compensated for by the fact four of these were Firecrests and 12 Goldcrests. The number of Blackcaps so far is 400 less than last year but there were another 21 today.
Thursday 25th
Some forecasts implied the wind might drop a bit before increasing but it did not. Instead it was a fresh easterly from the outset and picked up a bit. Despite this one or two rides were useable. There must have been some new arrivals overnight as 25 birds were ringed. These were 16 Blackcaps, three Goldcrests, two Robins and singles of Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Song Thrush and best of all a Siskin.
I mentioned the House martin nest still ongoing on Sunday well one of the young from there was found dead across the road. It weighed only 11grams.
Wednesday 24th
As the squalls and high wind from yesterday kept going overnight and then changed a bit to gusty onshore wind we were grateful to be able to catch some migrants. Seventeen birds were ringed; five Robins, three Blackcaps, two each of Chaffinch and Goldcrest, plus single Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Song Thrush. Most notable, after an incredibly poor year was a Swallow. There were more of these passing through but it was too windy to catch them.
Sunday 21st
Although the sun is warm there was a fresh, cooler, breeze. This limited arrivals and ringing. Twenty-six birds were ringed. These were 20 Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs and singles of Chaffinch and Robin. The wind also greatly reduced the number of hirundines but the late House Martin nest on Sandown Road is still clinging on.
Saturday 20th
The forecasts failed us, we knew rain was due by 1030 but it tipped down an hour before. We had time to do a couple of rounds before hurriedly getting the nets down. This equalled birds dry, ringers wet.
In the two rounds we ringed 80 birds with Chiffchaff taking the lead totalling 44 followed by 32 Blackcaps. There were also singles of Whitethroat, Robin, Great Tit and Blue Tit.
There was another heavy passage of Swallows ahead of the squall but they had no inclination to stop for a ring.
Friday 19th
A calm, mild, start with a bit of southerly from late morning. Birds started to move again and this time there were a few arrivals with two new Dunnocks and four Robins. The bulk of the birds were Blackcaps (23) and Chiffchaffs (21). There was also a Reed Warbler and two new Blue Tits.
Once again hirundines were noticeable by their absence but in the evening thousands headed over the Green Wall towards Worth.
Thursday 18th
A mild, clouding over night led to a much more breezy than expected morning. There did not appear to be many new arrivals and 18 birds were ringed. These were 11 Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs and the first Song Thrush of the autumn.
Wednesday 17th
No ringing this morning due to the wind and occasional showers. However, the information on two of our recent controlled birds is in. The first was a Blackcap we caught on September 12th. It had been ringed near Hayes, London on July 3rd so not an unusual journey as it heads south. The other was a Firecrest we caught on the 14th. It had been ringed at Savernake, Wiltshire on April 13th. As far as we can see this is the first control of a Wiltshire Firecrest.
Tuesday 16th
After yesterdays gales the wind dropped just enough to get the bottom lines of some nets up. The result was 30 new birds - 17 Blackcaps, 12 Chiffchaffs and the bonus a Little Owl.
Despite yesterdays weather the birds seemed to be in good condition. It looks like another day off tomorrow before the weather settles a bit.
Sunday 14th
Another interlude between gales and rain. The morning started calm and cloudless with an autumnal feel due to a minimum of 6.5°C. There were lots of warblers in the bushes. One-hundred-and-forty-five were ringed before the wind returned. Ninety of these were Blackcaps and forty-five were Chiffchaffs. The remainder were three Goldcrests, two each of Blue and Great Tit, plus singles of Firecrest, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat.
There were plenty of interesting bits including a Chiffchaff with a wing of 65mm (we get the occasional 63mm) but all the wing formula was definitely Chiffchaff. The fact that these warblers are moving quickly through was confirmed by having only one retrap Blackcap, for instance, plus a control Firecrest. We await to find out where it was ringed but we do know it was ringed in early spring of this year.
Friday 12th
Another calm interlude between strong wind and rain. This yielded 54 new birds. Although Blackcap (31) and Chiffchaff (13) led there was added variety. The best were singles of Firecrest, Willow Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler. There was also another control Blackcap.
The forecast for tomorrow does not look good but Sunday morning should be okay before really strong wind arrives.
Thursday 11th
After a short, not too windy start the forecast was not good and so it turned out to be with wind and showers moving through from mid-morning. There were still some new birds about but not as many as the last few days. A few nets yielded 28 new birds. The best of these was a Firecrest. There were also 16 Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs, two Reed Warblers (much to the delight of a visiting Irish ringer), and singles of Goldcrest, Willow Warbler and Whitethroats. There were some good fat scores amongst these which bodes well with more unsettled weather heading this way.
An example of how the updated ring recording system can deliver was a ringed Blackcap we caught today. We already have the information that it was ringed at Rostherne Mere (345 km NW) on the 21st July.
Wednesday 10th
It looks as if it will be a case of grab a few hours early before the wind and rain arrives. That was the case this morning.
Sixty-six birds were ringed. Blackcap was 33 of these and Chiffchaff 24. The most notable bird was a Swallow - only the third this year. There was a Goldcrest and a pale, northern-type Willow Warbler.
Tuesday 9th
Calm and cool with a very bright moon even at dawn. Migrants continued to head south in excellent numbers. Even with limited nets we caught 174 birds plus a control Reed Warbler from the UK.
Blackcaps numbered 135 followed by 23 Chiffchaffs. The latter was a bit surprising as there were lots calling. There were four Reed Warblers, three Willow Warblers, two each of Garden Warbler and Whitethroat. There were singles of Chaffinch, Lesser Whitethroat, Robin and Sedge Warbler. The impressive run of Cetti's Warblers continued with another female. All bar two of the birds were juveniles.
Monday 8th
The wind dropped overnight and it was a calm start with a bit of cloud. A small team caught 67 birds. As is customary at this time of year Blackcap was most numerous with 41, followed by 10 Chiffchaffs, four Blue Tits and three each of Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler. The run of Cetti's Warblers continued with another juvenile female. It would be nice if Goldcrests had a better year and there was another early one ringed. Chaffinches spoiled their run and there was only one new bird. The last bird to be caught was a fiesty juvenile male Sparrowhawk.
The wind picked up late morning and frustratingly, in terms of ringing, there was a movement of Swallows.
Sunday 7th
A bit of a breeze hampered activities and only 27 birds were ringed. These were 19 Blackcaps, three each of Chaffinch and Chiffchaff, plus one each of Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler. This is the third session in a row when three new Chaffinches have been caught. The quiet did allow for some essential maintenance.
Saturday 6th
The wind dropped again overnight and it was a calm start. With a smaller team less nets were used but we still managed 82 new birds. Blackcap was foremost again with 55, followed by ten Chiffchaffs and six Willow Warblers. Two more Cetti's Warblers were a bonus. Both were juvenile females, the sex being indicated by their wing lengths being less than 58mm. There was also another Pied Flycatcher. Chaffinches are appearing from somewhere, there were three new ones yesterday and three more today.
Friday 5th
After the wind and rain of the previous two days the weather settled last night and it was not a surprise that birds were on the move. One-hundred-and-twenty-one of the 144 new birds were Blackcaps, plus there was a control Blackcap. The next most numerous were four each of Reed and Sedge Warbler. There was yet another new Cetti's Warbler as a bonus.
Thursday 4th
Too breezy to start with followed by some torrential showers in the morning. The opportunity was taken in the afternoon to do final checks on the nest boxes in the Elms and Middle Field. Although we were a bit disappointed by the occupancy of the boxes it would seem to have been successful for those which did try. Only one nest had failed chicks in it and that was only part of the brood. Stock Doves were still busy with three active nests.
Tuesday 2nd
A brief interlude from the wind was forecast and delivered. The late addition of some showers ahead of the strong wind meant it was an early finish. Forty birds were caught of which 33 were new. Twenty-six of these were Blackcaps plus two each of Lesser Whitethroat and Reed Warbler. The remainder were singles of Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler. As is usually the case the majority were juveniles, apart from two Blackcaps.
I think the next two days will not be suitable for ringing.