A relatively quiet day as a transient ridge of high pressure built across South West Britain bringing lighter, though still quite chilly NW winds with plenty of cloud. Remaining dry.
All information below provided by our special correspondent, Rob Duncan, reporting live from Brambles and Millcombe, and currently the only visiting ringer/birder. Bravo Rob!
Approximately 500 Redwings passed over Millcombe and St John's Valley and were still on the move late in the day. Meanwhile, finch passage was very limited – though there was a Brambling in Millcombe first thing. A few tardy Swallows were hanging on, a lone Woodpigeon shot up Millcombe mid-morning and a single Fieldfare flew over St John's calling late on. Rob reports that there was also a record of a Collared Dove entered in the LFS logbook, though not a bird seen by him.
Ringing total an impressive 93 comprising: 2 Swallow, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff (of which 2 tristis), 8 Blackcap, 18 Goldcrest, 1 Wren, 1 Blackbird, 37 Redwing (including a bird assessed as belonging to the Icelandic race T. i. coburni), 1 Robin, 4 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch and 15 Siskin.
The Icelandic Redwing had a wing length of 124mm but weighed a whopping 72.7g, with a fat score of 0! Most of today's Redwings were less than 60g. It was a much darker bird as well.
Siskin weights were back to normal and the sample processed suggested a crop of new arrivals.
No comments:
Post a Comment