Purple Sandpiper
Hard going to get a decent return for the daily census in today’s weather but this Purple Sandpiper brightened up our morning considerably, (Photo JH).
Ring Ousel
Rain forced a post 9am start but a subsequent short ringing session included 2 Ring Ouzels.
The overnight moth trap yielded unexpected numbers and variety given we are in the back half of October, it held over 150 moths (36 species) including 52 Flame Brocade and 3 Scarce bordered Straw. This year’s good run of Clouded Yellow butterfly also continued with 2 seen today.
Image (Matt Scragg) One of this morning’s Ring Ouzels
Siskin
Alderney joined much of the British Isles today in as much as we also saw an influx of winter thrushes allbeit in smaller numbers with around 130 Fieldfares roosting at Rose Farm this evening. The Cattle Egret has reappeared at Kiln Farm and just shy of 100 birds were ringed this morning including this fine adult male Siskin ( photo JH).
Gulls
Spot the Black-headed Gull!
High tide roost at Braye Bay this morning attracted 74 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Black-headed Gull.
Photo (JH).
Yellow browed Warbler
Our first NE winds of the month delivered our first Redwings with 65 recorded during yesterday’s daily census (16 ringed). The last couple of days also brought movements of Song Thrushes (mostly continental) and today 6 Bramblings. German and Belgium control Blackcaps were examples of where our ‘falls’ are moving from. 16 Firecrests and 13 Cetti’s Warblers were ringed over the last 48hrs. This morning our 5th Yellow browed Warbler of the year was ringed at Mannez quarry.
Photo (JH) this morning’s Yellow browed Warbler.