Please be aware that there is now the opportunity to support the ABO via membership or donation which is now available on this site. Click on the Membership tab on the home page and follow the link. Apologies for the delay to all those who have emailed asking how to obtain membership and thanks again for your support. A lot of effort has gone into populating and improving this site over the last few days including up to date and back dated ringing totals now completed and information on staying at the OBS when we open Spring 2017.
Overnight heavy rain precluded SE winds this morning and a major influx of Red Admiral butterflies. The grasshopper Warbler was again singing near the Obs and there were 2 Bar-tailed Godwit on Longis Beach. In Mannez Quarry the Verons saw 1 Siskin, 1 Swift and a Yellow Wagtail. With our visiting Dorset birders having returned to the UK there was little birding done sadly, the focus being on ringing. There was certainly a fall of a variety of passerines as the ringing soon demonstrated.
Ringing was concurrently in Mannez and Essex Farm with a combined new birds ringed total of 46. Our 2nd Western Subalpine Warbler this Spring (pictured below) was in Mannez quarry, 1 Tree Pipit was ringed at either site and other species included:2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Reed Warbler, 7 Sedge Warbler, 10 Blackcap, 9 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 6 Chiffchaff.
Western Subalpine Warbler – Mannez nature reserve- photo Paul Veron
Western Subalpine Warbler – Mannez nature reserve- photo Paul Veron
Trainees at the Obs this morning ringing – Left Anne-Isabelle Boulon, near right Samantha Osborne, beside Emma Pinch