Portstewart Strand 16/04/2015

The winds had finally eased on the 'North Coast,' so I was able to get out for my next session at Portstewart Strand.  I arrived on site at 06.15, with the temperature at -1°C and set up 'West Ride' and the gorse nets.  The full sunshine heated things up and it had reached 12°C by my departure around midday.  The breeze remained light and it clouded over a little, but the sun still impacted the nets, particularly the gorse nets which are exposed. 

Image showing the patches of gorse and the two blocks of scrub behind, where we set the nets

 

 

The only obvious migrants around were the dozens of singing Willow Warbler, at least 3 male Blackcap, a single Swallow and a number of Sandwich Terns. 

The catch of 25 new birds and 5 retraps was made up mostly of Lesser Redpoll  (34 caught on site this year) and Willow Warbler, plus the first Blackcap of the year. 

 

Smart male Lesser Redpoll

 



 

Surprisingly 5 of the Willow Warbler were caught skulking about the low gorse nets, rather than the singing males around the 'West Ride'.  From the picture below you can see that the Sea Buckthorn is still at budding stage but the warm weather over the next few days should open the leaves.  The Elder is a step further, with the first few leaves out but it will also fill out in the coming days, increasing the catches in the currently bare net rides. 

 

 

A rather bare section of 'East Ride'

 

 



Willow Warbler

 

 

Ringing Totals 16/04/2015

                             New         Retrap

Blackbird                1                

Blackcap                 1

Bullfinch                 2               2

Chaffinch                1

Dunnock                                   1

Lesser Redpoll        9

Linnet                      1

Robin                      1                                              

Willow Warbler      8

Wren                       1               2                 

Total                      25                5