Portstewart Strand 22+25th October 2016

Well after complaining about the lack of warblers of late we were finally delivered a Chiffchaff, which are scarce enough around the ringing site and it is only the third ringed this year (also 3 ringed in 2015).  The migrating birds have continued in a similar theme over the last couple of visits on the 22nd and 25th with plenty of Blackbirds, Chaffinch, Skylarks, Song Thrushes, Teal, Whooper Swans etc.   The conditions were ideal for the ringing visits of Dean & I on Saturday and John & Dean this morning (Tuesday) although temperatures have dropped down close to freezing but still no frost! 

Chiffchaff

 





The catches are still slightly lower than usual with the finches still missing but decent numbers of Blackbird and Song Thrush did make up for that.  We also caught yet another Stonechat making it the twelve for the year and the Chiffchaff the third as mentioned above.  It looks like we have had another small arrival of Goldcrests and 5 more new birds were caught.  Redwings continue to pass through in small numbers and we had attracted c10 birds around the nets on Saturday morning but all managed to remain unringed. 

Blackbird



PSS Ringing Totals 22 + 25/10/2016
                                New      Retrap
Blackbird                   7              2              
Blue Tit                     4              1
Chaffinch                  5              1 
Chiffchaff                  1
 Dunnock                   2             2
Goldcrest                   5
Goldfinch                  1
Great Tit                    1              5
Linnet                        2
Meadow Pipit            10
Robin                         4              2  
Song Thrush              7
Stonechat                   1
Wren                          2              5           

Total                        52             18            

On the very windy Sunday morning I was on site again around first light to do a little work to some of the net rides.  I was about for around 4 hours but noticed few birds other than some Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and a Sparrowhawk.  I did get quite a bit done with the chainsaw despite the chain coming off twice (real pain if it jams) but I'll need another morning or two to finish off everything we've planned - more net rides that are protected from the wind in various directions plus lowering a few trees at the side of East Ride.


Steve was down home in Gortin, County Tyrone at the weekend and headed out to one of his woodland ringing sites.  The catch was pretty decent considering the site has no feeders to focus the birds into one area.  He did have a flock of c40 Redwing pass over mid-morning and they showed a bit of interest in the Latvian Redwing tape but only one bird hit the nets.

Treecreeper (SF)

Gortin Ringing Totals
                           New        Retrap
Blue Tit                 7
Coal Tit                 1
Goldcrest               2
Great Tit                                1
Long-tailed Tit       5
Redwing                1
Song Thrush          2
Treecreeper           1
Wren                      2

Total                    21              1            

Redwing (SF)