Pitsea catch 30/08/14

Pretty tough going yesterday, with it being a bit breezy their was lots of plastic bags and paper blowing across the catch area making birds fairly skittish, we eventually took one catch late morning when a few big gulls settled down and it was safe to do so.

66 New birds processed, all colour ringed:

Black-headed gull - 1
Great black-backed gull - 3
Lesser black-backed gull - 7
Herring gull - 52
Yellow-legged gull - 3

2nd summer Lesser

Lesser's are well worth colour ringing, with previous recoveries as far south as the north African coast of the Gambia, quite amazing how far they travel to their northen breeding grounds.

me with one the the yellow-legged 

Garganey

This juvenile Garganey showed fairly well at the Ingrebourne Valley on Bank Holiday Monday, despite the awful weather there was plenty of birds on show at the viewing area, including the semi resident Avocet alongside the regular numbers of Black-tailed godwits.

Ringing 23/8/14

Managed to get a few hours in ringing early Saturday morning before other commitments, 40 new birds in total and a nice mixed selection, four warbler species included good numbers of Blackcaps, several Chiichaffs, two Willow Warbler and a single Common Whitethroat.

Chiffchaff  &  Willow Warbler (right)

Best of the rest was a cracking Marsh Tit, a juv Bullfinch, a retrap Treecreeper and a fat Woodpigeon!

Black wits

Both local sites Dagenham Chase and Ingrebourne Valley are enjoying the recent Black-tailed Godwit invasion with birds commuting between the two sites, which as the godwit flies is probably less than two miles.

With myself scoring 29 birds at DC, I think Shaun managed to pip me to the post by scoring 30 at the valley.

jack doing his blackwit impression 

Bertha at Dunge

With Tropical storm Bertha making her way across the Atlantic and up through the English channel, myself and Mo give this mornings high tide a bash down at Dungeness.
 
Arriving at 05:45 on overcast skies and a big sea, the wind just a bit to westerly for the birds to be passing under our feet.  Though we did manage to see both Balearic and Manx shearwaters in small numbers, 3 & 10 respectively.

Several Arctic Skua, single Bonxie went west along with good numbers of Gannet and terns including a single Little and at least 8 Black, mostly adults.

Best of the rest were a close in red-throated diver, several juv Med gulls, double figures of both Fulmar & Kitts and small movement of waders alongside a steady passage of Swift south.

The Arc pits held at least 3 Garganey and large numbers of Sand Martin.