Med Gull Catch

Out with the North Thames Gull Group this morning for a Med Gull attempt that resulted in three adult birds caught and colour ringed, June is a good time to catch these birds as they visit the tip in order to feed there young with just normally a two week window opportunity to do so.

Canon net set...

meds arrive

including a first year bird

three adults in the catching area

what a stunner

med gets his revenge on me !

shaunboy is pleased with his bird....

a total of around 10 birds visited the tip this morning.

herring gull gets his wing measured 

even the common Bhg's are cracking this time of year.

Just a small catch today with a small team 

3ad Med Gulls

10 Herring Gull

1 Lesser Black Backed

20 Bhg

Pacific Swift

Can't believe the only Two weekend's Ive chosen to bloody work for ages was when the Dusky thrush was found and today when Jonny Rankin pulled out the PACIFIC SWIFT at trimley marshes......


Had to wait till 3 o'clock before I could even contemplate on going and with the weather taking a turn for the worst I thought this was not gonna happen!!

Luckily Howard was there to convince me to give it a go, so twenty minutes later myself and H was on the road and half hour into the journey H does his usual and falls fast asleep as I battle alone through blackened skies, hale and rain slogging it up the A12, surely this bird is gonna do the bolt - its a bloody swift.

Arriving in rain we jumped out the car and sped walked down the 2.5 mile track against the worst hale and rain storm that you have ever seen, soaked to the bone, scrapped Howard of the floor after he decided to do back flips that went terribly wrong, we climbed the bank and frantically searched for the bird until our arms were aching so much (time for a new lighter pair of bins me thinks ) when someone eventually shouts "there it is straight out"  Boooooooom panic over the skies clear, out comes the Sun and we are treated to superb views of this far eastern wanderer that puts to bed a twenty year dip for H.

Park Life.....

Took a trip with the family to Hyde Park (central london ) for a nice stroll around Kensington gardens pre lunch and plenty to do and see here, amazed to see how tame the birds here are with lots of the commoner species coming to hand to feed.

Parakeets were not quite interested today but they are known to do so.

This juv Nuthatch wouldn't quite come out.......



Some pics from the park.

Ringing 8th June

Up at 03:30 this morning for some ringing !! did i say morning more like middle of the night ! but well worth it as fifteen birds processed on site including my first LESSER WHITETHROAT, 2 C. Whitethroat, 3 Reed Warbler, 4 Dunnock and 5 Blackbird including the first juvenile of the spring.

lesser throat

C whitethroat

Oare Marshes

Had a few hours down in Kent at Oare marshes early doors this morning.  First bird noted was a purring Turtle Dove on the telephone wire's along opposite the cottages.  These birds are now very rare and almost extinct on our east London patches, so always a pleasure to see.

On the east flood some 200 Black-Tailed Godwit are still lingering, and a pair of Avocet and a single Greenshank the only other noteworthy waders.

A cracking drake Garganey feeding amongst a couple of Teal and plenty of Yellow Wagtails around.

Above a displaying male Marsh Harrier was a cool sight - though much to the annoyance of every other species!!

At high tide the 1st summer Bonaparte's Gull appeared right on cue and showed well to the large crowd of the four of us!! I guess this species is not so sought after as it once was.........

I phone scoped

with a black-head for comparison 

This rather showy Sedge Warbler performed well along the road.