More Gull ringing

It was another fantastic gull ringing session for me at Rainham Landfill site yesterday with the NTGG (north thames gull group) and some of the rye meads gang.

Special thanks to Paul Roper for inviting me along again, was a great experience once again we had a great catch of again over 200 birds.

147 Black-headed Gulls

57 Herring Gulls

6 Lesser Black Backed Gulls

1 Yellow Legged Gull

A Superb 1w Caspian Gull was spotted before netting and at least 8 Yellow legged gulls with a single adult Med was seen post netting

me with a black head

shaunboy with a lesser black backed

3w yellow legged

ad med

ad yellow legged

Shellness (north kent)

Had a Raptor fest day on Sheppey today, started at Shellness early doors and connected with the Rough-Legged Buzzard that has taken up residence around the muswell manor area, had terrific scope views of this bird.

A ringtail Hen Harrier kept company as well as 4 Short-eared owls and both Peregrine and Merlin hunting nearbye.

What a superb place for raptors, also adding Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.

Capel fleet hosted a flock of sixty strong Corn Bunts, two Green Sands and many Bearded Tit and again picked up the rough leg towards the manor.

Back to the Patch

Early morning start at the bay today saw some finch movement with small groups of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and odd Redpoll amongst the regular Linnet flock and an increase in Blackbird and Songthrush was unusual.

The regular Cetti's warbler was in song and several Blackwit and Redshank in the bay, but star bird was an almost certain Dartford Warbler seen twice in flight but very elusive assosiating with a single Stonchat, hopefuly it will stay for the winter and provide better views.

Gull Ringing at Rainham

Met up with the NTGG (north thames gull group) this morning for a gull catch at rainham landfill site and special thanks too Paul Roper and co for inviting me along.

The small group of us met up at 7am and we were escorted to our favoured location on the tip where a fresh disposal was awaiting, so we set up the cannon netting and stood back until Paul was happy to fire, waiting until most birds gad settled on the freshly tossed rubbish.

setting up the canon net.

laying the bait.

BANG!! net fired we rush to the net and begin bagging our catch, an hour later net safely away and birds bagged we move to a safer area where we begin too ring the birds.

net is fired.

bagging the catch.

GBB getting ringed....

GBB not happy at being ringed and measured!!

2nd year Yellow legged gull

All large gulls caught with mainly Herring (c150) half a dozen Lesser Black Backed with a single Greater Black Backed, several Yellow-Legged Gulls and a single Caspian.

1st w Caspian(left) with yellow leg, note classic all white head, steep forehead, and long bill

note Caspian bite harder than herring!!

1st year yellow legged gull (left) and Caspian gull underwing, note caspian paleness almost white.

Again a big thankyou to all the team for a fantastic morning.

Izzy Shrike

Sunday morning pager goes of Isabelline Shrike, cliffe, kent. mmmm not seen one of those for over twenty years (sandwich bird late 80's ??) early afternoon still showing well and is a Male!!

Forty minutes later arrive at cliffe shrike showing well all though a little distant, an absolute cracker and by far my best bird of the year so far.

Shrike's are awesome birds though this digiscoped effort doesn't really do it justice.

Beardies on the Patch

Saturday while i was in Norfolk dipping an unreliant robin, Mo was on the patch and scored with a pair of Bearded Tits, a great record considering the amount of reedbed habitat on site.

Luckily me and young Jack scored yesterday morning as the pair remained faithful to the middle ditch where dave had originally found them, and was a welcome addition to the patch list, and a lifer for Jack.

bearded tit......

Mo, finder and fellow patchworker.......

Unreliant Robin

With totally clear skies and a big moon (and with the dip monkey) it was no wonder that the Rufous-tailed robin had departed.

We worked the surrounding hedges of Warham Greens and find several Brambling, Sisken and plenty of thrushes moving as well as a single Tree Pipit, Little and Barn Owl and Peregrine and Marsh Harrier over the saltings.

Onto Stiffkey Fen where a distant Bluethroat was seen in company of several Stonechat and a vocal Yellow-browed warbler along the footpath and two Curlew Sandpiper on the flood, a female Merlin getting harassed by local corvids.

A Raddes Warbler in the hand at weybourne showed well !! all thanks too monkeys rally driving.