Monday 20 August 2018

Unforecasted local rain drops the birds

An early start was thwarted by rain and poor visibility and all effort was around the office, either 'paperwork' or monitoring the three nets nearby once the rain stopped at 1000

There were quite a few migrants around even as late as 1000, although an impression was that any decent numbers of Willow Warblers had already slipped inland during the rain, judging by species composition and numbers  at other Irish Sea sites

50 new birds were ringed between 1000 and mid afternoon, including three out of habitat Reed Warbler and a selection of the usual Sylvias (including Garden) and Phylloscs.  Two Starlings were also ringed - an unusual event here!

Along the coast just a single-figure handful of Med Gulls of note and a single Common Sandpiper but the visibility did not help

Unfortunately no other morning migrant coverage in the recording area