Thanks to Pete Kinsella for checking out eilatbirding.blogspot.com to find that this bird was ringed at Eilat on spring passage on 10/3/09
This was not expected. The iris was very 'muddy' - "typical" of a 2CY and the outer tail pattern/state of tail feathers were also suggestive of that age. Furthermore the ring looked like it was put on last week - how on earth did it stay so 'new-looking' for so long in a wide variety of climatic conditions. I wonder where it was nesting in 2009/10?
Not so good today on the western side at Middleton NR with very poor capture rate in fairly good conditions. No juvenile Grasshopper or Sedge Warbler was especially disappointing, although it is a little early for the latter and only a handful of odds and ends were caught in a four-hour session
Sedge warbler pics from Middleton by Janet. Thanks for these:
Moths
Obscure Wainscot was a welcome repeat after the first record from both Middleton and Heysham in 2010. Surely an actinic in the reedbed in the next few days will reveal more as the hut trap is a reasonable distance away from the wetland habitats?
