Ten warbler species ringed!

Light westerly breeze varying slightly. Long sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Jean:

RINGING

10 species of warbler caught today:

Whitethroat 10

Lesser Whitethroat 5

Willow Warbler 8

Chiffchaff 1

Sedge Warbler 6

Reed Warbler 2

Grasshopper Warbler 1

Cetti’s Warbler 2 (1 was a retrap from 10/7)

Blackcap 1 (retrap)

Garden Warbler 1

Odds n ends

House Sparrow 1

Great Tit 1

Dunnock 1

Wren 1

Almost all were young birds. Just 2 adults - a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler

VIS

Almost non-existent:

Chaffinch 4

Goldfinch 6

Swallow 5

OTHERS

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 

Green Woodpecker 1 - only the second record this year

Tree Sparrow - uncommon here

Mediterranean gull 1 to east

I had a stroll around mid morning (MD)

Gadwall 5 - these appeared to be the female with her three young plus a male. There were 19 yesterday evening, obviously there are some transient birds.

Teal 1 - first this autumn 

Teal - there was one in spring whose speculum always looked blue

Jay 3 together

Cetti's warbler - one in the corner of the bottom car park (where the fridges have been dumped), going through its repertoire of songs and calls, albeit quite quietly. This is the first time that I have heard one here. Pete advises that it is too early for a general dispersement, so it probably wandered from one of the local breeding territories. It was still singing on my return 90 minutes later, so may hang around here.

Butterflies - not large numbers. These in order of abundance:

Meadow Brown 

Common Blue 

Speckled Wood 

Small White 2

Large White 1

Red Admiral 1

Dragonflies more plentiful 

Common darter 20+

Brown Hawker 5

Emperor 4

Black-Tailed Skimmer 1

Migrant Hawker 1

This is a rubbish record shot of a male Common Darter, but I like the picture.
This is looking down on to the "no swimming" pond. The sky is just a reflection.

Slightly more informative, this clip shows a pair of Common Darter ovipositoring, until chased off by a second male.

South shore

Just a quick walk with my daughter's dog.

Wheatear 7 on Ocean Edge foreshore 

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab.

Plenty of insects near Buddleia in the Nature park

Red Admiral 5

Brimstone 1 male

Peacock 1

Comma 1

Speckled Wood 3

Common Blue 3

Meadow Brown 3

Common Darter dragonfly 2

It was just after high water when I was at Red Nab, there were only a few rocks exposed with a few Oystercatcher resting on them. A juvenile Peregrine Falcon decided this was the time to hunt. This clip shows its approach. Towards the end of the clip, you can hear the waders reacting.

It selected one of the Oystercatcher to chase. No chance! Not only does the Oystercatcher get away, but it circled round and chased it off. 

As the juvenile Peregrine flew away, it was followed by an adult (presumably mum, heaving a sigh! (MD))