An Exciting Morning's Ringing

This morning the Axe Estuary Ringing Group were at Colyford Common again, the session had nearly been cancelled due to the poor weather forecast but it was decided to risk it anyway, in the hope that we would miss most of the showers. As it happens we did get caught by a couple of very hefty showers, but it wasn't enough to more than temporarily stop proceedings. We had a superb total, with around 50 birds when I had to leave at lunchtime. The final total was a massive 71 birds! We caught lots and lots of hirundines, mainly House Martins, but a few Swallows and a Sand Martin too, also Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Reed Buntings, Blackcaps, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Pied Wagtails as well as some of the more usual suspects. The massive highlight was a first for the ringing group and also an overdue ringing first for the groups leader Mike, it was caught in our first attempt at mist netting on Black Hole Marsh.

It was that popular the ringing paparazzo soon homed in on it.
(The guy with his back to the camera is Steve from Kent (and finder of the recent patch Cattle Egret) who joined us for a while)

It was a Common Sandpiper, and Mike looks very pleased with it too!

In fact we caught TWO of them! (and a THIRD after I'd left) Here's a rubbish photo of the two together, there was an adult and a 'juvenile' ( or first winter). You can see the difference in plumage here.

The lovely and very obliging adult.

I wanted to get a shot of it flying off but things didn't quite work out how I'd expected.
Barry released the bird, like so, and it promptly...

...Stayed right where it was!!

A few of the other birds caught this morning.

Cetti's Warbler

Reed Bunting

Blackcap

Sedge Warbler

The moth trap was out again out again last night but we had a much smaller catch of 41, probably as a result of the cool, windy and rainy weather. Only one new moth for the garden too in the shape of a Pine Carpet, which wasn't very photogenic, so here's a photo of a Small Emerald instead :-)