Nuthatch, Longham Lakes, September 2012 (Roger Peart)
September has been steady this year so far. We await something really unusual, or even a first for the site. Here are the records so far, in reverse order:
20th/21st September
Ringing on the evening of 20th and early morning of 21st September revealed 34 and 31 new birds respectively. Chiffchaffs have gone through the roof and now stand at 187 for the year. Also caught were juvenile Swallow and a few Reed and Sedge Warblers, while 2 Hobbies were flying around.
19th September
A walk around the Lakes revealed 47 species in two hours (10.00-12.00), of which the more interesting or significant were 21 Little Grebes, 4 Gadwalls and 1 Pochard, plus 25 Jackdaws over Samuel’s Wood (= current colony size), 4 Linnets, 1-2 Hobbies, 2 Sand Martins and at least 20 Meadow Pipits heading west (thousands of these birds were seen moving on the coast at the same time). Swallows and House Martins were also moving. One memorable sight involved a flock of just 6 birds: 1 Buzzard, 1 Raven, 2 Carrion Crows and 2 Jackdaws – great for size comparison. (Dominic Couzens)
18th September
29 new birds caught at the ringing site, 21 of which were Chiffchaffs. The latter have now truly taken over from Willow Warblers as the commonest migrants. (Roger Peart).
17th September
Lots of birds ringed this morning – 64 new individuals. These included 36 Chiffchaffs, 1 Redstart and a Meadow Pipit. (Roger Peart).
12th September
The undoubted highlight from ringing this morning was the first Cetti’s Warbler caught on site (below), but other interesting birds also included 1 Redstart and 1 Garden Warbler. (Roger Peart).
Cetti's Warbler, Longham Lakes, September 2012 (Roger Peart)
7th September
Pygmy Shrew, Longham Lakes, September 2012 (Roger Peart)
An interesting morning at the ringing nets. 44 new birds ringed all told, including 10 Chiffchaffs and 10 Blackcaps, but more memorably was a Redstart and the first Nuthatch to be ringed on site. On the track nearby was a dead Pygmy Shrew. (Roger Peart)
4th September
1 Redstart and a juvenile Hobby (George Green)