A brief evening session at Wigston sewage works resulted in a catch of 13 House Martin, 8 Swallow and a Swift. The really good news is that body weights were almost all at a healthy level. This indicates that despite the cold and windy weather of late, the birds are coping OK.
More Swallows, Martins and Swifts have been moving through at Wigston sewage works in the last day or so and we have managed to add to the total ringed. Bird Track reports similar, rather late, movements from other areas.
Nigel, Chris and Dave were out checking nest boxes at Cloud Wood this morning. Nigel reports as follows " Only one brood of Blue Tits ringed. The rest were far too small, except for one brood which were about to fledge in a couple of days. Some were still sitting on eggs. On the same day last year exactly (21.05.2004) we ringed 4 broods of Blue Tit and 5 of Great Tit. Looks as if the season is about two weeks later than last year. Brood size looks about the same as last year."
Andy and I were out in the Wanlip south reedbed at 6.00am when the weather turned out to be sunny and clear with hardly a breath of wind. We mist netted 18 Reed Warblers of which 9 were new birds. The first 'new' bird of the year is pictured right. It is however especially pleasing to confirm so many returning birds to what, thanks to Dale and the other rangers, is now probably the largest managed reedbed in the county.
A brief visit to Wigston sewage works coincided with poor weather and the arrival of about 1,000 birds, mainly Swift and House Martin. One Swallow, 11 House Martin and 3 Swift were ringed. The close up image of one of the Swifts (right) shows features it is almost impossible to see in flight e.g the lovely scaly feather tips, whitish throat, large eye (for seeing small insects at speed) and delicate bill. Once again weights were found to be good, so despite the weather they appear to be obtaining sufficient food.
Andy and team were out early in the Wanlip south reedbed this morning and ringed 37 birds including more Reed Warblers (35 so far in 2005) also Garden Warbler, Treecreeper, Blackcap etc. A brief session at Wigston Sewage works this evening added more Whitethroat, Blackcap and a Sedge Warbler to the totals there. Many birds had brood patches confirming that migrant breeding is now in full swing.
Andy and I went to check out Skylark and Meadow Pipit territories in the National Forest on the 30th. We ringed 2 adult Skylark 3 adult Meadow Pipit and 5 chicks. We were also able to locate two Skylark nests (one shown below upper right). Skylarks are big birds, shown below left is a male and also imaged below lower right is the long hind toe/claw ideally suited to what they do well, walking around on the ground.
Dave 'George' Bradley reports as follows "we had a couple of nets up at Swithland Res, on the 3rd and 4th June 2 Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers including a control (click here for definition), 3 Reed Buntings, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Wrens, 1 Jay plus a handful of tits and a superb male Chaffinch".
The filter beds at Wigston Sewage works become a 'takeaway' for breeding birds at this time of the year. There is a constant procession of Wagtails (all 3 UK species) finches, buntings, tits etc in search of insects for their young. Several species ringed there today including Yellow & Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting (nice male left) and several Starlings.
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