Another ton or so

The weather has not been too good this week but we have managed to catch just over 100 birds since my last post. Two trips to the Swallow roost at Scotman's Flash have produced 91 new Swallows and 1 retrap, 2 Sand Martins and 6 Reed Warblers. Just over 28% of the Swallows were adults which continues the high proportion of adults in the catches. The retrap Swallow had been ringed near my home at Longshaw 5 km away just over a year ago. Another 5 Reed Warblers were caught 13th and 3 of these had not completed their post juvenile moult so should stay around for a while yet and are an indicator of the success of later broods.


Waiting for Swallows

I met up with Kane Brides this afternoon to try and catch and darvic a few Coot at Pennington Flash. For those who know the Steve Coogan character Paul Calf and the use of the phrase 'bag o' shite' you will know why that is appropriate to Coot ringing. It was far too windy really but I still managed to pick up 4 new birds and 2 retraps in a short session which bodes well for better conditions.

Moths haven't featured in my posts for some time now and that is largely due to the abysmal summer weather. I run a moth trap most days but there has been little or nothing to report of late. Silver Ys' being the only migrants with another 2 caught this morning.


Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

The weather looks ok'ish' for the morning but only an early start and time will tell.