gryllosblog   Gryllo's (aka Ian Lewis') blog. All things to do with travel, wildlife especially birds, history, architecture and anything else that interests me.

Stour Ringing Group are very fortunate to obtain ringing permission at Durlston Country Park this year, one of Dorset’s prime migration hotspots.

We have identified a number of areas to ring in, the easiest being not far from the information centre.

Today we ringed 75 birds in 3.5 hours using only four nets, mainly migrant warblers. The incredible thing is that still only July, this year there does seem to have been a particularly good breeding season. Highlights included 2 Garden Warblers and a early Blackcap.

Garden Warbler - always a pleasure to handle, although plain they have a certain character. Unlike most Sylvia warblers the adults moult in the winter, so all fresh plumaged birds must be first years.

Willow Warbler - the commonest migrant at this time of year.

 

Common Whitethroat - dark eye, buff outer tail feathers and gape flanges indicate a young bird.

 

Common Whitethroat tail - changes in food availability in the nest means that the quality of feather production varies from day to day and produces tail bars. Symetrical tail bars are diagnostic of a juvenile as all tail fethers grow at the same time. An adult would produce asymetrical tail bars