Birders from Poole occasionally meet for a drink and a general birdy chat. Last night we were joined by Rene Pop (from Holland), James Lidster (now also living in Holland) and Magnus Robb (now living in Portugal). All had taken the opportunity to visit Poole either to see relatives or meet up with Mark Constantine on Sound Approach business ahead of this weekend’s BirdFair.
With so many distinguished birders visiting there was a good turn out from the locals and we were quite late leaving, so it was with some difficulty that I dragged my self out of bed at 0445 this morning to go ringing.
The dilemma was a simple one, join Mike at Durlston or Shaun at Lytchett Bay. In the end Lytchett won. We had a productive morning with 60 new birds, including two new Kingfishers ringed and another 5 Grasshopper Warblers. In addition we trapped a British control (a bird ringed elsewhere) Reed Warbler and a Whitethroat that we ringed at Durlston on the 10th (also one of our recent Durlston ringed Willow Warblers has just been retrapped in north Dorset) showing that not all birds travel south in the autumn.
A Wood Sandpiper flew over flew over but it was a ‘heard only’ for me as I was deep in the reed bed at the time.
Quote of the day:
Shaun: ‘its great being able to ring birds like Kingfishers before you go to work’
Me: ‘its better being able to ring birds like Kingfisher then NOT go to work’
'Gropper heaven' that's 15 I have handled this week. Note the characteristic curve of the wings and the broad rounded tail.
Meadow Pipit. Note the broader flank streaking and the longer straighter hind claw compared to the Tree Pipit on the right.
Tree Pipit ringed at Durlston earlier in the month, included here for comparison.
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