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

Back to ringing after the weekend away. Kara asked to join me and didn’t complain at all when I told her it was a 0440 start. 

She did however feel just how cold it can be after a clear night in August.

Things started quietly, but soon migration got going, with a  good passage of Tree Pipits (3 trapped, c30 overhead), hundreds of hirundines (14 Swallows and 14 Sand Martins trapped), 8 Yellow Wagtails and 4 Swifts over. Other ringed birds included a Chiffchaff, 14 Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 4 Garden, 1 Sedge, 2 Grasshopper and many Willow Warblers and to Paul’s delight – a Redstart. 

A total of 92 new birds were ringed.

The air soon filled with hirundines.

 

More Sand Martins perched on the net than went in it.

Pale tips to the tertials, upper tail coverts, wing coverts and mantle identify this Sand Martin as a first year.

First year Swallows lack the bright colours and long tail of the adults and often show a pale forehead.