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

With a forecast of heavy showers we were unsure if we would get away with ringing at Durlston this morning. We put up the nets early and were catching Blackcaps before first light. After about 20 birds it started to rain and the nets were closed. Once it had eased off we continued to catch steadily but mainly Sylvias; Phyloscs were conspicuous by their absence but once the sun came out so did the Willow / Chiffs, all in one flock! We continued to ring until midday but as I was taking down the heavens opened. I spent the afternoon drying out clothes and ringing kit.

Best birds a Sparrowhawk, juvenile Goldcrest, 7 Grasshopper Warblers, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Tree Pipit. Total new birds 110.

Sparrowhawks are unusual in that you have to sex them before you can ring them, as males and females taken different ring sizes. The brown tipped mantle and covert feathers and the pale yellow eye identify it as a first year.

Juvenile Goldcrest, our smallest bird (along with Firecrest), this individual weighed just 5.5 grams. The single orange feather coming through on the crown is enough to show that it is a male.

The downpour that caught me as I was packing away moved northwards, here seen from the Wareham by-pass.