tchagra
Wednesday 10th September 2003, 23:14
Hi Folks
Just to finish where I left off the other day.
The totals for the session were as follows:
6 Blackcaps,1 Garden warbler,5 Spotted Flycatchers,3 Sardinian Warblers,5 Robins,5 Grey wagtails,2 Willow Warblers,4 Blackbirds,1 Rock Bunting,1 Goldfinch,1 Serin,plus retraps which incl.3 Robins,1 Blackcap,1 Reed warbler,1 Great Tit and a Common Kingfisher.
This particular rio never dries up even in the longest of dry seasons and many birds come here to drink from the prety much uncontaminated water,and strategically placed nets caught last year such species as Bee eaters and Turtle Doves both difficult species to catch under normal circumstances.
No luck this time with them but a good smattering of Trans Saharan migrants.
The Rock Bunting which I trapped was a juvenile male,sexed on wing length as well as facial colorings and this like the other juv.which I had the other day was undergoing an unusual post juv.moult.
it had moulted or was in the process of moulting all the greater coverts,outer 2 primaries,the tertials and 3 inner secondaries,the carpal covert and 1 outermost tail feather.Very strange and extensive moult indeed.
Because of the amazingly long hot summer a number of birds both adult and juv,are certainly not following their normal patterns of moult.,and are indeed producing some challenging investigations.
As long as we have no rain I will continue to ring this site as much as poss.this Autumn.
Your Spanish correspondent
P.S.Have included a shot of the adult female Reed warbler which still had a full brood patch so had bred not that far away,and had put on a bit of fat since the last time that I trapped it on the 4th.Note the lack of rufous in the plumage.
Just to finish where I left off the other day.
The totals for the session were as follows:
6 Blackcaps,1 Garden warbler,5 Spotted Flycatchers,3 Sardinian Warblers,5 Robins,5 Grey wagtails,2 Willow Warblers,4 Blackbirds,1 Rock Bunting,1 Goldfinch,1 Serin,plus retraps which incl.3 Robins,1 Blackcap,1 Reed warbler,1 Great Tit and a Common Kingfisher.
This particular rio never dries up even in the longest of dry seasons and many birds come here to drink from the prety much uncontaminated water,and strategically placed nets caught last year such species as Bee eaters and Turtle Doves both difficult species to catch under normal circumstances.
No luck this time with them but a good smattering of Trans Saharan migrants.
The Rock Bunting which I trapped was a juvenile male,sexed on wing length as well as facial colorings and this like the other juv.which I had the other day was undergoing an unusual post juv.moult.
it had moulted or was in the process of moulting all the greater coverts,outer 2 primaries,the tertials and 3 inner secondaries,the carpal covert and 1 outermost tail feather.Very strange and extensive moult indeed.
Because of the amazingly long hot summer a number of birds both adult and juv,are certainly not following their normal patterns of moult.,and are indeed producing some challenging investigations.
As long as we have no rain I will continue to ring this site as much as poss.this Autumn.
Your Spanish correspondent
P.S.Have included a shot of the adult female Reed warbler which still had a full brood patch so had bred not that far away,and had put on a bit of fat since the last time that I trapped it on the 4th.Note the lack of rufous in the plumage.