More migrants

This weekend has been one of changeable weather, we seem to have experienced three seasons in three days. An early start on Saturday at the Woodhams was quickly rained off, with a new Chiffchaff to show for our efforts. The Chiffchaff was one of three heard singing before the rain set in and we had to take our nets down. Also of note was the male Reed Bunting along the edge of Flea Moss - the first we have seen at the site.

By 9am we were on our way back to Bootle to get the chainsaw and head to Brook Vale for when the weather cleared so that we could finish the scrub management. I put up a couple of nets in the hope of catching some of the singing Chiffchaff, two were caught, one was new and one was a retrap from last spring. Sparrowhawks were very busy throughout the late morning/early afternoon, hunting the feeding station 'alley'. Two Teal were flushed from the main ditch and Moorhens were also seen carrying nesting material.

New growth starting to break through the fire damage

The management of the reed bed at Brook Vale will be completed in sections over a series of years, this years section is almost complete. By next weekend, the clearance site will be left undisturbed for the reed bed to grow back and recolonise.

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

This morning, me and Tineke headed to Crosby Hall for one of the final sessions of the spring. After an early rain shower, the rain cleared and gave way to a a bright morning. There were not many birds being caught - a lot of birds are already on territory, but we did catch our first Blackcap of 2011, a young male. A Chiffchaff was retrapped from spring 2010, following on from Saturdays Brook Vale bird that returned to the site it was ringed.

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)

Weekend Totals:

Blue Tit - 2 (2)
Great Tit - (3)
Goldfinch - (1)
Chiffchaff - 3 (2)
Chaffinch - 5 (2)
Treecreeper - 1
Blackbird - 1
Coal Tit - (1)
Blackcap - 1
Dunnock - 1

TOTAL: 14 (11)