Tuesday 23rd February 2016

Frost and Rainbows.....

The overnight forecast indicated a frost and a bright sunny day, so when I stepped outside what did I find, well it was raining!. not a lot but any frost had long disappeared. The drive over North Gower towards Oxwich on the South side did not make the weather improve.

When I arrived Keith and Emma had already set the one net that we would use, (NRW have ponies grazing on the marsh).

The overcast skies looked as though they would clear but not before a light shower wetted the table, the books and equipment, the double rainbow did make us smile though.

The morning produced about forty birds, a mixture of new and retrapped individuals.

Male Siskin

Siskins stole the early rounds with a smattering of Chaffinches and Goldfinches, with surprisingly few tits!

Male Chaffinch, this brute of a specimen may be a continental bird

This is the wing of the above bird and had a length of 93mm

making me think it is a continental visitor

A Great Spotted Woodpecker also put in an appearance in the net, although the circling Common Buzzard stayed away.

Distant Common Buzzard