Tuesday 20th September 2016

Nip in the air.....

There was a bit of a nip in the air this morning, although if I had woken earlier as planned it would have been even nippier!

Anyway a late start saw me on the reserve at 08:45, it was calm and there were quite a few birds flitting across the track where puddles still lay from the last rain.

I set two 40ft nets, about 100ft apart, and whilst I was not flooded with birds catching a small flock of Goldfinches did make for a busy start.

As the morning wore on I decided to see if the Meadow pipits would react to the tape lure, they did and whilst it wasn't a classic Meadow Pipit set up I caught four birds before packing up and getting on with some work.

Meadow Pipits are every predators favourite food, and we have lots on the reserve, they bred well and now the winter visitors are arriving, I'll be targeting them over the next weeks.

Meadow Pipit, notice the tick just behind the eye!

Meadow Pipit

Monday 19th September 2016

High tide delights...winter on the way?

This morning was one of the highest spring tides at 9.1m, and it was at a sensible time around 08:30, so a lie in!.

The high tide almost up to the fore dunes, in the distance , (over the white water)

there were Gannets, Arctic Skua, GBB Gulls, herring Gulls, and Black-headed Gulls feeding

I was on site by 07:45hrs and spent a pleasant 2 hours birding, without seeing a soul.

middle marsh, just after the top of the tide

I did manage 42 species of birds, with the highlights being, Whinchat, Arctic Skua, Wigeon, Teal, and the first returning Brent Geese, although they don't usually use  the marsh they do fly by, today they were resting and preening on the top of the marsh

With the marsh flooding I went to the beach at the eastern end of the reserve, but not quite to the boundary so a lot of roosting waders and gulls etc were out of sight, until they got moved by the incoming tide.

A flock of around 130 Sandwich Terns, was a surprise, but more surprising was that when they split up 51 of them went onto the flooded marsh and began feeding as there were eight Little Egrets and four Grey Herons also feeding I guess that a lot of fish fry had been swept in.

The reserve never fails to amaze with the variety, if I'd tried harder the list could have been higher.

I don't think I've posted a map, so courtesy of Google Maps, here's one, the yellow line is the boundary of the reserve, the SSSI is much more extensive

Sunday 18th September 2016

In deepest Swindon town...

Well on the fringes at least... I was back with the North Wilts Ringing Group for my annual meeting with my mentor, old Prior.. it was good to see he's still the same as ever!
He had prepared for this morning session last night. and while doing so caught a JACK SNIPE, the site is known for these diminutive wintering waders, and the 17th September was the earliest capture date.

Jack Snipe, (photograph taken at Oxwich NNR 2015)

With almost the full, Matt Prior, team out just Simon was missing it was great to see how much the lads Biff and Noah have continued to improve, as always the craic was up to its usual standards.

With Anna and Paul W also out as well as Noah's mum who was scribing the team was set for what turned out to be a classic autumn ringing session.

As usual Matt had some billy bonus net set and typically there were some interesting non-passerines to process.

Common Snipe, a bird of the year (3) based on median covert pattern,

flushed into the net during a net round

The bulk of the catch was Blackcap, with Chiffchaff in very good numbers, a smattering of more usual fare, plus the waders and an immature Teal, brought the numbers in at 312 new birds, 21 re=encountered and a control Blackcap (this is a bird ringed by another ringer at a different site).

Blackcap, bird of the year BTO code 3,

♂moulting from a brown head into a black cap!

I really love ringing at the Swindon Lagoons reserve, hard to believe its an old sewage works. It really shows the effort that Matt puts into this reserve and the  team when only one person in the group hadn't ringed either Teal or Common Snipe!!!

Green Sandpiper, an adult bird,(4), based on the shape of the 2nd primary, (broad and blunter than a younger bird),  the pattern of the tertials and median coverts. Green Sandpipers show great site fidelity,

so this bird  will probably spend the winter around the reserve and the working water treatment works.