Icelandic visitor? Friday 17th November 2017

I've said the following so often, "in what looked like perfect conditions..." well this morning was no exception, but no one told the birds! Which is typical when you have a visitor, sorry Julie.

Still Morfa Berwig looked great at 06:00 this morning as I sloshed my way through flooded ringing rides carrying all the kit laden like a donkey... no comments or thoughts please.

A very modest session but always worth it especially when one of the two Redwings was a monster of a bird, well it was certainly different, I knew that because my helper originally identified it as a Blackbird - sorry couldn't resist.

Based on the comments from Mr Svensson the Redwing with its much buffier face, and breast/ sides and darker mantle and wing of 124mm placed it as a likely candidate for the Icelandic race corbuni, it only weighed in at 61.6gms and no fat.

The second Redwing was much more the "norm"  iliacus, a paler bird with whiter, face, breast and sides with a wing of 119mm but a weight of 72.2 and a fat score of 2.

The photographs below, despite the light, hopefully show the obvious plumage differences.

Redwing, corbuni ?

Redwing, iliacus ?

A Cettis Warbler was "controlled", the ring was not easily read, took ten minutes plus some "macro" photos to read it properly, I'm guessing its one of Heathers birds from WWT Llanelli.
The ringing data will be duly submitted to the BTO,
[however local enquiries have established the bird was ringed on 16th October 2017 at OXWICH MARSH, as a bird hatched in 2017 (age code 3)]
A movement 12.3km NNE

 One of the Blackbirds, a female was on the chubby side with a wing of 129mm and a weight of 117gms and a very heavily scalloped breast of grey feathers, - continental type? - no I didn't take a photo!

The oddest things happen, Morfa Berwig Wednesday 15th November 2017

Wednesday, volunteer day, Morfa Berwig.

As usual a few odd jobs, including a Japanese Knotweed survey, we recorded carefully the known patches of this troublesome plant, its not a huge problem but needs nipping in the bud.

A litter pick, as usual it was the A484 roundabout that needed attention, at least the fly tipping I reported last week has gone.

Linseed oil on some of the on-site "furniture" and the last of the nest-boxes were put up plus one donated by Veronica

It was during the Knotweed survey that whilst wandering around F3 that I was startled, by a small mouse jumping across my path, on size alone it was a Harvest Mouse but then I noticed a ball of woven grasses in the rushes, a Harvest Mouse nest.

Harvest Mouse nest

Harvest Mouse (Wikipedia library)

A great record, which has been submitted to WWBIC.

Returning to the same area later I was surprised to see a Wood Mouse jump out of the back of the nest which had now been "ragged" about, was that why the Harvest Mouse had jumped across my path earlier?

What a load of rubbish Monday 13th November 2017

Monday morning, the first sub zero morning of the autumn with ice on the puddles and the need to really scrape the ice off the van.

Today the Wales Wildlife Walks Litter Pickers made Pembrey the focus of their attention, and badly needed it is.

After the stormy weather in October, followed by calm spring tides a huge amount of marine bourn litter has been dropped on Cefn Sidan.

With 12 eager volunteers, plus the regular MENCAP gang and assistance from KWT and CCC, it was a case of divide and conquer, three hours later and a great deal had been picked but really barely scratching the surface of what is a huge problem, not only on Cefn Sidan but any beach in any part of the UK.

only a small pile of the total amount picked today

Still smiling!!!!

A huge thank you to everyone who gave their time and effort today.

Morfa Berwig surprise

I visited Morfa Berwig LNR, this afternoon, wow we must have had a fair drop of rain last night so much water about today.

I noticed Redwings were flying in from the east in small flocks, with about 35 seen plus a couple of Mistle Thrushes but no Fieldfares.

Quite often luck plays a big role in finding wildlife, today was no exception, above the noise of a passing HGV I heard a bird calling, the call was the sort that made me think "I know that" but "what is it", looking up I saw three brutish looking birds fly towards, then over and past me heading SE, immediately they could only be one species, the broad white bar on the underwing, heavy front end and short squarish tail, and that call! all said HAWFINCH.

Hawfinch

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Although there is a decent breeding population in the UK there has been an influx of Hawfinch into the country from the continent, tied in I think with the stormy weather experience in October, which also affected Europe.

I've seen them "properly", that's to say feeding on the ground in the Forest of Dean they are brutes, and according to those working on the several ringing projects they hurt a lot when they bite with that cherry stone cracking bill.

I have never had the opportunity to photograph the species myself so I've used two shots from Wikipedia under their "free to share and use" license 

Hawfinch, the bill has an applied force of c50kgs

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Big moon big tide

The first properly chilly day of the autumn with a NNW breeze at 18mph, clearing skies and huge vistas of Carmarthen Bay.

With the "hunters" moon of the last few days, the tides have been impressive, thankfully without an accompanying storm, the dune face has taken a bit of a battering this autumn.

The strandline was covered with weed, including some Kelp, the associated plastic and  Portuguese Man o'War, although mostly just the "sail" and no tentacles.

There was a recently dead Guillemot washed up, it was an adult which had clearly struggled to feed as the breast bone or keel, was prominent which indicates muscle wastage, there were no rings on the legs, its good to check no matter how decomposed the corpse may be check every dead bird for rings, which are usually easily removable especially when there is good decomposition. Sadly many ringing recoveries come from dead birds but the information gained is invaluable to the study of the movement, health

and longevity of many species.

Along the track to the shelter a roving flock of birds held a Chiffchaff, Long tailed Tits, Blue and Great Tits Robin and Reed Bunting.

GUIDED EVENT MORFA BERWIG

SEE BELOW FOR A WALK AT THE MORFA BERWIG LOCAL NATURE RESERVE BOOKING ESSENTIAL

TAITH GERDDED - GWLYPTIROEDD YR HYDREF AUTUMNAL WETLANDS WALK Croeso i bawb / All welcome Ymunwch â ni am dro hydrefol o gwmpas Gwarchodfa Natur Leol Morfa Berwig a darganfod rhai o hud a lledrith y cynefin gwlyptir hwn. Darganfyddir y llygoden ddŵr prin ac byddai’r system gwlyptir hwn ar un adeg yn cael ei gweld yn y tir isel o Bynie i Llanelli. Mae’n addas ar gyfer pob oedran. Ffoniwch 07919 592 683 am fanylion pellach ac i archebu lle ar y daith gerdded. Join us for an autumnal walk around Morfa Berwig Local Nature Reserve and discover some of the magic of this wetland habitat. The reserve is home to the rare water vole and this wetland system would once have been widely found in the low lying land from Bynea to Llanelli. Suitable for all ages. Please call 07919 592 683 for further details and to book on to the walk.

Gwarchodfa Natur Leol Morfa Berwig Dydd Iau 16eg Mis Tachwedd 1300 - 1500 Morfa Berwig Local Nature Reserve Thursday 16th November 1300 - 1500 I GADW LLE: PLEASE BOOK: Sldjones@sirgar.gov.uk 07919 592 683 Bydd eisiau esigidau cerdded a dillad addas Please wear walking boots and outdoor clothing

Morfa Berwig ringing Friday 3rd November 2017

With the last day of settled weather forecast I headed to Morfa Berwig LNR and set just 140' of net, two with sound playing, and one without.

As hoped for there was a smattering of Redwing in the first round with a couple of Song Thrush.

It was clear that there were good number Redwings flying over, but not as many as the huge flock of Starlings I saw flying in the far distant, an estimate would put the flock size in the high thousands.

A  couple of steady rounds and  then a hectic one saw a total of 49 birds processed, 43 new and 6 re-encounters, including a bird ringed by another ringer.

The reason for the hectic round was a small influx of Goldcrests and the interception of what appeared to be a  mixed roving flock .

Male Bullfinch, aged as a 3 as it still had a few retained greater coverts

I am grateful for the assistance of Veronica who "scribed" for the session, taking the pressure off processing and writing. Scribing is one of the most important jobs during a ringing session as the information gathered needs to be recorded accurately, they are also a great check when the ringer reads the ring numbers!

The morning looked like, Bluti-9, Goldc-9, Redwi-8, Lotti-6, Greti-4, Robin-3, Bulfi-3, Sonth-2, Dunno-2*,  Blabi-1, Coati-1, Trecr 1

* one of the Dunnock was a control bird, ringed by the Gower Ringing Group at WWT Llanelli on 1st June 2017, as a bird of the year 3J.