24th November 2012

Fieldfare

male(right) and female(left) Goldfinch

Some thrushes on the island this morning arriving in a misty dawn and a light south easterly. About 10 Blackbirds, 5 Song Thrushes and 3 Redwings went through altough most had gone in the next hour. A Fieldfare was trapped in the 'Newton' heligoland, the first captured this year, and continuing the norm of about one per year on the ringing list. Late morning a flock of 130 Fieldfares were seen travelling east towards Red Rocks. A Goldcrest was also on early and another later in the morning, while 2 Skylarks made Middle island their home for an hour or two, and a total of 4 Starlings flew about the main island. A pair of Goldfinches were ringed later, giving ringers the opportunity of comparing male and female in the hand. Fifteen Purple Sandpipers were present, the most this winter, and a fairly calm sea enabled up to 25 Great Crested Grebes to be visible off the north end. Turnstones were counted at 170 birds.

Ringed :- 2 Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Fieldfare, 2 Goldfinches.     [ 1086-32 ]

(DB,CJ,NDW,PSW,SRW,TGW)      photos CJ