The weather has been appalling this weekend with torrential rain and gale force winds throughout, which has completed flawed my plans to spend the weekend in search of Nightingales. Friday was the best day weather wise so I nipped down to Curbridge reserve before putting a net up in the garden.
The tide was low and therefore ideal for looking for waders, and I immediately located a single Whimbrel feeding at the mouth of the first creek. Two Common Sandpipers, fluttered along the waters edge away from me, landing on the other side of the estuary next to three Greenshanks and another Whimbrel. As I scanned down the estuary I noticed a flock of 17 more Whimbrel dropping out of the sky, bringing the total to 19, and two Oystercatchers were feeding on the inter-tidal.
 |
| Juvenile Blackbird |
Returning home I decided to open the net in my garden and immediately caught a juvenile blackbird, which had only just fledged the nest. The wing and tail feathers had not fully grown...
 |
| Juvenile Blackbird |
.....but I was still able to sex the bird due to the black tail feathers, as opposed to brown in a female.
 |
| Partly Grown Juvenile Blackbird Tail |
Other birds captured included three new Greenfinch's and a new Robin, but that was about it.
I am off to Turkey tomorrow, leading an Ornitholiday's trip, to the the same region as last year, The Goksu Delta, Cukurbag, Biricek and Gaziantep, hopefully I will get some internet access during the trip, and if I do I will try to keep you posted.
No comments:
Post a Comment