Saturday, 24th April

Yet another calm and overcast morning. Highlight of the day was a common crane that flew north over the coastal park early morning. A total of 33 new birds and five retraps made up the day's catch. The local birds are beginning to twig to the locations of the nets so we put up an additional three full sized nets by the boundary wall of the reserve and two two shelf nets near the pond. The additional full sized nets only caught two meadow pipits early in the morning, however the two shelf nets caught well; catching birds coming to drink from the pond edge. Warblers are making their way to or through the coastal park with blackcap, whitethroat and willow warbler being trapped and a sedge warbler heard singing near the seawatching hide. At least five yellow wagtails were recorded flying over the reserve and half a dozen wheatears were on Jacque's beach (shame they didn't make their way into a net). An immature male sparrowhawk was retrapped today and was originally ringed at the Big Mound on the 10th October 2009.

Ringed - linnet 6, willow warbler 5, meadow pipit 5, starling 4, blackbird 3, goldfinch 3, house sparrow 2, reed bunting 2, singles of robin, blackcap, whitethroat. Retraps - great tit 2, sparrowhawk, dunnock and yellowhammer

Meadow pipit (c) Adrian George

Whitethroat (c) Adrian George

Sparrowhawk (c) Adrian George