13th October

The weather forecast was for easterlies yesterday so I had my fingers crossed for some migrants today.  Andy, Walter and I got down to the site at 0615 and soon opened all the nets.  However the first net round which should be very productive only produced a few retraps.  We watched hundreds of thrushes piling inland overhead.  We started catching a few redwing, blackbirds and song thrushes. A fieldfare was trapped which was a nice surprise as it was only the second trapped at Souter.  A blackcap bearing a Norwegian ring was trapped so I had high hopes for something to turn up.  I really was starting to get frustrated by how slow going it was although this was all about to change though with the phone call from Dave Foster who had just found Souter's second red-flanked bluetail!!!  It was next to two brand new net rides that were put in a few weeks ago.  A net was erected and the bird was soon trapped and ringed.  It was released where it was trapped where it showed for a few hours.  It was aged as a juvenile although it could not be sexed.  Soon after I heard a yellow-browed warbler in the big mound so put the tape on and two net rounds later it was trapped.  Andy was having a great day with a few ringing ticks!

In the afternoon Paul Cook found another red-flanked bluetail in Church Lane, Whitburn.  Yellow-browed warblers were also found in Trow Quarry and Marsden Quarry. Seawatching at the obs saw several pomarine skuas, c80 red-throated divers and lots of ducks!

The ringing totals for the day totalled 69 and included 25 blackbirds, 11 goldcrests, 9 redwings, 4 chaffinch and song thrush, 3 chiffchaff and goldfinch, 2 blackcaps and singles of fieldfare, red-flanked bluetail and yellow-browed warbler.  Retraps included the norwegian blackcap, 4 blackbird, 2 blue tits and singles of robin, wren, chiffchaff and great tit.

red-flanked bluetail - Paul Hindness