Again it was quite breezy at Whitburn but the two mounds gave some shelter from the wind. We were joined today by Paul House, a ringer from the Chew Valley ringing group. Ringing started fairly slow with the odd robin and chaffinch being pulled in by the tapes. During a net round a flock of long-tailed tits flew into the big mound followed by a distictly smaller bird. I was hoping for a pallas's warbler, I had my fingers crossed. A few net rounds later we caught the long-tailed tit flock and in with them was a stonking juvenile male firecrest. This is only the second firecrest to be ringed at the obs. It certainly was a long tailed tit day with a total of 31 new birds trapped plus a control bird which was ringed elsewhere (EAR502 do you recognise it?). A male bullfinch was observed getting out of the net which was gutting but a female was sat in the next net. This was the first bullfinch ringed at the obs.
Ringing totals included 31 long-tailed tit, 4 chaffinch, 2 robin and singles of coal tit, dunnock, firecrest, song thrush. Retraps included 2 robin and singles of blackcap, blackbird, chiffchaff and the control long-tailed tit.
Firecrest © Adrian George
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