Over night the wind was NE and after yesterday I had high hopes. Arriving on site it was misty but unlike yesterday there was hardly a bird to be seen or heard. A woodcock was trapped on the first net round which was nice after missing two yesterday. Andrew Walker joined me again today which was a massive help. After saying that we couldnt beat yesterdays pallas's warbler and red-breasted flycatcher we checked Walters net (The 40' net that has trapped the PG Tips and 2 barred warblers). The first bird I came across looked like a chiffchaff but was darker and had a distinct supercilium with pale legs. I noticed the slender bill and realised it was a dusky warbler. I had to get Andy to take several paces back and look at the bird through his bins as birds in the hand can be very confusing close up. A few of the local birders were in the vacinity and were lucky enough to see it in the hand. The bird was relocated in the afternoon by Keith so at least John got to see it as he was working in the morning. Over the morning it was clear that blackbirds have been replaced by redwings. Robins were also more numerous than yesterday. The afternoon was similar to the morning with a continuous flow of redwings, goldcrests and robins. A ring ouzel was trapped and ringed in the afternoon and was another new species ringed in the coastal park. A great grey shrike dropped onto the Big Mound by the ringing hut however swiftly flew over the the quarry and out of site. Overall another fantastic day, just a shame I have to work tomorrow.
Ringing totals were 134 birds including 47 redwing 28 robin, 25 blackbird, 22 goldcrest, 8 song thrush and singles of fieldfare, ring ouzel, dusky warbler and woodcock.
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