Slug killer and dandelion muncher

Song Thrush: the slug destroyer

Goldfinch: the dandelion exterminator

Who needs pesticides or herbicides when you've got birds who'll do the job for you? Goldfinches are getting through the dandelions at a rate of knots at the moment, while a pair of Song Thrushes are rearing a brood of chicks on worms and tiny slugs from our garden (they're nesting next door, though).

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM + kitchen window

Ringing: Ferry Meadows CP

A day off work enabled me to join Chris at Ferry Meadows this morning for CES visit #2. Though it wasn't quite as productive as visit #1, there was plenty of interest.

The Sedge Warbler pictured above was a control. That means it was ringed by someone else at another site. We don't know where yet but the BTO will pass on details to Chris.






Dunnocks are seriously under-rated birds.


Male Whitethroat

We also caught last week's Jay again! Its bill was bloodstained - a reminder that it's not acorns that Jays are eating at this time of year... A female Reed Bunting we caught had rather unusual head markings - lots of black and could easily have been mistaken in the field for a male, but she had a whopping great brood patch.

Strangely for May, there was a significant air and ground frost when we started this morning. Couldn't resist a few macro shots between net rounds...







And closer in:

Quite jewel-like, I think.

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Washes waders

Spent a large part of yesterday afternoon/early evening on the washes. Spring wader passage seems to be at its peak so far, which is good 'cause we didn't really have any at all last year! Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Little Ringed Plover and Greenshank have all been seen in the past week - not bad for an inland area.

We were just about to go home when Steve called "Temminck's Stint - flying along the bank, past the Shelduck, past the Mute Swans, over the drove - now!" He ID'd it on tail pattern - all white with a black central stripe. Pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, it's such a big area that it was nigh-on impossible to get onto a titchy wader flying hell-for-leather. I saw it as it flew over the drove, but didn't get anything on it at all - bugger!

Had a phone call this morning about "four or five Wood Warblers singing at Woodwalton Fen". In the PBC area, that's definitely worth checking out, since the species is only a rare migrant, and I neeeeeeeeeeeeeed it.

Sadly, by the time a small group of us had arrived, there was no sign of them. Actually, "four or five" in a small area does sound a little odd, since it's practically a vagrant to this area and they were "doing that trilling call" - I thought Wood Warbler's call was a bit like Bullfinch? Anyway, it's not the end of the world... There was the usual array of warblers, including Grasshopper and Garden Warblers. So not entirely wasted.



What's in my CD player: Gold - Ryan Adams