North Wilts Group

15th April 2015 - Salisbury Plain (centre), Liddington Hill & Swindon STW

SALISBURY PLAIN (CENTRE)

With the weather last weekend too windy to get out and do any ringing and this coming weekend looking exactly the same I took advantage of a break in the weather to go to The Plain and catch up on a few more spring migrants.

On arrival at 0415 there were at least 4 Barn Owl's and 2 Tawny Owl's calling along with something else that despite nearly 40 years of birding experience I had absolutely no idea what it was. On listening to birds calls on an ipod later in the morning the most likely candidate appears to be Dotterel.

Half way through putting the nets up the first Nightingale of the season started up singing as did a Grasshopper Warbler.. The Nightingale spent the morning eluding the nets while touring the scrub but at least the Grasshopper Warbler found a net while it was still dark.

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Dawn brought on misty conditions but the first full net round showed that there must have been a massive movement of Blackcap's overnight with over 100 ringed during the first two hours of daylight.

The first Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat of the year were caught later on and every clump of bushes seemed to have a Willow Warbler singing away in it.

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An entertaining morning's effort finished with 135 new and 11 retraps. GD

Song Thrush 1(1), Blackbird (1), Robin (1), Grasshopper Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 1, Whitethroat 1, Blackcap 109(1), Willow Warbler 13(1), Chiffchaff 3(4), Blue Tit (2), Goldfinch 1, Chaffinch 1, Bullfinch 3, Yellowhammer (1)

LIDDINGTON HILL

We have nearly got around our farmland sites but due to wet ground we have not been able to get to this wonderful site which is a shame because it is probably our best Corn Bunting site and it is very good for Yellowhammer. This morning we had a two hour bash before work and so we set a couple of nets plus a bonus one across a hedge a bit further along.
 
The bonus net was successful with a lovely Ring Ousel and then the other nets were quite busy with Yellowhammers and we retrapped one originally ringed in 2013. A  Shelduck flew over which was quite bizarre considering that we were at one of the highest points in Wiltshire. MP, PA
 
Ring Ousel 1, Corn Bunting 1, Yellowhammer 27 (1), Chaffinch 4 (1), Great Tit 2, Wren 2, Dunnock 4, Blackbird 5
 
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SWINDON STW - 14th April
A few days ago I was on site at dusk doing some work and saw over a hundred Pied Wagtails fly low over the site at dusk with some of them dropping into a  reed bed so even though I have never tried a wagtail roost in the spring I thought it was worth a punt. I met Simon and Paul A at 18:00 and we set two nets and then proceeded to the duck traps to set up a hopper system that Paul has devised in our continued efforts to catch ducks. Simon had to go but Paul and I returned to the reed bed and watched the wagtails dropping in. Our first Sedge Warbler of the year was singing and then decided to grace our nets and then the wagtails showed us how adept they are at avoiding nets. We ended up ringing a decent number of Pied Wagtails and retrapping one originally ringed in a small roost in December.
 
This was a very satisfying little session having got the duck traps improved and our first ever catch of Pied Wagtails in April. MP, PA, SW
 
Pied Wagtail 17 (1), Reed Bunting 1 (3), Sedge Warbler 1
 
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