Sunday 18 July 2010

Box End Park WeBS: 18/07/2010

Black-headed Gull 1
Buzzard Present (Calling from woods at north end of site.)
Common Sandpiper 3
Common Tern 26 (At least 13 juveniles present mostly ready to fly if not flying, 1 downy youngster seen.)
Grey Heron 1
Greylag Goose 2
Kestrel 2
Kingfisher 1
Lapwing 18
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (Juvenile seen off by the Terns.)
Mallard 24
Moorhen 1
Mute Swan 1
Pied/White Wagtail 4 (2 adults and 2 juveniles, adults feeding young.)

Total number of species: 14 Individuals: 85

Sunday 11 July 2010

Goose round up

I joined the IRG at Roxton to help in the ringing of the Barnacle Goose flock there. At this time of year the Barnies are going through the moult and are unable to fly well if at all. With the help of some local canoeists all the geese were rounded up into a pen on the shore. Then it was down to the ringing with a large number receiving a white on red darvic colour ring along with the traditional metal ring.

There were 139 retraps and about 150 new birds plus 3 Greylags and 7 Canadas (numbers courtesy of EN). 26 Barnies flew to evade capture.

We also had 10 Crosbills over north and a fine pale Common Buzzard drifted over East. On site a minimum of 4 Lapwings and 3 Oystercatchers were also present along with good numbers of Coot and a handful of Mute Swans. On the other lake there were a couple of well grown juvenile Great Crested Grebes, more Coot and about 15 more Greylag Geese.