Saturday 27 February 2016

The Common Buzzard was again present seeming to favour the roof of the schoolhouse as a perching spot before being hounded by the resident Carrion Crows. 30 Linnets flying high over the lowlands was a vast increase in numbers of this species, previously numbers just about scraping double figures were the only ones noted. Wrens and Blackbirds seemed to be in decent numbers throughout the lowlands with 12 and five seen respectively. A Sparrowhawk circling, Little Owl in the north west fields, Song Thrush, five Meadow Pipits, three Woodpigeons, a couple of Robins and Dunnocks and two Mallards spooked from one of the ponds were also present in the area.

Not many other sightings but the FirecrestGoldcrest, and ten Starlings were seen around the plantation.

An interesting field sighting of a ringed resident Moorhens that frequents one of the gardens around Nant was a great highlight provided by this characterful and probably under appreciated species. Awesome telescope views of the bird were obtained as the pair picked their way through the garden in search of food, the ring number reading FB37183. Interestingly this individual was caught and ringed at the observatory garden in the heligoland trap, the date 15/03/2015, age code 5 meaning it was born the previous calendar year, its shorter wings and tarsus length indicating that it was probably a female. The ringer of this bird also happens to be the observer, a year later and a few hundred meters up the island!

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