A wader! We've caught a wader!

OK, so everyone knows that waders are great birds.  Our ringing site in previous years at Nesseby, on the north coast, has allowed us to catch many species of wader including little stint, dunlin and curlew sandpiper.  In 2015, the chance of catching waders is limited, so any species was at the very bottom of our 'likely species' list.

Whilst there is suitable breeding habitat along the valley, most waders have now departed for their wintering grounds.  That said, over the last few days we have noticed a couple of snipe being flushed from the marshy ground along the edge of the river, so with a little change of tactics we managed to catch a single bird.

Other than the addition of the snipe, activity seemed quite and only 286 new birds were ringed, mainly of our most frequently encountered species although a new siskin and 8 brambling were welcome additions.  A single chiffchaff was also caught, justifying the need to check every willow warbler, just in case as many of the adults birds we are encountering have not almost completely moulted and are much paler, whilst individuals of the subspecies acredula look very different again.

23rd August (286 new birds)
Chiffchaff 1
Great tit 4
Tree pipit 2
Willow tit 4
Siskin 1
Common redpoll 5
Redwing 3
Snipe 1
Brambling 8
Reed bunting 22
Redstart 2
Bluethroat 13
Meadow pipit 92
Willow warbler 128