Sunday, 22nd October 2017

Offshore

1 pale-bellied Brent Goose west, 6 Wigeons west, 12 Teals west, 11 Pintails west, 25 Common Scoters west, 1 Red-breasted Merganser west, 2 Red-throated Divers west, 1 Great Northern Diver west, 1 Shag west, 1 Great Crested Grebe west, 1 Razorbill west, 2 Guillemots west, 7 Auk sp. west, 17 Kittiwakes west and 1 Little Gull west.

 

 Great Northern Diver

Others 

270 Pink-footed Geese, 415 Wigeons, 375 Teal, 2 Pintails, 1 Shoveler, 2 Little Egrets, 375 Lapwings, 52 Ringed Plovers, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, 180 Turnstones, 120 Sanderlings, 140 Dunlins, 1 Little Stint, 500 Redshanks, 16 Snipe, 1 Med. Gull, 2 Stonechats and 2 Rock Pipits.

 

 Fieldfare

 

Ringing

Every year in the Swallow roost we always catch and ring a few Sand Martins, and occasionally we will control one (capture a bird with a ring on that hasn't been ringed by us). The Google Earth image below shows the movement of one such bird. This Sand Martin was ringed as a pulli at a colony near Applegarthtown, Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It was ringed as part of a brood of three on 7th July 2017. 45 days later we controlled it at the Obs on 21st August 2017, which is 140 km south of its natal area. Movements like this give us an idea where some of our birds come from, and demonstrate how important roost sites are for migrant birds such as Hirundines.  

 

 (click image above to enlarge)