It was a busy & interesting morning, as we caught 41 birds of 15 species, most of which were this year's youngsters. Only one bird previously ringed was re-trapped, a Blue Tit ringed on 19/8/22.
The one Blackbird we caught was a male, as shown by the yellow bill and eye-ring, and the dark plumage. The bird had started its post-breeding moult, having replaced several of the old faded feathers with new black ones. It will continue moulting until it has replaced all of its old feathers, a process which will take about two months in total.
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| The yellow eye-ring & bill, and dark plumage, show this is a male Blackbird |
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| The Blackbird had started its main moult, with one Primary feather already almost full length and another growing. The Primary Coverts, above the large flight feathers, will be replaced at the same time. |
It was nice to catch two Linnets, a bird not often caught on the Wetlands, with only five having been caught in the last decade. Both birds had been hatched this year and had yet to start their post-juvenile moult, so maybe they had been hatched on site or at least nearby.
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| Juvenile Linnet |
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| The amount of white on the inner four Primary feathers can be used to sex a Linnet. Although the white does not reach the shaft on this bird, there is only a small gap, so this is probably a male. |
Ringed | Re-trapped | |
Blackbird | 1 | |
Blackcap | 1 | |
Blue Tit | 8 | 1 |
Cetti’s Warbler | 1 | |
Chaffinch | 3 | |
Chiffchaff | 3 | |
Goldfinch | 2 | |
Great Tit | 1 | |
Greenfinch | 6 | |
House Sparrow | 5 | |
Linnet | 2 | |
Long-tailed Tit | 2 | |
Reed Warbler | 2 | |
Song Thrush | 2 | |
Wren | 1 | |
40 | 1 |
