Tony tipped me off that he would be ringing at Morton Bagot today, so I arrived relatively early but still missed about an hour's worth. The nets had been erected in the Red-backed Shrike field, and with very little breeze they were proving quite effective.
At one point it appeared that the Meadow Pipits which were the target of this morning's effort, were taking the piss.
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| Meadow Pipits perching on the nets meant to be catching them |
But the ringers had some tricks up their sleeves. A tape of Meadow Pipit calls and songs was luring passing birds into the field, and although they often perched on the nets and guide-ropes they soon dropped into the field. Periodically the ringers would march towards the nets, ending with a short sprint to encourage the birds into flight, some of which would forget about the nets they were previously standing on.
The exact number of Pipits was hard to establish. A total of 44 had been caught by the time I left, but I would say for every one caught, at least five evaded capture. I understood they hadn't retrapped any, so my personal count of 110 Meadow Pipits may be hundreds short.
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| Another Meadow Pipit laughing at us |
Eventually I decided to go for a wander. The nearest flash is now at the most visible its been for years, but contained hardly any water and no birds. Instead, the topmost of the new scrapes boasted the only water and mud, and delivered a Common Snipe.
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| Common Snipe trying to hide in plain sight |
Other migrants seen were six Swallows, seven House Martins, a Blackcap, and a Chiffchaff. At least 50 Goldfinches, five Skylarks, a Grey Heron, a Snipe, and two Kestrels shared the Meadow Pipits' field.
It will be very interesting to see how things develop when we finally get a prolonged period of rain.
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