Sunday September 14 - Morton Bagot

 I was up before dawn this morning. The ringers were due to be active at Morton Bagot, and they're always early. I arrived just in time for their first net round, which was lucky as it turned out.

Kirsten, a trainee, casually mentioned she had a Reed Warbler in her bag as we walked back to the processing table. This would be only the second one I had seen here this year, so I was very pleased to see that she was right.

Reed Warbler

I hung around for about half an hour, so was able to see several Blackcaps and a Whitethroat in the hand before I sloped off.

Whitethroat

My excursion to the flash field was not without its merits. The highlight was a Yellow Wagtail which called as it flew over the trees I was under in the gallery. I didn't see it. 

I counted 15 Snipe (mostly on the mown field next to the nearest flash), 38 Teal, 40 Mallard, two Lapwings, and four Green Sandpipers.

There was a little bit of overhead passage comprising two Grey Wagtails, a few Meadow Pipits, a few Swallows, and at least two Siskins, in addition to the aforementioned Yellow Wag. A single Whinchat was in the old dry pool field, but I didn't have time to check whether there might be more. Reed Buntings seemed to be more obvious than usual, and I counted at least six.

On rejoining the ringers I found they were looking very pleased with themselves, and they promptly pulled a Treecreeper out of the bag to process it. The species is fairly common here, but doesn't often blunder into a mist net.

Treecreeper

That should have been the end of my morning's birding as I had to go home to assist Lyn, but luck was to deal me another bird.

As I approached my car, several Jackdaws I was watching looked urgently alarmed. More took flight, and I guessed there was a raptor about. It turned out to be an immature Goshawk which approached across the dragonfly ponds before gaining height and heading away towards Clouse Wood. Immediately on seeing its streaked breast and rounded tail shape I swung my camera in its direction and managed two pretty disappointing shots before it was gone.

Goshawk

Goshawk

You never know quite what you're going to get with these hurried record shots. Unfortunately the first shot when it was closest missed any view of its underside completely, while in the second one it's too far away to detect the breast streaks.

It was about the size of a Carrion Crow, so probably a male. I think the pictures do convey the long, broad based wings quite well, and in the second one you can see the low slung belly they should show.

I think this is my first here this autumn.