Magpies Galore

This morning saw me out for a short ringing session with 2 other members of the Sorby Breck Group at the private site in Sheffield. We arrived to quite a stiff breeze, but decided to put just two nets up in the most sheltered spots, and were rewarded with 25 birds of 9 different species.

My personal totals were (new/retrap): Blue Tit 4/1, Dunnock 2/0, House Sparrow 1/0, Blackbird 1/0,Chiffchaff 1/0, Magpie 2/0 and Goldfinch 1/0.

As before, most of today's catch consisted of young birds, including this Goldfinch, which is just beginning to moult into its adult plumage.

Goldfinch

 

I also managed to ring not one, but two new Magpies this morning. Unlike my first, one of today's managed to draw blood!