Tree pipits reach 19 for the summer

All the wet weather has really put paid to much mothing, ringing or birding over the last few weeks which has been probably a good thing in that I’ve got the Lancashire Bird Report finished off and at the printers ready for a frantic delivery dash next weekend. The garden is taking shape albeit slowly but most of the plants should be in place by the end of the week and we can start to use it again!
 
Yesterday, Bernie and I paid a visit to Eccleston Mere where we managed to catch up with the American Black Tern that had been floating around the area for a couple of days. It had disappeared just before we got there and several people made their way up to the site and then turned around but we decided to stick it out a little longer and were rewarded with some great views. Of course, I didn’t take my camera! Doh!
Tree and Meadow Pipit
 
Sunday evening saw me and Mark join Richard at the Melling Swallow roost where we caught around 60 birds before they settled in for the night. That’s the third session I’ve done there this autumn – always a great sight to see hundreds of hirundines circling above a crop field before diving down and swooping low over the tops of the maize.
This-morning it was ringing time at Mark’s place and finally got my hands on a Tree Pipit, the 19th ringed for the site this year! The catch was augmented somewhat by 18 Siskins plus 8 re-traps – they’ve certainly done well this year. At least another two Tree Pipits flew over the netting area so goodness knows how many have passed here in the last month.

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