Wales, Sunday 8 June

Gary, Mick P, Duncan, Alex, Tom and I made the trip to Wales on Sunday to ring the Pied Flycatcher chicks. We had received varying reports about the season but generally they implied that the birds had arrived back and started laying over a longish period of time. This was borne out by what we found on site. The timing of the visit was about as right as it could be and we ringed 68 pulli Pied Flycatchers and 7 adults. We left 50 chicks unringed because they were too small, there were about 40 eggs still to hatch and 4 broods had fledged. We also did an adult Redstart but the two Redstart nests we found had eggs and small chicks. To end the day we mist-netted a Wood Warbler. Yet again there were no Buzzards nesting although there were a few around and Tom and I had excellent views of a Red Kite.

Kev

 Pied Flycatcher with 3 obvious juvenile greater coverts indicating a bird born the previous year. (G. Goddard)

Wood Warbler (G. Goddard)