Caythorpe, 21 July

I managed a couple of hours ringing at Caythorpe this morning before work. A good session resulting in 11 new birds and 1 retrap.

The majority were Whitethroat with 1 adult and 5 juveniles caught. I wonder if this was a family party.
This gave a great opportunity to compare the eye colour and the feathers of different ages; the pristine feathers, dark eye and fault bar of a 3JP and the well worn feathers and lighter eye of the 4FM (with a primary moult score of 6 and brood patch score of 4).

Other new birds were 1 Dunnock, 2 Yellowhammer, 1 Greenfinch and 1 Swallow.

The retrap was Jim's swallow (again). As mentioned in an earlier blog this was ringed as a pullus in 2008 approximately 5km (3 miles) away, as the 'swallow' flies.
Thanks as always to the landowner, Wilma.
Mick