Back to Work

Sunday, August 29th 2021

Foxglove volunteers were back at work today, ringing at another site.  It was the last chance to ring the summer migrants before they head to their summer homes.  A juvenile Sedge Warbler was ringed.  These birds cross the Sahara to reach Africa where they spend our winter.

Reed Warblers weave their nests as a sling between two or three reed stems, and lay three to five eggs in it. Forming monogamous pairs, both parents raise the chicks, bringing them insects to eat. They are common victims of parasitism by cuckoos.

Bullfinches have made an appearance in the ringing room at Foxglove in quite large numbers.  Just to prove that some do live elsewhere a juvenile in moult was ringed.  It is changing its dull plumage to red, showing that it is a male bird.

Other volunteers have been out hunting the invertebrates at Foxglove.  Since the middle of August several volunteers have thought and been convinced that they had seen a Brown Hawker but it would not stay still long enough for final confirmation.  But time and patience resulted in a photograph. Thanks for this Tim.

Roger Key sent in his final list of species and included Berytinus signoreti, which although found all over the country is much rarer in the North.  The adults hibernate over winter.  This is a new species for the reserve.

Another new species for the reserve is Rhopalus subrufus.  This species is mainly found in southern Britain.  Possibly climate change is encouraging it to find new areas in the North.  It is often associated with St John's Wort of which there is plenty across the reserve.

Thank you to all our volunteers for your varied work at Foxglove.

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