Reedbed Ringing

Some of the bird ringers spent a few hours at a reed bed on a different site and caught 65 birds including 12 Reed Buntings and 10 Reed Warblers. This adult male Kingfisher was a highlight of the morning, it was a new bird (one that had not been ringed before).

The cobalt blue on its back was striking and one of the features used to identify it as a male.

Another colourful bird was a juvenile Green Woodpecker. These stunning birds are the largest of the three breeding woodpecker species found in the UK and unlike the others they rarely drum on trees and prefer to feed on ants.

Although ordinary in appearannce, this Spotted Flycatcher was another unusual bird for the ringers to encounter. As the name suggests, they enjoy feasting on flying insects, which they catch mid-flight. Butterflies, moths, damselflies and craneflies make up this bird’s diet. Wasps and bees also feature, which it makes safe to eat by rubbing the sting end on its perch, removing it.

It was a fascinating ringing session with some very special birds including a Cetti's Warbler that had been ringed eleswhere (a control) and a new juvenile one too. It will be interesting to find out where the Cetti's Warbler was first ringed.