January 17th

We spent another morning ringing on the Marsh and then walked out to Coldharbour. Birds we counted included 1 Barn Owl, 1 Water Rail, 433 Cormorants flying out to sea, 2 Grey Partridges, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 12 Tree Sparrows, 9 Yellowhammers, 60 Corn Buntings, 11 Goldfinches, 20 Chaffinches, 1 Kestrel, 500 Woodpigeons, 1 Peregrine, 1 Common Buzzard, 11 Mute Swans, 2 Marsh Harriers, 140 Skylarks, 1 Lapland Bunting, 260 Carrion Crows, 12 Shelduck, 25 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 74 Mallard, 50 Oystercatchers and 24 Wigeon.

Birds ringed 17: Reed Bunting 10, Robin 1, Dunnock 3, Song Thrush 2, Blackbird 1

On a cold but sunny afternoon we walked down a muddy West Brook Valley and saw 22 Rooks already at the rookery, 2 Corn Buntings, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Woodcock, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Jay, 1 Grey Wagtail and 20 Reed Buntings.
We then drove over to Brooksend where we found the Barnacle Goose still in the oilseed rape field with 29 Mute Swans.

This afternoon I received an interesting control of an adult female Reed Bunting we ringed at Shuart on 3/10/16. It was controlled at the Jersey Bird Observatory, CHANNEL ISLANDS on 17/12/16. This is 344 km SW.