October 17th
We spent a sunny morning ringing on the Marshes south of the railway where our highlight was catching a Redwing that seems to be good candidate for the Icelandic subspecies of Redwing, Turdus iliacus coburni. It was a large dark bird with a wing length of 128mm compared to the other Redwings we have caught so far this autumn which ranged from 116-123mm. It was paricularly dark on the crown and cheeks, had strong flank streaks and very large and dark centres to its undertail coverts.

Icelandic Redwing

Other birds we saw included 6 Long-tailed Tits, 20 Redwings, 1 Blackcap, 1 Grey Partridge, 10 Song Thrushes, 1 Barn Owl, 47 Siskins W, 83 Lapwings, 98 Golden Plover, 1 Brambling, 22 Chaffinches, 8 Mute Swans, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Yellowhammer, 21 Skylarks, 2 Stonechats, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Merlin, 1 Grey Heron, 570 Starling flying W, 1 Snipe and 9 Corn Buntings.

First winter female Stonechat

Female Corn Bunting

Birds ringed 32: Long-tailed- Tit 6, Chiffchaff 1, Blackcap 1, Reed Bunting 16, Stonechat 2, Dunnock 2, Corn Bunting 2, Redwing 1, Blackbird 1.

Derek Smith was out all day between 0830 and 1800 and walked from Shuart along the embankment and on to Coldharbour, Plumpudding, Netherhale and Brooksend. His day's totals included 1 Merlin, 1 Sparrowhawk, 30 Lapwings W, 88 Skylarks NW, 18 alba Wagtails W, 65 Redwings and 23 Fieldfares W early on, 2 Ring Ouzels, one at Netherhale and one at Chamber's Wall, 550 Starlings W, 6 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler in the sycamores by the Shuart crossing, 9 Brambling and 138 Chaffinches W, 82 Siskins W, 23 Goldcrests and 16 Corn Buntings.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Derek Smith