September 30th

We spent the morning ringing at Shuart and saw a good range of species while we were there including 3 Kestrels, 62 Lesser Redpoll flying W, 210 Siskins flying W, 7 Crossbills flying W, 57 Chiffchaffs, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 10 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Goldcrests, 3 Greenfinches, 1 Barn Owl, 10 Blackcaps, 9 Redwings, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Common Buzzard, 8 alba Wagtails, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Corn Bunting, 12 Chaffinches, 284 House Martins flying SW, 2 Grey Wagtails flying W, 7 Swallows, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 11 Skylarks and 60 Lapwings. 

Birds ringed 62: Chiffchaff 37, Wren 1, Goldcrest 1, Cetti's Warbler 1, Blackcap 12, Blue Tit 1, Great Tit 5, Reed Warbler 2, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 1.

Chris Tedder found a nationally rare Fire Bug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) at Chamber's Wall today. 

In his book "A Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain and Ireland" Paul Brooks writes "There is only one British species of bug sporting bright warning colours, Pyrrhocoris apterus Fire Bug which breeds on Oarstone Rock, a small island off Torquay, Devon where it feeds on fruits of tree mallow. There have been sporadic reports of probable immigrants from the mainland (or via dispersal from Devon) but they rarely become established, even then only for several years. Mating takes place in April and May and new adults mature by August. They are gregarious and are sometimes seen in numbers, particularly in spring. There are several established colonies in Surrey, Bedfordshire and Sussex. The bug also often feeds on the fruits of lime trees."

Fire Bug - Chris Tedder