Last Pied Flys Of The Season

Ian and I headed off to Bowland this morning to ring the last few pulli in out boxes in the Hodder Valley. We had a brood of 5 Pied Flycatchers and a brood of 4 Great Tits. There was a third Great Tit nest but the female was incubating tiny young that were too small to ring.

Below you will find pictures of both Pied Flycatcher and Great Tits chicks and adults, to illustrate how they change from what has to be fairly ugly chicks to attractive looking adult birds.

Before - Pied Flycatcher chick

After - Pied Flycatcher - male
(courtesy of Steve Young)

Before - Great Tit chicks

After - Great Tit - male

Walking round the woodland it was very quiet and it was obvious that a good number of birds had already left the woods. There was still the odd Blackcap and Willow Warbler, and a Kingfisher called from the river.

The weather forecast at the moment for tomorrow is looking poor with rain forecast so it is very doubtful that I'll get out anywhere. I might even get a lie in! What's one of them?