Swallows

We deployed a full team last night at the pools for the Swallow roost and when Ian, Graham, Kim, Huw and I got to the pools the westerly wind was dropping and it was looking good for catching and ringing a few Swallows. We just needed there to be a few birds there. The weather over the past few days has been pretty poor and this tends to break the roost up as there isn't the turnover of birds due to a lack of birds migrating. Clear, calm days induce Swallows to move and when this happens large numbers of birds stop off at the roost site. We estimated that there was about 400 Swallows roosting and they came in quite late presumably taking advantage to feed as late as possible.

Swallow

We put two nets up in the reeds and caught a few birds before the roosting Swallows arrived. We ringed 57 birds as follows:

Swallow - 44
Sand Martin - 4
Reed Warbler - 5
Sedge Warbler - 1
Goldfinch - 1
Linnet - 2

Prior to the roost there was about thirty House Martins feeding over the pools with about ten Swifts. There was little on the pools other than a Little Grebe, three Coots, a Mute Swan and five Mallards. Swallows weren't the only birds roosting at the site and long before the Swallows came in 2,500 Starlings dropped in to roost. Starlings arrive at their roost at this time of year long before dusk and they leave the roost long after first light.

It's looking a bit unsettled this weekend, but hopefully I should be able to squeeze something in.