Good Start

With a week of good weather {at Last} August has got off to a great start. 

A big thanks to Mark Fitzpatrick for his contributions to the group

Mark has been on his annual 2 week holiday on the island and has been ringing with me and on his own at various sites.

One of his sites was the dog mills reed bed, the site has been very quite this year but Mark persevered

and produced the first Sedge Warblers of the year for the group and a nice Juvenile Male Sparrowhawk

Also this week

127 New Linnets ringed

0ver 70 Swallows

 38 new Sand Martin and 1 Re trap from last year

3 House Martins 1 adult 2 Juvenile

The House Martin is one of the only birds to have feather on its legs
i read the reason for this was the altitude they fly at but i don't think we really know yet  

Young Sand Martins looking out of hole

House Martin being ringed

Two garden sites visited last week

 Mr and Mrs Colvin's garden produced 61 new birds mainly young Blue Tits, Gt Tits

and Chaffinch

Mr and Mrs Sloper's Garden produced 39 new birds mainly House Sparrow and Chaffinch 

Thanks again to both couples for letting us ring in there gardens

The first returning Wheatear was ringed at the Point of Ayre on friday, god it will be winter before we know it.