Gannets

Gannets

Wednesday 2 November 2016

Landsort diary 2nd November 2016

A really awful day, with storm force winds blowing rain and sleet horizontally across the island for much of the day, before the wind eased to a 'calm' 13 m/s!!!
 
Apart from venturing out to fill the bird feeders there was not a lot of point in going out, but even that short trip had a reward. As I was filling the feeders something that I first thought was a leaf blew past me on the ground. It was in fact a soaking wet male Chaffinch that was being blown end over end across the ground before hitting the shed and lying upside down and seemingly dead. On picking it up I found signs of life and took it indoors where it spent the next 3 hours in a bird bag above an electric fire. As it dried out we gave it food which it tucked into with enthusiasm. Once dried and ring number noted (ringed here on 4th April 2014) and in a short break between sleet showers we released it and it flew off strongly, even if a bit reluctantly into the 'p**s bush'.
 
More work on old data today, watched a film and relaxed ready for getting the nets open again tomorrow with luck - two days not ringing is more than enough!!!
 
Just Chris & Kay at the Obs overnight.
 
  • Northeast
  • Storm, 25-32 m/s
  • 4
  • Haze, 1-4 km
  • Overcast, 8/8
  • Heavy rain

  • Sightings of interest
    • Barnacle Goose        Vitkindad gås      8    Flying overhead 
    •             (Being blown sideways by wind low over obs) 
    • Barnacle Goose        Vitkindad gås    60    Migrating SW 
    • Starling                     Stare                   50    Foraging

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