Army Ornithological SocietyGibraltar Ringer 6
With Carl and Ann Powell due out here shortly, the last thing I am going to mention is the weather. For a reasonable number of birds, we need an easterly wind and this is not due to return until the end of this week. Today started wet and got wetter until the early afternoon when the sun and wind helped to dry us out. We had managed a productive hour from first light picking up a steady flow of Sardinian Warblers, Pied Flies, Blackcap, Wrens, Iberian Chiffchaff and Blackbirds (never seen so many of the latter in one place), while watching the progress of squalls in the harbour below, the Bay, and the Straits further out. Anticipating trouble as the winds got up, it was a job to get all birds out and nets closed in time. In a break, and because we have yet to have a day without moving nets, we moved 2 unproductive nets from the bottom of the hill to the top. More emotional moments and all eyes on Mark and his teddy (see earlier blogs). At last the rain stopped, the sun came out and a female Sparrowhawk obligingly flew into an upper net. Not much causes me to run uphill but in this case and blowing out of every orifice, I caught her - a beautiful 2nd year female. The ringing day finished with an adult male Redstart in fresh and striking plumage.
Well, not quite the end of the day. A visit to La Linea and an 'all you can eat' Chinese restaurant was preceded by a viewing of White Storks nesting on platforms beside the road and a spiral of up to 40 birds over local wetland. Slept all the way back!
John Hughes | 30th Sep 2013 11:50 AM
Hi Roger, Julia and Mark,
The Blog makes great reading. I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday or Thursday.
I will bring with me the easterly winds.
Good birding
John
John N Wells | 2nd Oct 2013 07:41 PM
Thanks for a great insight to your exploits see you next week if you extend over to Sunday. Pleased I got Sue some new boots with the uneven ground. We are observers and non-ringers but happy tom do some Admin.Anything you need from the UK we can pack?