Singles of redwing and fieldfare appeared in the trees at the border of our garden, after we had finished recording an overnight moth-catch for the Garden Moth Scheme. The latter is the first we’ve seen here this fall.
Later, we had to visit Pembroke so looked around the millpond where it was good to see two rings of Black-headed Gulls. One is a 1CY Blue TJJ7 from Poland (Polish birds appear almost annually at Millpond) and an adult with a Helsinki metal ring in the museum. We think we were able to read all the digits, but this one needs to be confirmed. We don’t remember seeing a BHG from Finland at Millpond.
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| From various angles, we think we’ve read all the numbers on this very obliging Finnish-ringed bird. |
The number of waterfowl was fairly moderate, but included at least 29 little grebes, 38 mute swans, 92 mallards, at least 3 water rails calling the perimeter of the middle pond, 21 moorhens, 8 coots, &c .100 BHGs and 28 herring gulls.
Castle Pond may have been drained, so perhaps an interesting wader or two may appear there in the next week or so if the mud is exposed for a while.
