21st December 2009 - Chesworth and More Gulls

Myself and Stuart went to Chesworth Farm this morning and were joined by young birder Alex Glossop who has taken a huge interest in ringing (pictured below with retrap woodpecker).
After struggling for almost an hour and a half opening the frozen solid nets we finally started catching birds which were all finches with the exception of a Song Thrush and a beautiful adult male Fieldfare (below). After this Stuart and I made a brief visit to Coot Pond in an attempt to catch another Greylag Goose but they were too wary so we had to settle for another adult male Mallard.
Meanwhile Jake managed to find the German ringed Black-headed Gull again at Southwater CP and Wes managed to read rings on two Herring Gulls at Warnham LNR. The first a metal British ring while the second was a white colour ring which seems to be one of the rehab birds from Mallydams RSPCA wildlife centre at Rye!
Birds ringed:
Chaffinch - 2
Goldfinch - 7
Lesser Redpoll - 1
Greenfinch - 12
Song Thrush - 1
Fieldfare - 1
Mallard - 1