The Swallows kept on coming..

Over the past couple of weeks, the east yorkshire coastline has certainly had it's fair share of autumn migrants, with the odd mega here and there. So with 3 consequetive trips made, it was time to have a rest from the place and do some ringing back home.

On Tuesday 7th September, in the late afternoon, I met up with Kane Brides, Stephen Christmas, Craig Brookes, Ciaran Hatsell and Jenny for a night at their swallow roost site. Arriving around 7pm, 5 nets were erected surrounding the roost site and with the tape recorder set, it was time to stand back and watch the roost descend from the skies and down into the roost. It didn't take long for the swallows to arrive, with an estimated count of around 200 swallows, hopes were high for a sufficient catch tonight.

84 Swallows caught including 2 controls, 2 Sand martin and 1 Yellowhammer. With this catch, the total number of swallows caught by Steve and Kane this autumn, comes to 558 new birds. Well done guys! See Kane's blog for more info @ http://birdringing.blogspot.com/

The following morning, myself, Ciaran and Kane went to set up one of their feeding stations ready for this winter. A secluded site with a lot of potential. Nettles were cut down with a net pole, several branches lopped out of the way and it soon became a rather interesting net ride. Cereal fields at the back and woodland all around, it sure looked the part. You can more or less see where the feeding station will run.
After finishing helping them with the feeding station, it was time to go and have a look for 3 Black terns {1adult+2 Juvs} at Seaforth LWT. After spending an hour looking for them, both on Seaforth and Crosby, it was clear that they had most likely moved on. Yellow wagtail and a 1st-summer Little gull over Crosby was rather nice, with the odd Common tern, but still no more yearticks since the Wryneck at Spurn point.