ringing afternoon

After a nice restful morning, I ventured down to the New Passage, by the Severn Estuary to do some bird ringing. I met with Paul who helps me out and set up the nets in record time. Sedge warblers were singing everywhere!! Despite having them cornered we didn't catch a single one. Instead we caught two blackbirds (which we think were migrants rather than local), four reed warblers (males and females) and three dunnocks, including one which I ringed as a young bird last August. Swallows and house martin flew overhead, a lesser whitethroat sang out from nearby brambles and baby coots could be heard from the nearby pool. A lovely afternoon indeed and we packed up as the temperature dropped and the wind speed increased. Meanwhile, the view from my flat is glorious - all the trees are in leaf and everywhere is looking vividly green.