It is pretty amazing that we are still picking up so many birds every weekend at our ringing site. This saturday we managed over 100 birds again with 58 rung. Most of the species were limited to tits and finches although 2 late blackcaps and a redwing were trapped. Lots of birds were on the move overhead with 1000 redwings, several hundred song thrush, bramblings and lots of starlings. Star bird was a calling yellow-browed warbler between two of the net rides but uunfortunatly is managed to evade capture.

Things have been very quiet on the garden ringing front for a couple of months now. Nets have been open for hours and not a bird caught. Playing tapes seems to bring in the birds on our other sites so I have bought a CD player and played some calls for the first time today....what a difference if makes!

Between 7am and 12pm I caught 54 birds, the most ever, and birds were coming is from everywhere. By the end of the morning I had ringed 2 dunnock, 18 goldfinch, 4 blackbird, 10 blue tit, 7 great tit, 1 robin, 2 chaffinch, 3 greenfinch, 7 coal tit (2 un-rung birds present this evening) and this cracking 1st winter siskin.

The most surprising species were the coal tits. I have recently seen 2 birds in the garden (trapping one) but it was real surprise to catch so many. There must be at least 10 birds about and possibly migrants.

Didn't manage to get much birding done this weekend as I spent most of it helping out a Countryfile film crew at Snettisham get some footage of the knot flocks for an autumn special (Oct 31st if interested). Did get the chance to have a quick look at the Coastal Park with 2 brambling and a ringtail hen harrier the highlights.

Black redstart (189) near the beach on Monday was the latest addition to the yearlist but I have missed long-eared owl and shorelark in the last few days.