Friday 18 October 2013

Bangor Mountain - 18th October 2013

Did a spot of ringing/vis-mig up on Bangor Mountain this morning with light SE and overcast, so was optimistic for both.
Vis-mig highlights were 2 Crossbill and a Brambling plus a nice array of Redwings and Song Thrush overhead

Ringing was relatively quiet but still managed 12 new birds and a recap Long-tailed Tit.
4 juvenile Goldcrest
3 Great Tit
3 Blue Tit
1 adult Chiffchaff 'collybita'
1 juvenile male Blackbird

The Chiffchaff was a real treat as it's only the 2nd I've caught whilst having a C permit, and both of this have been outside of the breeding season, so hopefully this bird will stick around over winter.

HOWEVER! I had a bird fly over that kind of made the day and spoilt it at the very same time!
I was ringing at the time and heard a very shouty, loud and metallic schreep call.
I've had Red-throated Pipit call set as my phone alarm for the last year and a half (after returning from Sweden when I saw/heard 2) and when the bird called, i kid you not, I went to turn off my phone alarm. It was a very distinctive call that tapered out at the end rather than stopping abruptly. (Sounded quite like a squeeky toy)
I then picked the bird up in flight and it was a thin bodied pipit with a relatively undulating flight.
The bird called 5 times and headed strongly East.

I obviously know that there is a very close similarity to Tree Pipit and Olive-backed Pipit, but I've always thought of Red-throated Pipit as being a lot more distinctive from the other two.

I didn't get any recordings and therefore guessed it wouldn't get accepted, told a few locals to keep their ears out and left it as that. I didn't expect it to get put out on Rare Bird Alert though....

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