10 September 2011

Bahrain - Ringing at Alba Marshes

Yesterday I went ringing at Alba Marshes again with Brendan. It was quite windy and conditions were not good for catching birds but we put up two nets anyway for practice for me. Abdulla caught a couple of birds I had not ringed before and he very kindly let me ring them. One was a Common Whitethroat and the other a Common Chiffchaff. The Chiffchaff was a juvenile in very fresh plumage and appeared very yellow with pale legs. This bird if I had seen it in the field I would have been confident was a Willow Warbler but on wing measurements it was a Chiffchaff - another reminder that birding is full of surprises. We managed to catch two (Caspian) Reed Warbler and a Graceful Prinia.

Ringing Totals today:-
Common Whitethroat - 1
Common Chiffchaff - 1
(Caspian) Reed Warbler - 2 Graceful Prinia - 1
 Common Whitethroat (juvenile)
 Common Whitethroat (juvenile)
Common Whitethroat (juvenile)
Ringing Team (Left to right - Jem, Abdulla, Mubarak & Brendan)

Thanks to Howard King for allowing me to use his photograph (above) of us ringing at Alba Marshes.