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November 2018 Sightings

24 Nov:  The last day of the ringing season at the Jews' Gate Field Centre produced 16 new birds ringed with 2 Robins, 3 Black Redstarts, a Blackcap, a House Sparrow, 8 Serins and a Greenfinch.

 

23 Nov:  Weather conditions for ringing improved and a total of 43 new birds were ringed and included 3 Robins, 22 Black Redstarts, 14 Blackcaps and 4 Greenfinches.

 

22 Nov:  Only a few nets were opened and a total of 20 new birds were ringed that included a Robin, 8 Black Redstarts, 2 Redwings, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, a Chaffinch and 3 Greenfinches.

 

21 Nov:  The Juvenile Cormorant was again present at Commonwealth Park, feeding on the Koi Carp in the pond.  A total of 14 new birds were ringed and included a Crag Martin, 4 Robins, 4 Black Redstart, a Sardinian Warbler, 3 Blackcaps and a Chaffinch.

 

19 Nov:  Overcast with heavy rain showers throughout the day.  Winds fresh westerly.  A juvenile Cormorant was present at the pond at Commonwealth Park.

 

18 Nov:  Cloudy with rain showers throughout the day.  Winds light westerly.  No ringing due to inclement weather conditions.

 

17 Nov:  Rain throughout the morning with some bright spells in the afternoon, but cloudying over in the evening .  Winds light variable becoming light to moderate westerly and by evening freshening with strong gusts from the west.  Only 27 new birds ringed in bad weather conditions.  These included 5 Robins, 3 Black Redstarts, a Blackbird, 10 Sardinian Warblers, a Chiffchaff, 6 Blue Tits, 6 Greenfinches and a Goldfinch.

A Puffin was seen and photographed at Rosia Bay.

 

16 Nov:  Overcast with a heavy levanter over the Rock, town and harbour.  Winds fresh easterly.  Three White Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail were present at Commonwealth Park.  A total of 86 new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 4 Robins, 21 Black Redstarts, 3 Song Thrushes, 4 Sardinian Warblers, 24 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, a House Sparrow, a Chaffinch, 9 Serins, 14 Greenfinches and 2 Goldfinches.

 

15 Nov:  Clear skies with a light easterly to light variable wind.  A Red-rumped Swallow and a Common Starling were observed in the vicinity of Bleak House.

 

14 Nov:  Levanter cloud over the town and harbour.  Winds moderate easterly.  forty-eight new birds were ringed and included 9 Robins, 12 Black Redstarts, 17 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Serins, 3 Greenfinches and a Goldfinch.

 

13 Nov:  Levanter cloud over the town with sunny spells in the afternoon.  Winds moderate easterly.  A Whimbrel was seen at the southern end of the South Mole.

 

12 Nov:  Heavy levanter cloud over the Rock dissipating by midday to give some sunny spells but with high westerly cloud most of the afternoon.  Winds light easterly to light variable.  the levanter cloud improved the catching rate with 70 new birds ringed that included 4 Robins, 20 Black Redstarts, a Song Thrush, 5 Sardinian Warblers, 30 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Serins and 5 Greenfinches.

 

11 Nov:  Clear skies with a light variable to light south-westerly wind.  A total of 45 new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 5 Robins, 8 Black Redstarts, a Blackbird, 5 Sardinian Warblers, 16 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, 8 Serins and a Greenfinch.

 

10 Nov:  Cloudy skies in the morning clearing mid morning to give sunny spells during the day.  Winds moderate westerly.  Another 39 new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 4 Robins, 5 Black Redstarts, a Blackbird, a Sardinian Warbler, 12 Blackcaps, a Chaffinch, 13 Serins and 2 Greenfinches.  A Common Sandpiper was seen foraging on the rocky shoreline by the Marina Bay area.

 

09 Nov:  Cloudy skies with a moderate westerly wind.  At the Observatory a total of 38 new birds were ringed and included 9 Robins, 4 Black Redstarts, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 16 Blackcaps, a Blue Tit and 6 Serins.  A Sparrowhawk and 7 Goldfinches were seen over the Rock.  The Raven was again seen at the top of the Rock.

 

08 Nov:  Cloudy skies with some sunny spells Winds moderate to fresh westerly.  Fifty-nine new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included a Grey Wagtail, 11 Robins, 11 Black Redstarts, a Song Thrush, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 21 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, 7 Serins and 4 Greenfinches.

A visit to the Europa Foreshore produced 7 Turnstones, 50 Black-headed Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, 4 Black Redstarts, a Chiffchaff and 16 Goldfinches.

 

07 Nov:  Cloudy skies with some sunny spells.  Winds moderate to fresh westerly.  Only 38 new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 9 Robins, 10 Black Redstarts, a Song Thrush, a Sardinian Warbler, 10 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Serins and 2 Greenfinches.

 

06 Nov:  Clear skies with some westerly cloud.  Winds moderate westerly.  A visit to the Europa foreshore around midday produced a Scopoli's Shearwater, 10 Gannets, 30 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Sandwich Terns, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, a Grey Wagtail, 6 Black Redstarts, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Serin and 9 Goldfinches.  At the Observatory a total of 73 new birds were ringed and included a Crag Martin, 19 Robins, 17 Black Redstarts, a Song Thrush, 3 Sardinian Warblers, 23 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Serins and 4 Greenfinches.

Twelve Cormorants, 16 Black-headed Gulls and a Grey Heron were present on the airfield, and 13 Black Redstarts 3 White Wagtails and a Sardinian Warbler were present at North Front cemetery

 

05 Nov:  Steady rain in the morningand a strong north-westerly wind.  No ringing took place.  There were 9 Cormorants and 6 Black-headed Gulls at the Western end of the runway.  A Common Sandpiper and 2 Black Redstarts were at Western Beach and 12 Black Redstarts, 2 Robins, 2 Chiffchaffs and a White Wagtail were seen at The North Front Cemetery.

 

04 Nov: Mainly clear skies with some westerly cloud.  Winds west to north-west.  In the early morning the road up to the Observatory produced 50 Black Redstarts, 50 Robins and a Sparrowhawk.  A total of 88 new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 30 Robins, 12 Black Redstarts, a Blackbird, 2 Song Thrushes, a Sardinian Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 30 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Serins and 3 Greenfinches.

At Europa Point there were 100 Scopoli's Shearwaters, a Grey Wagtail, a White Wagtail and 8 House Martins.

A total of 99 Griffon Vultures and a Black Stork flew over the Rock at midday.  The vultures returned north.  Also seen were 3 Swallows and the Raven.

 

03 Nov:  Clear skies with a light variable wind becoming light westerly.  A Sparrowhawk was seen from the Observatory, and a Dartford Warbler was observed on the firebreak on the Nature Reserve. A total of 58 new birds were ringed at the Observatory and included 8 Robins, 10 Black Redstarts, 7 Song Thrushes, a Redwing, a Sardinian Warbler, 28 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Chaffinch, and a Serin.

 

02 Nov:  Clear skies with a moderate westerly wind.  A Juvenile Imperial Eagle was seen soaring  over the Rock, and eventually was chased south by Yellow-legged Gulls.  A Brambling was seen with a flock of 50 Chaffinches over Princess Caroline's Battery, and a Raven was observed over the Rock.  At the Observatory a total of 39 new birds were ringed and included the second Dunnock for the autumn, a Black Redstart, a Song Thrush, 8 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 18 Serins and 8 Greenfinches.

 

A visit to Europa Point in the afternoon produced 320 Gannets heading west, a Cormorant west, 340 Scopoli's Shearwaters west with others on the sea, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Great Skuas, 2 west and one east, 18 Black-headed Gulls feeding below the Point, 29 Mediterranean Gulls, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 13 Audouins Gulls west, 50 Crag Martins and 8 Meadow Pipits.

 

01 Nov:  Cloudy skies with sunny periods.  Winds fresh northerly winds.  A Tawny Owl was heard at dusk at the Botanic Gardens.  Windy conditions were affecting the nets at the Observatory and only 16 new birds were ringed.  These included a Robin, 2 Black Redstarts, a Song Thrush, 11 Blackcaps and a Chaffinch.