This year has been, well let's say challenging, in terms of weather. It's been various combinations of wet, cool and windy for most of the spring and into summer. This has limited opportunities and access, but now- in mid July- it has, to some extent settled down. Over the last 10 days, we have pretty much covered the main ringing areas, from Blower's Bay, to the Railtrack, out to Point, and into the Leicestershire Reed-bed. Here are some pictures from over the last week, to give an idea of the sites and range of activities:
Mick, Pete B and our new trainee Josh in action in the Bay
Line of four nets at Point... birds waiting to be extracted and ringed.
Mick checking the credentials on a French Reed Warbler, breeding here in the Northants reed-bed.
Meanwhile over in the Leics reed-bed, the team of Adam, Dave, Stuart and Josh were busy putting up nets and getting some nice birds too (see above, I didn't think this one needed a caption). And in the same day as the French Reed Warbler, they controlled a Belgian one. Zut alors!
With love, all the way from Belgium
Adam and the nest box team have also been busy, ringing lots of Blue and Great Tits, but some rather more glamorous species too:
Destined for beauty, but possibly not quite there yet; three Barn Owl chicks.
Finally, here is a summary of the birds ringed thus far. The first number is for birds ringed, the second in brackets for retraps: Barn Owl 7, Blackbird 15 (33), Blackcap 212 (72), Blue Tit 365 (95) Bullfinch 5 (4), Carrion Crow 1, Cetti's Warbler 2 (19), Chaffinch 21 (3), Chiff 150 (98), Common Tern 11, Dunnock 62 (93), Garden Warbler 45 (67), Goldcrest 8 (1), Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 (3), Great Tit 198 (65), Goldfinch 29 (3), Greenfinch (1), Jackdaw 19, Jay 1, Kingfisher 1, Lapwing 4, Lesser Whitethroat 54 (11), Linnet 29 (11), Long Tailed Tit 14 (23), Mute Swan 1, Pied Wagtail 4, Redwing 1, Reed Bunting 60 (66), Reed Warbler 142 (95), Robin 59 (34), Sedge Warbler 47 (64), Song Thrush 7 (27), Spotted Flycatcher 1, Stock Dove 3, Swallow 22, Treecreeper 20 (2), Whitethroat 70 (61), Willow Warbler 40 (58), Wren 56 (35).
So that is 39 species so far. The record for the site is 69 so there is some way to go as yet... watch this space.
