Thursday 30th June

0430 hrs at the Reservoir on the last day of June and the water was flat calm with a slight fog hanging over it.

Misty mist net

Masai, Webmaster and I erected single 40 ft nets along the water’s edge in the area from the Draw-off Tower past the first birdwatching hide to “The Orchard” (so called due to the presence of 4 crab apple trees, a greengage and a damson that were planted many years ago in the garden of a small dwelling - now long gone). 

Another ride at the water's edge

Only recently the water’s edge from the Tower to the Hide was lined with a mixture of tall trees, predominately sallows, and was pretty much devoid of birdlife.  Now, following a combined effort by members of the SRG in conjunction with the Northants Wildlife Trust, the area consists of fresh sallow growth and grasses such that insect and bird life has increased enormously – and testament to that was the day’s catch of over 100 birds in the very same area that produced 100+ last week.

Net ride amongst new sallow growth

We ringed 71 new birds and processed 40 retraps – not bad for an area that until the last two years was pretty much ignored!  Once again, Whitethroats were much in evidence with them representing 40% of the total catch.  The first 3J Song Thrush of the year, two more young Treecreepers, our second juvenile Marsh Tit and a sprinkling of warblers made it a worthwhile session to end the month on (retraps in brackets):

Wren 2,   Dunnock 2, Blackbird (2), Song Thrush 1

Sedge Warbler 6 (8), Reed Warbler 2 (1), Lesser Whitethroat 1 (1), Whitethroat 17 (9), Garden Warbler 6 (6),

Blackcap 9 (1), Chiffchaff 5, Willow Warbler 1,

 Long-tailed Tit 1 (3), Marsh Tit 1, Blue Tit 3 (3), Great Tit 1 (3)

Treecreeper 2 (1), Linnet 6, Reed Bunting 5 (2)

The Willow Warbler was of the race acredula – the second ringed by us at the Reservoir - the first was on 23^rd August 2008 and is documented on our web site click here

Northern Willow Warbler - 30th June 2011

Rain stopped play at 1100 hrs