Back on the Road Again

What did we do in our holidays? Wandered through mud, wind, rain more mud and more rain. This is the lot of the Scrub Bashers as we maintain the warbler habitat around Stanford Reservoir. Despite a consistently grim late winter, we did actually get out every weekend, and cleared growth from the Feeders in Blower's Bay through to the Point reed bed:

Heather and Jo in action at Box 20 ride

 

We pack up from the beginning of April, and actually get out to start ringing, a great relief all round. To date, we have had four sessions, with a total of 93 new birds and 117 retraps (plus one UK control, a Blackcap). Species from distant lands to arrive so far are Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, and Willow Warbler.

 

Lesser Whitethroat freshly back from Sub-Saharan Africa

 

It is particularly nice when birds we ringed in previous years come back to us. Returnees thus far are Sedge Warbler (1), Blackcap (6), Willow Warbler (13) and Chiffchaff (13)

 

Willow Warbler... come to Stanford for the long summer days

 

Anyway, we are looking forward to the return of various summer visitors, including Reed Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Cuckoo (it would be nice to ring one this year!),Wagtails and Pipits, and really any number of possibilities. The birds will soon be settling down to breeding, so watch this  space for more ringing related shenanigans. 

We are out most Saturdays, weather permitting, so do come and say hello, if you are interested in our work.