Dartfords usually begin egg laying in mid April hence the reason for this being our last try to ring any located and recorded via map reference where possible, although there may be further observational visits.
We first set a double of two panel nets at a site where a pair were seen along with a male Stonechat. We managed to catch the female, but the male evaded us and the Stonechat managed to disappear completely.
4F Dartford D710932
As the Easterly wind freshened we tried another spot where the net was in the lea of a substantial clump of gorse. The male that initially attracted us to the spot by perching atop a conifer some 10ft from the ground managed to skirt around the net a couple of times and although we caught a female Coal Tit, we took down since the net was just too obvious and the bird too canny.
Out last attempt was not far from the first. We saw a pair of Stonechats and a couple of Dartfords but the closest we came to a capture was a Magpie ( that we really didn't want in the fine two panels anyway) that skimmed the gorse bushes along which we had set.
We were all off site and reached the Old School Cafe well before closing time for lunch and a celebratory piece of cake for both Denise's recent birthday and ringing 8 new Dartfords since the start of the year.
Totals: 2
Dartford Warbler - 1
Coal Tit - 1