Our first outing since returning to the UK and we met up with WA and LON to work C6. We were all stunned to see how much biomass had been cut and removed. We knew that some work was to be undertaken but not having been included in discussions about clearance work, as had been the case for the CES site with the lead ringer of that site, we were left feeling that the planned Whitethroat RAS was probably jeopardised, we had actually lost rides for three nets completely, there were now significantly fewer nesting sites and of course the amount of food for birds leaving in the autumn would be much reduced. The birds would not be moving through the site as they had done up until now.
No direct comparisons for these photos, but those brown patches used to be bramble clumps
of some 7ft tall.
We had been there since six but only put a few nets up some 90 minutes later as it took a while to come to terms with the changes. We tried a new double on ground that had been completely covered with bramble, another new double in a different area and an 18m in one of the remaining rides.
Eighteen birds were caught, one being a Magpie, a species not caught on this site for the last 4 and a half years and only five times since 2010 - a result of the changes perhaps.
Total: 12 (6)
Dunnock - 2 (2)
Whitethroat - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 6 (1)
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (2)
Magpie - 1
View from the gate to C4 and as it was.
No direct comparisons for these photos, but those brown patches used to be bramble clumps
of some 7ft tall.
Vast open spaces
Eighteen birds were caught, one being a Magpie, a species not caught on this site for the last 4 and a half years and only five times since 2010 - a result of the changes perhaps.
Magpie, aged five
Total: 12 (6)
Dunnock - 2 (2)
Whitethroat - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 6 (1)
Chiffchaff - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (2)
Magpie - 1