Chobham Common - 22 July 2016

Original plans for summer ringing included trying for Nightjar from mid June - however both Chris and I were ill after our travels and lost at least three weeks out in the field.

We weren't sure whether we'd try at all this year but having a couple of keen trainees, we relented and went to one of our usual spots on the north side of the common. We arrived on site at 7.30pm and set two doubles along the path. This part of the common has no through pathways so no  one passed by to ask about our monitoring or read the notices placed by the nets.

It turned out to be a most worthwhile session, for our team of four (CHL, DKL, WA & LON) with three Nightjars captured - all from the same net between 21.40pm and 22.40pm.

 4M Nightjar

 Pattern of primaries on first 4M Nightjar.

 Another 4M Nightjar

 

 5F Nightjar

Total: 3

Nightjar - 3

Wraysbury GP - 17 July 2016

We were slightly apprehensive this morning as we'd heard that the fence keeping 40 or so ponies on land adjacent to the ringing site was down. On close inspection it had clearly been cut and folded back - and all the ponies were on the wrong side of the fence. Taking this into account we limited nets to just five - three of which could not be accessed by the ponies without us seeing them first. We hoped we'd hear the animals approaching, or see them before they got to the other two.

It wasn't too busy and there were plenty of extraction, processing and equipment handling opportunites for the trainees without too much pony wrangling.

Blackcaps made up more than 50% of the catch.

 3JJ Blackcap

 3JP Garden Warbler

The vandalised fence

Totals: 54 (6)

Wren - 1
Robin - 1
Dunnock - 4 (1)
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Reed Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 6 (1)
Garden Warbler - 6
Blackcap - 30 (1)
Chiffchaff - 5 (2)

Bedfont Lakes Country Park - 16 July 2016

Today we joined EP and LJB for a CES session at Bedfont. It was our first outing with new trainees WA and LON and the good weather conditions and steady supply of birds was just perfect for them to make some useful progess with extractions, handling and ringing.

The catch included Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat, species not regularly present in that area of the park, Sedge Warbler and Kingfisher.

Kingfisher aged 3

Totals: 26 (10)

Kingfisher - 1
Robin - 2 (1)
Wren - 3
Sedge Warbler - 1

Reed Warbler - 8 (8)
Lesser Whitethroat -1
Whitethroat - 2
Blackcap - 6
Chiffchaff - 1
Great Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (1)

Broadwater GP - 13 July 2016

The morning looked good for ringing at Broadwater but the team of four became just three when CHL had to work. Thankfully MRB and Margaret were kind enough to give me a lift since I have no transport when CHL has the car - but we were glad that we did go as numbers are really picking up now with a total of 67 birds, 31 having been caught around midday. There was a sharp shower at about twenty past 12, a little earlier than forecast, but the flock had already been extracted and bagged, so all birds remained dry and it was just ringers and equipment that got a bit wet during the rain.

                                              One of several 3JJ Chiffchaff captured today.

Stanwell GP - 9 July 2016

We spent the morning tidying up the rides at Stanwell. We hadn't been since May, down to travelling and sustained windy conditions - then there was the rain that fell throughout much of June and contributed to so much new regrowth. We had reeds shooting up close to the water, particularly in the lake end of the ride where it was thick enough to block the view to the lake. We checked to ensure that no birds had nested there since May, when the area had been clear, before taking the vegetation back to ground level. Other areas had thick vetch.

We put up one net for a short while and managed just three birds. The retrap had been present when we last visited in May and the two new birds were our first juvenile Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler for the year.

Totals: 2 (1)

Reed Warbler - 1 (1)

Sedge Warbler - 1

Titchwell, Norfolk - 4 July 2016

For the first time in a long while we decided to take a run up to Norfolk for the day. We went for the Great Knot, a long time after it first turned up but due to illnesses following our return from Azerbaijan this was our first opportunity since June 15th when we got back to the UK.

Every cloud has a silver lining - at least there shouldn't be too many people.

We were there before 11am and found the flock in a tight bunch on the freshwater scrape. There was a Peregrine around, disturbing the bunch a few times.

Knot flock

After searching through, the Great Knot was located towards the back of the flock.

Great Knot

Whilst enjoying views over a sustained period, we also noted down some colour-ring combinations on Black-tailed Godwits. One could be seen to be carrying a satellite transmitter.

Sleeping satellite tagged Black-tailed Godwit.

There were good numbers of Avocet. It looked as though a few youngsters had survived to this point in the breeding season, but comparatively few for the numbers of adult birds present.

 Adult Avocet

Well-grown chick Avocet

Amongst the Black-headed Gulls was a Mediterranean Gull and a Little Gull.

Little Gull

Other birds seen included some Spotted Redshanks, Redshank, Common Terns, Shelduck, Bearded Tit and Curlew Sandpiper. A couple of Spoonbills dropped in briefly.

Spoonbills.

Titchwell freshwater scrape

Broadwater GP - 24 June 2016

MRB, BC and Margaret were running a session at Broadwater so I joined them as I've not seen them for a good few weeks. Having a swollen ankle, I decided to remain at the base but timed my arrival perfectly as they were just about to release a bird that they felt I would want to see.

The Garden Warbler was already fitted with a ring from the French ringing scheme.

Garden Warbler 6739068

The captures were slow but steady with a rush of birds in the same net at the end, it looked as though birds were already starting to band into small feeding flocks.

Totals: 16 (3)

Robin -2
Dunnock - 2 (2)

Blackbird - 1

Garden warbler - 1 (1)

Blackcap - 1

Chiffchaff - 2

Long-tailed Tit - 1
Blue Tit - 1 

Great Tit - 2
Treecreeper - 2
Bullfinch - 1