Not a proper sortie, but after a meal with our son and staying in Reading dropped in hoping for Brown Hairstreak.
Most of the flowers had already gone over and despite very careful hunting only one, with a damaged wing, to Chris' disappoint, could be found.
Time then to head home navigating numerous hold ups and diversions.
It's been so awkward finding consistently good conditions to see Scotch Argus and manage it is a day we decided to book a few nights away and take a couple of days over it.
28th July
We drove up on the 28th, a five hour drive and began with Arnside Knott.
We found a few near the tops, mostly hidden in the grass. This site has ticks and I picked up a great deal, them presumably being attracted to my pale trousers that might be mistaken for a sheep. With trousers tucked into socks, most were on the outside of my clothing. Chris got rather less.
Today's efforts focused on getting some Stonechats for the project in the late afternoon, then a try for Nightjar joined by PWL and FJS.
We found a creche of Stonechats and managed two, caught in two panel nets despite the rather windy conditions. Ringing efforts resumed at 19:30 and two doubles were put up. The wind calmed, and we saw a few birds flying around, with one actually on the track just feet from one net when we went to turn on the audio-lure. That bird managed to evade the nets, but a second male was caught where flying Nightjars and a Woodcock had been seen in the failing light.
The 6M bird had some unusual light markings on a few lesser coverts.
Total: 4
Nightjar - 1
Stonechat - 3
Every year, about this time, we do a few evening sessions down near the Sand Martin bank. This is the first year that there has been any interest at the bank at all but numbers never really built up and the few birds there eventually lost interest. So, it was just a matter of seeing if Swallows roosted and picking up a few Reed Warblers moving towards the scape before the end of the day.
We caught 21 new birds, mainly Reed Warblers with a couple of Sedge Warblers, three Reed Buntings that were marked with darvic rings and an unexpected Grasshopper Warbler. He was still in breeding condition and had not begun any form of post breeding moult. Grasshopper Warbler has been reported as heard from this area very recently and we suspect he is still hoping to find a mate and has not bred.
There was a group of 30 or so Swallows overhead but they departed and roosted elsewhere. Not really a surprise with so many suitable roost sites nearby. The presence of a Sparrowhawk will not have assisted with encouraging them to roost.
Total: 21(4)
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Reed Bunting - 3
Reed Warbler - 13 (4)
Sedge Warbler - 2
Our second session of the day, this time at Ingoldisthorpe. Nets were put up between the lagoons in preparation for roosting Wagtails and Swallows. We also discovered that Greenfinch are roosting in the stand of low trees just next to the lagoon complex.
We started ringing birds at 7pm, just after the two doubles and a single had gone up. As the evening drew on, bird activity increased with some birds visiting the ponds to drink and switching from one lagoon to another, and others preparing to roost. It was interesting that both Pied Wagtails and Swallows favoured the most westerly ponds containing water that has already been filtered through at least three ponds earlier in the process before water from the sewage works is returned to the chalk stream. There were plenty of reeds in the other ponds, but the cleaner water seemed to be preferred. We were very pleased to get 77 of 12 species, and just for once get onto a second recording sheet.
Unfortunately the light wasn't too good for photos once the roosting birds came in, but here are some from earlier in the evening.
Total: 72 (5)
Blackcap - 6
Blue Tit - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Greenfinch - 8
Pied Wagtail - 12
Reed Bunting - 3
Reed Warbler - 9 (3)
Sedge Warbler - 9 (2)
Song Thrush - 1
Swallow - 17
Whitethroat - 4
Wren - 1
The forecast shows a brief spell with no rain, moderate temperatures and little wind so we decided to capitalise on the conditions and did the first of two sessions for today. We had two doubles and two single nets up in the beavers' enclosure and considering how quiet it felt were surprised to finish the morning on 51 birds.
The beavers have been taking more small trees done near one of the net rides, but for now they have left us enough vegetation to disguise the nets.
There was a good number of youngsters about, including some very immature Sedge Warblers that were returned to where captured. About 20% of the catch had been ringed before, and that was pleasing. We felt this was a good return for our effort and we wonder what catches might be, once we're able to use audio-lures next month.
Total: 41 (10)
Blackcap - 5
Blue Tit - 9 (2)
Chiffchaff - 3(1)
Dunnock - 2
Great Tit - 1 (1)
Marsh Tit - 1
Reed Warbler - 2 (1)
Robin - 2 (2)
Sedge Warbler - 6 (2)
Whitethroat - 2 (1)
Wren - 8
This bird being somewhat closer than the one that turned up in Fife a short while ago, we decided to go and see it. The heat haze was bad but the bird showed well and the farmer had allowed parking in a nearby field making life in the narrow lanes around the site much easier. With a mainly well behaved group hoping to see it (just the usual few photographers that had to push on closer as usual) it was one of the more civilised twitches we've been at.
Then a little while looking for damselflies and butterflies at Dry Sandford and Parsonage Moor before the drive back.
