Broadwater GP - 9th September 2021

 On the 9th of September we worked our least wind affected site and got a session in before the clouds opened. We saw that the Blackcap numbers seemed to be rallying a little, with Chiffchaff numbers on the wane and only three Willow Warblers.

Least expected was a Lesser Whitethroat that appeared in the net just before we closed ahead of the rain. Thanks to MRB & Margaret for a very pleasant morning followed by a lovely lunch.

Lesser Whitethroat

Goldcrest

Total: 46 (5)

Wren - 1 
Dunnock - 0 (1)

Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Blackcap - 20
Chiffchaff - 14 (1)
Willow Warbler - 3
Goldcrest - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (1)
Blue Tit - 5 (2)

Wraysbury GP - 7th September 2021

 We arrived before 6am and noted that this was the first morning in a long while that we still had car headlights on at this time of the morning. The days are definitely shortening now, even if we have just entered a last minute heatwave as the summer draws to a close.

We got 6 nets up and hoped that the numbers would not be dipping too much now that the Garden Warblers and Whitethroats are all but gone. We took a decent first round, then captures dried to a trickle. Blackcaps were still the leading species with some recaptures of interest, and Goldfinch placing second with just 9 birds.

4M AHE4788, one of two retraps was ringed 21/07/2019 as a 3J. 

The asymmetrical occurrence of white feathers in the primary coverts

was particularly interesting.

3M Goldcrest

3M Blackcap Z763511 caused some consternation as we were using Z rings about 4 years ago but this bird most definitely presented as a first year bird. On checking DeMon all was well as the bird was not our own and ringed in June earlier this year, apparently by someone finishing up old ring strings.

Totals: 36 (5)

Robin - 2 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Song Thrush - 2
Whitethroat - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 24 (2)
Chiffchaff - 4
Goldcrest - 1
Blue Tit - 3
Great Tit - 1
Goldfinch -8 (1)

Stanwell Moor GP - 6th September 2021

 Set up with two singles, a double and a run of three. There was an early hit as birds came out of roost, then after that, catching slowed to a trickle. There was a good number of Blackcaps and Chiffchaff, with a smattering of other species. The best was probably our first Meadow Pipit of the season that appeared in a net where we were attempting to lure Chiffs. There were only two Whitethroat, one being a retrap of a bird ringed on 20th August. We attracted some 40 hirundine in a mixed flock but all evaded the net.

Meadow pipit adult completing main moult 5555555441

Totals: 60 (3)

Meadow Pipit - 1
Wren - 2
Robin - 2 (1)
Song Thrush - 1
Whitethroat - 1 (1)
Blackcap - 25
Chiffchaff - 21 (1)
Blue Tit - 5
Goldfinch - 1

Broadwater GP - 2nd September 2021

 At last, after months and months, we ran a normal session with CL, DKL, MRB and Margaret. As always, we worked outside, but with a shared base, nets, rings and birds. Despite the weather feeling more like October and the windy conditions we were able to erect 5 nets that brought us a catch of 75 birds.

We're noticing that many of the birds processed are retraps, including quite a few Chiffchaff.

Totals: 56 (19)

Robin - 1
Song Thrush - 2 

Cetti's Warbler - 1 (1)

Reed Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 11 (2)
Garden Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 11 (9)
Willow Warbler - 5
Long-tailed Tit - 6

Blue Tit - 11 (6)
Great Tit - 5 (1)

Treecreeper - 2

Broadwater GP - 31st August 2021

 A very breezy day with Broadwater the only site where ringing was possible, albeit some nets really were a bit on the blowy side. We limited the nets to the main run of a double plus single, and the bailey bridge.

There was a hit of a reasonably sized flock (encouraged by playing Blue Tit lures) so tits accompanied the phylloscopus warblers for which this site is especially good. 

Juvenile Willow Warbler

Totals: 74 (11)

Wren - 1 (1)
Robin - 3 
Blackbird - 2 (2)

Reed Warbler - 2
Blackcap - 16 
Garden Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 16 (3)
Willow Warbler - 10
Blue Tit - 15 (4)
Great Tit - 5 (1)

Treecreeper - 2

Wraysbury GP - 27th August 2021

 Another windy day when we expected only to be able to use three more sheltered rides. As it turned out the gusts were a little below what had been shown in the forecast and it was possible to get an extra two nets up, albeit in slightly too exposed positions that meant they were already being taken down by 10am as the blow freshened.

It made a real change, from the sessions of the last few weeks, to see birds moving about the site in numbers as the sun rose above the treeline and by the time we'd finished there were 82 captures. Blackcap was the leading species, 35 new and 4 retraps, a long stretch ahead of Whitethroat, 9 new and 2 retraps and Goldfinch, 9 new the next most frequently processed species. We really should have settled for 81 by 10:20am but the extra 50 minutes as we slowly brought in the last three nets did bring a single extra bird, the one and only Lesser Whitethroat of the day.

3JM Blackcap in Post-juvenile moult.

Sedge Warbler

Total: 74 (8)

Robin - 1
Dunnock - 4 (2)
Sedge Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 9 (2)
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Garden Warbler - 4
Blackcap - 35 (4)
Chiffchaff - 7
Willow Warbler - 1
Blue Tit - 1
Great Tit - 1
Goldfinch -9

Broadwater GP - 25th August 2021

Two teams worked the site today, one doing quite well and catching a roving flock while the other team were still on only 15 birds by 10am and, and this being the end of August when numbers should be higher, decided to pack up and go. The run of three nets next to the track through the site is the only place where reasonable numbers of birds tend to turn up in nets. The bailey bridge no longer gets many birds - possibly down to a change in the way birds use the site since HS2 work has been in progress.

3JJ Cetti's Warbler

Total: 60 (11)

Wren - 1
Robin - 3 (2) 
Dunnock - 0 (1)
Blackbird - 1
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 2

Whitethroat - 2
Blackcap - 11
Garden Warbler- 1
Chiffchaff - 11 (5)
Willow Warbler - 7
Goldcrest - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 4 (1)
Blue Tit - 12 (2)
Great Tit - 1 (1)