Day 1
This was the start of our four day ringing session, having arrived around 9.30 Thursday night. A 5am start was not good after still not totally recovering from the transatlantic jet lag. This turned out to be a fairly quite day for Icklesham, with only 155 new birds processed with nothing outside the expected species being trapped. We spent some time at the scrape and found Greenshanks, Wood and Green Sandpipers on passage.
Grasshopper Warbler
The scrape
Green Sandpiper
Painted Lady basking in the sunshine
That evening, a roost catch of 39 Sand Martins was made.
Total: 155 (31)
Sand Martin 1 + 39
Wren 2 (1)
Dunnock 0 (1)
Wheatear 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 70 (9)
Reed Warbler 30 (10)
Whitethroat 12
Garden Warbler 3
Blackcap 0 (3)
Willow Warbler 28 (1)
Chiff-chaff 1 (1)
Blue Tit 2
Jackdaw 2 (1)
Bullfinch 0 (1)
Reed Bunting 0 (1)
Day 2
We did Pannell Bridge area today as there
were quite a few of us present and we did 83 new birds, whilst the main site
processed 262 new and 63 re-traps, their best birds being a Nightingale, which
C extracted before we went to PB to set up, also two Tree Pipits. As we set off
to walk back we came across a Clouded Yellow outside the ringing hut.
Age 4 Sedge Warbler
Willow Warbler
Clouded Yellow
The scrape was buzzing with hirundines but the Swallows stayed away from the roost lures and only a modest catch of around 80 odd Sand Martins was achieved at the main site.
Swallows picking insects from a tree top at the scrape.
Total: 83 (18)
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 24 (3)
Reed Warbler 26 (13)
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat 6
Garden Warbler 2
Blackcap 3
Willow Warbler 16
Chiff-chaff 2 (1)
Bullfinch 2
Reed Bunting 0 (1)
Day 3
For day 3 we were back at the main site and
slightly more new birds were processed than yesterday with 269
new birds, the best birds being two more Tree Pipits and a single Pied
Flycatcher. A Nightingale was seen around the moth trap area first thing, but
not well enough to tell whether it was the ringed bird from the day before.
Pied Flycatcher
Total: 269 (34)
Sand Martin 2
Tree Pipit 2
Wren 2
Dunnock 0 (2)
Blackbird 0 (2)
Song Thrush 0 (1)
Grasshopper Warbler 3 (1)
Sedge Warbler 109 (13)
Reed Warbler 67 (9)
Whitethroat 16
Garden Warbler 7
Blackcap 2 (2)
Willow Warbler 50 (2)
Chiff-chaff 4 (1)
Pied Flycatcher 1
Greenfinch 1
Reed Bunting 1 (1)
Day 4
Again at the main site with a fairly small team kept us focused and active with 343 new birds, including two more Tree Pipits and a rather nice bright Wood Warbler.
Wood Warbler
Reed Warbler with randon white feathering on head and median coverts
The day warmed up nicely and a variety of butterflies were attracted to the buddlea bushes behind the ringing hut.
Large White
Total: 343 (73)
Tree Pipit 2
Wren 3 (1)
Dunnock 1
Robin 1
Robin 1
Blackbird 0 (3)
Grasshopper Warbler 4 (2)
Sedge Warbler 160 (29)
Reed Warbler 77 (31)
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat 27 (2)
Whitethroat 27 (2)
Garden Warbler 5 (1)
Blackcap 1 (2)
Wood warbler 1
Willow Warbler 63
Willow Warbler 63
Chiff-chaff 2 (1)
Blue Tit 1
Jackdaw 2 (1)
Reed Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 1