We started the day with ideas of where to put nets in addition to the three above water in the reed-bed and two on the track. These five were all in place quite quickly. We are very careful about covering too broad an area since fishermen have access along the river that boarders the site and there have always been trespassing issues along the path by the river, although increased operations at the recycling plant seem to have deterred most other than a few dog walkers and bored boxless kids in the school holidays.
The site foreman stopped by while patrolling the site so I went to look at the reed-bed nets before doing anything else. It was disturbing to find a khaki-clad figure standing at the end of our net. I asked ' Can I help you?' only to find, as he turned round, that he was holding a Reed Warbler with the netting still attached and a pair of scissors. 'Why are these birds in a net?' was answered by ' I monitor the birds here on behalf of the land owners, give me that bird because you don't know what you're doing, you could injure it and that is a very expensive net you just cut into'. ' How am I supposed to know that?' drew the response, 'This is a private site, you shouldn't even be here. What do you think you're doing?'There was plenty more I wanted to say, but at that point he decided to leg it down the ride and into the Willow carr!
At least he won't be cutting our nets with these again.
Who takes a pair of scissors out on a walk anyway?
Thankfully the bird was unscathed. It appeared to be just the one hole in the net. He probably didn't want to get wet feet. Some people just don't read the signs.
Having finally got close enough to Chris to shout what had happened, he went looking for the guy but he could not be found. After that, we stuck at the five nets already up, with a bit of time watching the LRPS from a distance to see whether they might be more than two chicks. We couldn't see any but they are definitely there. and the parents are doing a very good job.
Juvenile Linnet
Totals: 15 (3)
Robin - 1
Blackbird - 2
Song Thrush - 2
Reed Warbler - 1 (3)
Blackcap - 2
Blue Tit - 5
Linnet - 2
The old recycling heaps that were cleared, flattened, resurfaced with topsoil and grassed at the start of 2018 now offer cover to foraging birds and insects alike.
Black-tailed Skimmer
Hairy Dragonfly
Emperor Dragonfly
Small Heath
Common Blue
Holly Blue
Gatekeeper