Chobham Common - 6th August 2017

It's a while since we did Chobham so we went along this morning. We caught three Chiffchaffs in the first half hour, followed by a Dartford Warbler. It was generally quiet and there were few Stonechats, Dartford Warblers or much else in our immediate area, although some were seen in a sheltered area close to the railway.

After a gap of over 90 minutes we got some more captures with a couple of Willow Warblers, a Great Tit and a Goldcrest. It was just a few birds for our efforts, so it could be a while before we try another morning session - the heather was stunning in the August sunshine.

There were a few Graylings along the path

Totals: 8

Dartford Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 3
Goldcrest - 1
Great Tit - 1

Wraysbury GP - 5th August 2017

The wind speed looked good enough for Wraysbury, but there were showers that were not forecast during setting up so we reigned in and kept it down to six nets as it was just the two of us.

We had 15 species - the most unusual capture being a juvenile Moorhen that was found in the ride by the lake at 10.20am. Chris was able to pick it up as it slept and after checking for any injuries or other reasons not to ring it, it seemed fine and the ring was duly fitted. It went off without any problems, the first Moorhen to be ringed on C6 and the second ever for Wraysbury.

  Moorhen aged 3

There was also a young Great Spotted Woodpecker, a species that is infrequent in the Wraysbury nets.

Numbers of Whitethroat and Garden Warbler appear to be trailing off, but there were a couple of Willow Warbler, four Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest. Singles of Linnet, Goldfinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit also helped to raise the species count.

Age 4 Garden Warbler Z956235 ringed on site as a juvenile in Sept 2016

Totals:  70 (12)

Moorhen - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Wren - 2

Dunnock - 2

Robin - 4 

Blackbird - 4
Song Thrush - 2 (1)

Whitethroat - 13 (5)

Garden Warbler - 10 (3)

Blackcap - 19 (1)

Chiffchaff - 4 (2)

Willow Warbler - 2
Goldcrest - 2
Goldfinch - 1
Linnet - 1

Blue Tit - 1

Great Tit - 1

Broadwater GP - 2nd August 2017

Another cloudy morning with the threat of showers. CL, DKL, MRB and DKL reduced the usual number of nets due to spots of rain during setting up, and this a day when rain was not expected in the morning.

MRB was hopeful of some Willow Warblers amongst the catch and was not disappointed. The net in a ride, newly cut this year, that we have named 'Cheeky 40' brought some more Reed Warblers and the well established 'Secret Garden' continues to under perform as birds fail to find the net.

The total of 47 contained far too many tits, and migrant warblers were less abundant than we had hoped.

3JP Blue Tit

Great Tit 3J in post-juvenile moult including

the tail.

Great Tit 3J, just starting its post-juvenile

moult, from a late or second brood

 Totals: 44 (3)

Blackbird - 1
Wren - 1
Dunnock - 1
Robin - 1
Reed Warbler - 4
Blackcap - 5
Garden Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 5 (2)
Willow Warbler - 5
Goldcrest - 1
Blue Tit - 6 (1)
Great Tit - 13

Wraysbury GP - 1st August 2017

The wind was low enough to get some time in at Wraysbury this morning, allowing the two trainees a last bit of practise before their ringing course. We had seven nets up and a limited window of opportunity as showers were due later in the day.

3J Whitethroat S443613, 

We captured a total of 70 birds, 56 new and 14 retraps, between 6.20am and 11.40am. Leading species was Garden Warbler with 18 new birds. Whitethroat numbers were disappointing and the number of birds as a whole was perhaps a reflection of the recent habitat changes.

 3J Magpie EX67333

Pattern of outer primaries diagnostic 

of a juvenile bird

A Magpie allowed for useful extraction experience for WA and LON ringed it. We also had our first Willow Warbler for the year on C6. 

Totals: 56 (14)

Dunnock - 1 (1)

Robin - 4 (1)

Blackbird - 1

Sedge Warbler - 1

Reed Warbler - 2

Lesser Whitethroat - 0 (1)

Whitethroat - 8 (3)

Garden Warbler - 18 (1)

Blackcap - 10 (7)

Chiffchaff - 3

Willow Warbler - 1

Blue Tit - 2

Great Tit - 1

Magpie - 1

Goldfinch - 2

Linnet - 1  

Stanwell Moor GP - 31st July 2017

We made a short visit to Stanwell today. Nothing put up in the reed bed, just a couple of nets in the spoil heaps area to see whether much was moving through the site today. It was as we had expected with much less movement, perhaps due to the windy conditions, than on past dates. There was too much noise to get any interest from the few hirundines around and most captures were Whitethroats.

Juvenile Whitethroat

Totals: 14 (1)

Robin - 1
Whitethroat - 10
Garden Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 1
Great Tit - 0 (1)

Broadwater GP - 30th July 2017

We'd arranged to meet LON at Broadwater, our most sheltered site and got six nets up under a sky that threatened rain despite there being none in the forecast.

The birds were slow to get moving after a night with some very heavy rain, but amongst the first songs heard was that of Willow Warbler, a species not yet captured on site this year.

Wilwa JRK110, first of the year

Over the course of the morning we processed just over 40 birds including some Willow Warblers, amongst the usual Chiffchaff and Blackcap, also some Reed Warblers with a control from the Runnymede Ringing Group Bedfont site. We also had a young Cetti's Warbler too.

Z763146, ringed Bedfont 5th June 2016 as a 4M.

There was a heavy shower not long after noon but in anticipation we had already packed up and were on our way to the cafe before it became a real problem.

Totals: 35 (7)

Wren - 1 (1)
Robin - 4
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 4 (2)
Blackcap - 7
Garden Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 7 (3)
Willow Warbler - 4
Great Tit - 3
Blue Tit - 3 (1)

Stanwell Moor GP - 29th July 2017

Not a very promising day, a bit windy in the morning and showers forecast for the afternoon. We weren't sure whether we'd go at all but eventually arrived on site just after 10am. The reed bed was well sheltered and the track net wasn't too affected either. We started off with five nets, but one just wasn't catching anything so that came down towards the end of the first spell of light showers.

The track net worked well and from the numbers of Whitethroat and Garden Warbler caught in such a short space of time it seemed that these species were definitely on the move today.

There wasn't too much going on in the reed bed with just a few Reed Warbler, one Sedge Warbler and a juvenile female Cetti's Warbler.

The first showers were light and eventually ceased but a second approaching band of showers looked  heavier and nets were taken in before 2pm.

Juvenile Lesser Whitethroat

Adult Sedge Warbler

Adult Reed Warbler

Totals: 31 (1)

Songthrush - 1
Dunnock - 1
Robin - 3
Cetti's Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 3 (1)
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Whitethroat - 11
Garden Warbler - 7
Blackcap - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 1