This session was carried out in almost perfect weather conditions for ringing. It was overcast and windless. The only problem was that the base temperature was unseasonably cold for the time of year, which tends to suppress the insect activity, which has a knock-on effect on the activity of the birds. I was helped in the session by Jonny Cooper and Ellie Jones and we were joined by Tim Jukes. Tim is a volunteer working with Jonny on his Braydon Forest Curlew Project and expressed an interest in finding out about ringing.
This year’s CES is shaping up to reverse the declining trend of the last few years. In each session so far this year we have processed 59 birds, compared to 31 birds processed in session 1, 2018 and 26 birds processed in session 2. There were plenty of highlights in this catch: a juvenile Song Thrush, our first newly-fledged Robins of the year (five of them) plus our first newly-fledged Chiffchaff:
I know this a serious blog – but isn’t that just so cute? We also caught a Dunnock that was fresh out of the nest. Perhaps the most encouraging catch of the morning was a female Cetti’s Warbler with a well-developed brood patch.
After an excellent year in 2015, with several youngsters ringed, we have had very few Cetti’s caught – and those we have caught have been males on territory. We caught a male earlier in the year, and have heard singing at every session this Spring. however, this is the first female that we have caught since 2015. I am hopeful that we will get proof of breeding and some fledglings in the next month or so.
The list for today was: Treecreeper (1); Blue Tit 1(1); Great Tit (2); Wren (3); Dunnock 2(5); Robin 5(3); Song Thrush 2; Blackbird (3); Cetti’s Warbler 1; Blackcap 2(5); Garden Warbler (3); Whitethroat 2; Chiffchaff 1(5); Willow Warbler 1(3); Bullfinch 4; House Sparrow 3; Reed Bunting 1. Totals: 25 birds ringed from 12 species; 34 birds recaptured from 11 species, making 59 birds processed from 17 species.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 