As regular readers will know, I have been bemoaning the complete lack of Whitethroats at Lower Moor Farm so far this year. I am delighted to say that it was rectified a little this morning:
In fact, this morning’s session was the best I have had at the site so far this year. The first bird out of the net this morning was my first Sedge Warbler of the year:
It was a really good run of warblers throughout the session. The only one that I expected to catch but didn’t was a Cetti’s. So I had Reed, Sedge, Blackcap, Garden, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow. Very happy with that. Small numbers of each, but the best single catch of Sedge Warbler at the site.
The list for the day was: Kingfisher (1); Treecreeper 1(1); Blue Tit 4(1); Wren 1; Dunnock 1(1); Robin 4; Blackbird 2(1); Sedge Warbler 4; Reed Warbler 1; Blackcap 6(1); Garden Warbler 2(1); Whitethroat 3; Lesser Whitethroat 1(2); Chiffchaff 5(1); Willow Warbler 3. Totals: 38 birds ringed from 14 species and 10 birds retrapped from 8 species, making 48 birds processed from 15 species.
The majority were juvenile birds from this year’s breeding season: Kingfisher 1; Treecreeper 2; Blue Tit 5; Wren 1; Dunnock 2; Robin 4; Blackbird 1; Sedge Warbler 2; Blackcap 5; Garden Warbler 2; Whitethroat 3; Lesser Whitethroat 3; Chiffchaff 4; Willow Warbler 2: a total of 37 birds from 14 species.
With the weather we have had this year, one would have expected most species to have had a pretty good breeding season and the results I am getting so far would seem to back that up, but it clearly hasn’t been plain sailing for all:
This juvenile Whitethroat was showing a very distinct fault bar on the tail, indicating a disruption to its parent’s ability to provision it with enough food.
The retrapped juvenile Treecreeper is not one of my birds. It will be interesting to find out where it was ringed and how far it has travelled.
A special mention for a photographer who was absolutely fascinated with what was going on. He spent the entire morning with me, chatting and totally absorbed in what I was doing: so absorbed that he didn’t take a single photo! In true British fashion, I didn’t get his name until he was leaving, John.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 