With the forecast for Wednesday to be dry but a bit breezy, I decided to try a session at Ravensroost Woods, now that it has been reopened. It has generally been the one of my sites that is largely windproof. With the wind expected to be from the East-North-East direction, I chose to set nets along rides R27 and R35:
I was joined by Miranda and Rosie, Miranda for the whole session, Rosie doing her usual selfless set up, hope to ring a bird and go to work. We met at 6:00, and a bit later we were joined by Teresa and Alan. Teresa is looking to develop her skills both as a photographer as as a naturalist, and I am happy to help: especially as she does take some excellent photos.
It was quiet but we did start catching birds. However, by 8:00 the wind direction had changed and it was playing havoc with the nets. In order to ensure the safety of the birds from any potential shear forces, I shut the nets at 8:15 with just seven birds caught: Great Tit (1); Chiffchaff 4(1); Willow Warbler 1. Totals: 5 birds ringed from 2 species and 2 birds retrapped from 2 species, making 7 birds processed from 3 species.
A small catch but the retrapped Chiffchaff was a nice find. It was ringed as an adult in April 2019, so it is at least 5 years since it fledged and four years since it was ringed. Not bad for a migratory bird that weighs in at less than 8g. It has not been retrapped in the intervening years.
It isn’t often that I am home from a ringing session at just gone 9:00 in the morning. Just in time for breakfast!
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 