It has been a bad couple of weeks. CES 6 was supposed to have taken place on Wednesday, 28th June. It was too wet and too windy so, with Friday’s forecast looking better, I moved it to Friday. We had everything set up and nets open by 6:00 when the first shower hit. After we waited that out, we managed to catch a few birds before another shower hit at 8:30. As that stopped the wind immediately strengthened and the session became untenable. We closed the nets at 9:30. I hoped to go back on Saturday morning instead, only it was blowing a gale and it was just unviable. That was the end of the available slot for CES6. The few birds we caught were: Wren [1](2); Dunnock [1](1); Robin [1]; Blackcap [2]. All of the birds caught were juveniles except for the two retrapped Wrens, which were both adult females in full breeding condition.
Unfortunately, the weather from Saturday onwards was far too windy for ringing, culminating in Tuesday with torrential rain and high winds.
Despite this not very encouraging run up to the day, but wanting to try and get a session within that particular window, I arranged to run CES 7 this Wednesday. The forecast was for it to be dry all day, with low base wind until midday, when the base would be 9mph, with gusts that would reach 20mph. We had first nets open just after 5:30 but, as has been happening regularly, we didn’t catch a bird until 6:40. As for the forecast, the first shower hit at 7:30 and the second at 9:00. Fortunately they were short and light, and the tailgate of the car kept the (few) birds and equipment dry. We took refuge in the car once they were processed. Fortunately, it then dried up.
We had an interesting morning listening to and looking for a family of Green Woodpecker. Having caught a male and female at the site in CES 4 and 5, Rosie came across a group of four whilst taking her dog for a walk. They called and were in the trees around the ringing station all morning. We did get views of a couple, definitely juveniles, as they flitted between trees. Unfortunately they didn’t go near the nets.
The highlight of the day was our first juvenile Treecreeper of the year. The list was: Treecreeper [1]; Blue Tit [2]; Wren 1[3]; Dunnock [2](1); Robin [1]; Song Thrush (1); Blackcap [4]; Chiffchaff (1). Totals: 1 adult ringed, 13 juveniles ringed from 6 species and 3 birds retrapped from 3 species, making 17 birds processed from 8 species.
The catch was disappointing when compared to the same session last year, which produced 47 birds: 2 adults and 38 juveniles ringed from 14 species and 9 birds retrapped from 8 species. However, it was actually numerically better than the equivalent session in 2021 (9 birds ringed and 7 retrapped from 11 species).
With the wind getting very strong and blustery, we closed and packed up the nets at 11:30, away from site a little after midday.
After lunch I set out to Avis Meadows where I was meeting Kevan Wind. Kevan has built some Barn Owl boxes suitable for internal barn sites. I have long wanted to replace the horribly dilapidated box in the derelict barn on site. There was once a plan to knock it down, which would have dealt with the box as well but it is now going to be allowed to deteriorate on its own timetable – which could be several more years, so we have replaced it with this:
We have two more that will get put up next week: at Clattinger and Morningside Farms. Possibly too late for this year but you never know: I have ringed Barn Owl chicks in September.
We did knock down the horribly dilapidated box: it had holes everywhere and it certainly was no longer safe for young Barn Owls: last year the brood of four youngsters were predated between discovering them having just hatched and going back a month later to ring them. Prior to that it had been the most consistent and productive of the boxes. Hopefully this one will become similarly successful.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 