With the wind forecast for Wednesday being flat calm, I decided that I would try to get to Brown’s Farm (something I had planned for last Wednesday but illness put paid to that), as I have not been able to get anywhere near at all so far this year, because it is just so susceptible to the wind. As a result, I decided to bring forward CES session 11 to today.
Yesterday, Miranda and I went to Waterhay Farm to check on the breeding Swallows at the site. We found a dozen or so nests. There were a whole bunch of newly fledged Swallows sitting on the telephone wires outside the farm, and we did find several empty nests. However, we found two nests with more-or-less naked young, with their wing feathers emerged but completely in pin; one nest with the young feathered and their flight feathers one-third grown / emerged but, as surprising as it was when we found two nests with warm eggs at Clattinger Farm last Monday, we also found a nest here with five warm eggs. Say what you like, I think that this is beautiful:
Swallow pullus, Hirundo rustica (photo courtesy of Miranda)
So to this morning, Miranda joined me at 6:00 and we got the usual nets set up and open by 7:00. Unfortunately, she began to feel unwell and, at just after 9:00, had to leave the session. It was a shame, as we were having a decent catch (for once). What was a little surprising was the influx of Blackcaps. Having been scarce all summer, today we were taking one or two out each round.
The catch was: Treecreeper (1); Blue Tit [10](1); Wren [1](1); Dunnock 1(1); Robin [1]; Blackcap [17]; Chiffchaff [2]. Totals: 1 adult ringed, 31 juveniles ringed from 5 species and 4 birds retrapped from 4 species, making 36 birds processed from 7 species. Numerically that compares favourably last year, when only 29 birds were processed: 19 ringed and 10 retrapped, but that catch did have 12 species, so greater variety. On the positive side: 17 Blackcap is 10 more than any other catch of them at my sites this year. In fact, it is my second best catch of them at any of my sites. The best was actually at Lower Moor Farm on the 25th September last year. Hopefully this is a good omen for next month!
A couple of juvenile Chiffchaff were welcome but, again, the complete absence of Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat was a disappointment.
Unfortunately, at about 11:00 an unforecast wind started to get up. Although the rides here are pretty well sheltered from westerlies but by 11:30 it was blowing out the net pockets, and I had to shut the nets 30 minutes earlier than planned. With my last round and the nets closed but before I started taking down, I did spend quite a lot of time with a young family, introducing them to bird ringing, and was able to show them a few birds up close. I am not sure the baby will remember much, no matter how smiley he was, but hopefully their four-year old daughter will grow up to be interested.
After chatting and then packing up I left site at just after 13:00. A satisfying session at last!
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 