Fwd: Seal and sundry other items!

--- In bedsbirds@yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Plummer"
<stephen.r.plummer@...> wrote:

After a hospital visit I spent some time late this afternoon by the
Bedford Sewage Treatment Works bridge at the confluence with New Cut.
A fisherman joined me.

Just after 4pm the grey seal swam right under his rod, heading north -
I think it came as a bit of a shock!

A couple of crossbills flew over. I also had at least 2 common shrews
popping in and out of a hole by the steps, and a brown rat seen on a
couple of occasions.

Not a bad few hours!

Best wishes,

Steve Plummer.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- End forwarded message ---

CES visit 8

A wet day with "no wind". 17 birds trapped bringing the total to 588 individuals caught this year (474 new).
Wren 4, Song Thrush 1 (new male), Reed Warbler 1 (a repeater from yesterday), Whitethroat 1 (male), Garden Warbler 1 (1st juv. of year), Blackcap 5 (9-12th juvs of year), Chiff 2 (incl male in heavy moult), Blue Tit 1 & Great Tit 1 (an un-ringed juv).
DK & I both agree that there aren't the birds in the Rough this year.
Will have to get the chain-saws out next winter!!!

Reed Warbler brood patch (taken one-handed)

A couple of nets up at the crescent, on the north-east side this time. Target - more Reed Warblers. As it turned out, I caught 11, only one of which was a juv! 7 birds were retraps and today most of the adults were at least 4 years old; they had that lovely mahogany eye colour. The sexes were 50:50.

I also caught a young Chiff that was starting its PJ moult, a 3J Blue Tit that we had ringed in Box 19 and a juvvy Song Thrush. A decent three hours. An added bonus came when six Little Egrets flew from the P/L hide area and made off downstream, over my head. [DK says 1 remained in the SW corner, too].
I could hear the (13) Grey Wags at the Mill / Slalom from my base at the end of the spit!