CES ringing 29/05

A very sunny day that kept most of the adult male birds in the treetops, strutting their stuff, if they weren't already ferrying morsels to their offspring.

Out of the 21 birds that we caught, 8 were juvenile Robins (1 a retrap from last week at a different sub-site). We have now caught 18 birds from a guesstimate of 6 different broods/nests.


Others included 3 young Chiffchaffs, a juv Chaffinch, 2 fledged Dunnocks + 3 adults, a pair of Balckbirds a cock Wren and a female Garden Warbler that was born in this patch in 2007.

We now have a wait of two weeks before the next session, our 5th of 12.

Monday 25th May 2009

Managed to get down the park a bit earlier this morning, still didn't beat EN though who was ringing in the Crescent. A couple of Willow Warblers were singing in the car park and a couple of Greylags took off over the south side of the main lake and left to the east. An adult Fox was poking about in one of the south side fishing swims, a younger one was seen later crossing the path into the Rough. Cuckoo very vocal around the Rough.

On Fingers Tufted Ducks (pair), Gadwall (pair), Great Crested Grebe (pair) and the Mute Swans were out and about with at least 3 cygnets. Not much about around the back of Fingers.
Arrived back with EN just in time to see a juvenile Kingfisher in the hand, having just seen 2 from the spit with DK.




Took the path along the river on the south side of the main lake with Grey Wagtail at the Canoe Slalom and the Spillway, may have been the same one. Sedge Warbler just up stream from the the Canoe Slalom and several more along the far bank on Fenlake. Also had a Cuckoo calling over Fenlake.


Along the west side of the main lake had a flyover Cuckoo, heading out over the Marina.

After Saturdays leaping Carp at Castle Mill the Carp in the Finger lakes were very frisky today with plenty of spawning action. Also along the far bank of the river at Fenlake several good size Carp were seen spawning.

CES ringing 23/05

A better day's ringing with 33 birds of 12 species caught.
9 of these were new adults and we caught 14 new juveniles, including a brood of 7 Gt. Tits, plus 'mum & dad', all in the same net.

Birds of interest seen whilst working were pair of Cuckoo (very noisy), several Swifts (maybe 20), a pair of Sparrowhawks, a pair of Gt. Spots., Collared Doves and several Starlings busy with their imminent offspring. Highlight was a passing 2CY Hen Harrier.

Wren 5 (1 juv), Dunnock 4 (1 juv), Robin 3 (2 juvs), Blackbird 2 (1 juv), Reed Warbler 1, Whitethroat 1, Garden Warbler 3, Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 1 juv, Blue Tit 2, Gt. Tit 9, Chaffinch 2 ( 1 juv).

One of the Garden Warblers was first ringed in early spring 2003 (as an adult male). The retrap Blackbird, a male, was ringed in 2005, caught again several times in 2007 and now; all these records have been during the breeding season - so where does it go to in the winter? [We (Ivel Ringing Group) work the site all year].