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!

Saturday 12th

Pictures taken Saturday (12/07/08) at PCP by Ed (see Errol's earlier post)



Above: A new Bullfinch.



Above: Dave spies something beginning with a C. I'll give you a clue, it ends in a unit of imperial measurement.

Monday 14th July

The Atlantic Grey Seal, tagged by the RSPCA (east Winch), was in the Park's waters this morning, hopefully making its way back downstream with the help of considerate boat owners.