CES V3 - Priory: a better deal.

One at a time! Prospecting 2CY male Reed Warbler

"What a difference a week makes". The vegetation (on our dry scrub site) needed a light prune before it trys to close the racks. Quite a few more birds including a brood of 7 Great Tits - plus mum and dad - from a box close to net 1.
33 birds today of 12 species from our 280' line across the 'Rough'; 9 new adults, 14 juvs & 10 (adult) re-traps.

A cracking male Whitethroat!

[Ad/juv/r-t] WREN 2/1/2, DUNNO 1/1/2, ROBIN 0/2/1, BLABI 0/1/1, REEWA 1/0/0, WHITE 0/0/1 (a handsome 6 male), GARWA 2/0/1, BLACA 1/0/0, CHIFF 0/1/0, BLUTI 1/0/1, GRETI1/7/1, CHAFF 0/1/1.

Well developed brood patch - Garden Warbler

The retrap Garden Warbler, a male, was first ringed on 3rd May 2003 (as a 4M, naturally) and was last seen here on 3rd May 2004. This is second only to last year's re-trap bird at the Thorns (6 yr 350 days versus 6 yr 20 days) in our records. Both birds have" done the disappearing act" for a number of years during that time.

On the bird-watching front, today's highlight was an immature (male) Hen Harrier, seen at close quarters for 2-3 minutes over the netting area.

Buttercups galore this year - where the grass has not been cut

The new Chalton CES tomorrow and the Thorns on Monday(?)