Black and Brown

Today, Saturday 10th, Mike and I undertook the usual April, pre-CES visit to "the rough" in fine, sunny weather with a light, easterly breeze. Catching ceased at 10 am as, by then, the nets were fully exposed - but we had 'hacked' the lane edges back severely earlier in the year! It will all look different when we come back for visit1, which cannot be before 6th May, as Ed and I will both be away on us holidays.

First up was a retrap Blue Tit of indeterminate sex from the last visit, 2 weeks ago. Then a mini-rush as we caught 3 migrants, one of which had been here before. In fact, most likely to have been born right here.

Our first Willie Wobbler of the year.

A fortnight ago, we were unable to catch any Blackcaps, as the males spent 101% of their time singing from the tops of the untouched bushes. We managed 2 males today, probably the songsters from March.

One of the 5M "Hunched Warbelers"

Often when we are ringing, the early morning birders stick their noses in to see what we've managed to catch. Today it was only Dave K, repleat with 'long-nosed' camera.

Father Xmas and Anorakman (JMR & DK).

One of the 3 female S.atricapilla already bore a ring and was a 2CY bird from mid-July 2005, 1729 days ago. Remarkably, we have not recaptured her ever before. Just goes to show.

R985437 - hatched spring 2004

In all, we caught 19 birds of 11 species, a good lead into the breeding season. We didn't manage to catch the male Blackcap with a ring on, that was spotted a couple of weeks previous.

Magpie 1
Blue Tit (2)
Great Tit (2)
Long-tailed Bushtit 1 (1)
Chiffchaff (1), a 4F last year
Willow Warbler 1
Blackcap 4 (1)
Wren 1 (1)
Blackbird (1)
Song Thrush 1
Dunnock (1)

We'll be back next weekend - but in a different 'plantation', away from the CES site.