Acros at dawn

Up in the dark, down to the river in twilight, up with two nets at dawn - although you wouldn't have thought so, after the welcome, overnight rain. The sun appeared briefly before 7 o'clock but didn't really get going until half-7. Off back home soon after 8am.

The 'crescent' reed bed is a mere one third of an acre (0.13 hectare) and one net was erected on each of two sides, facing Fingers Lake. Alot of movement also takes place across the main path to the narrow reed strip that grows along the edge of the (steep-sided) main lake but catching is difficult to organise safely.

This 2CY, female Reed Bunt was a right wriggler and this is the best of 10 button pushes!


Today's tally was 7 new and 7 re-captures as follows:
Blue Tit (1)
Reed Warbler 4 (6)
Blackbird 1, Chaffinch 1
Reed Bunting 1

Yesterday, I caught the first 3JJ (recently fledged) House Sparrows in the garden.
This shows the vivid yellow gape of a young bird ...

... and the poorly feathered underwing and loose body feathering.