For the time of year and the number of birds around this morning’s catch was truly appalling with just 19 new and 13 retraps. The only redeeming event of the session was catching the local Cuckoo in the pre-dawn gloom with the help of a decoy, the second for our group this year. All the female birds we catch are showing signs that breeding is well under way and one of the Whitethroats caught was carrying and egg. On the way out of the wood we checked our nest boxes and found a brood of four Jackdaws to ring, our first pulli of the year. GD/PD
Cuckoo 1, Wren 1(2), Dunnock 1(2), Blackbird (1), Reed Warbler 2(1), Whitethroat 4(2), Blackcap 3(1), Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 1, Blue Tit (1), Great Tit (2), Jackdaw 4, Bullfinch 1(1)
Spot the difference............. Bob the decoy plus a special friend
