This hot weather seems to be having an impact on bird activity or, at least, it is on my ringing sites. With Tuesday's session at Tedworth House yielding a mere five birds in five hours, with some singing and very little movement, I was interested to see what we might catch at Lower Moor Farm today. I was joined for the session by Ellie (at her flagship reserve). The morning started fantastically: as I was setting my first net I noticed movement on Mallard Lake. I had excellent views as an otter swam from the bank in the wildlife refuge and headed directly towards me, only diving under the surface when about ten metres away from me. It is only the second time I have seen them there. Now, if I can only find the beaver that is sculpting the landscape in the refuge area, I will be delighted.
We had a good session: only 46 birds, which is a considerable drop on the 103 birds we caught in the equivalent session last year, but almost all of that can be put down to much smaller numbers of Blackcap, Blue and Great Tits and the complete absence of Long-tailed Tits from today's catch. Our list for the day was as follows: Blue Tit 2(5); Great Tit 2; Wren 7(3); Dunnock 2; Robin 2(1); Cetti's Warbler 1; Reed Warbler 1; Lesser Whitethroat 1; Blackcap 2(1); Chiffchaff 12; Willow Warbler 3; Greenfinch 1. Totals: 36 birds ringed from 12 species and 10 retraps from 4 species, making a total of 46 birds processed from 12 species.
As usual at this time of year, the majority of the birds caught were juveniles. Given my concern after the last CES session, it was a real pleasure to catch a newly fledged Cetti's Warbler. Perhaps they have just moved over the border into Gloucestershire. Amongst the warblers, we also had newly fledged juveniles of Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, plus some tremendous wing moult going on in two adult Willow Warblers and one of the Blue Tits.
Cetti's Warbler Reed Warbler
ST/EJ