General Mist Netting - 17/05 to 23/08

In between the sand martin netting, sand martin pulli and swallow roost ringing we have fitted in a number of sessions of general mist netting, targeting primarily reed bed warblers, such as reed, sedge and Cetti's warblers.  We have generally been ringing around the Discovery Hut area, including in the Willows area just nearby.  We made catches on 26/05, 27/05, 12/06 (a demonstration for Age UK), 13/06, 27/07, 02/08,  09/08, 15/08 and 23/08.

Most of these were dominated by reed warblers but we also managed, on 26/05, to catch, amongst 27 birds, a juvenile siskin suggesting that breeding of this species occurs on, or very near, the site.  

Juvenile Siskin

Bare belly of juvenile Siskin

We caught 28 birds on 27/05 of 13 species ringing in the Willows area. The catch included a juvenile long-tailed tit.

Juvenile long-tailed tit

The demonstration on 12/06 started at 10:30, with the first birds ringed at 10:40.  Despite this relatively late start, 15 birds were caught, with captures including a kingfisher and a great spotted woodpecker.

Demonstrating to the group

The Great Spotted Woodpecker

The next day we caught 41 birds including three sand martins and three house sparrows, which are unusual around the Discovery Hut where we were working.  There was also a small rabbit.

A rather cute bunny!

Not quite so cute?  The team in action!

One of the sand martins

On 27/07 45 birds were ringed including an adult linnet and on 02/08 56 birds were caught including 2 kingfishers and another linnet with a prominent brood patch.  

One of the two kingfishers

On 09/08 we caught another juvenile linnet amongst a total of 65 birds.  These captures reinforce the idea that linnet is locally breeding.  52 birds were caught on 15/08 including 2 swallows (see the Swallow Roost Ringing post) and a juvenile reed bunting suggesting breeding nearby, while on 23/08 40 birds including 5 swallows prompted the decision to attempt a swallow roost catch.

Willow warbler (left) and chiffchaff caught on 23/08...

...and two of the swallows.

Overall this period was productive when considering that these catches were really interspersed amongst sand martin and swallow ringing.  Tables showing the full catches are given below.

	26th May		27th May		12th June		13th June
Species	New	Retrap	New	Retrap	New	Retrap	New	Retrap
Blackbird			1	2				1
Blackcap			1	1
Blue Tit				1			1
Cetti's Warbler		1		1			3	1
Chaffinch				1
Chiffchaff			1	3
Dunnock				1		1	1
Great Spotted Woodpecker					1
Great Tit							1
Greenfinch							2
House Sparrow							3
Kingfisher					1
Long-Tailed Tit			2
Reed Bunting						1
Reed Warbler	8	16	2	2	3	6	5	19
Robin			4	1
Sand Martin		1	1				2	1
Sedge Warbler					2
Siskin	1
Song Thrush			1				1
Wren				2
Total	9	18	13	15	7	8	19	22

	27th July		2nd August		9th August		15th August
Species	New	Retrap	New	Retrap	New	Retrap	New	Retrap
Blackbird			1		1		1	1
Blackcap			1
Blue Tit	4		5	1	2		1
Cetti's Warbler	2	3		6	1	2		1
Chiffchaff					4		3
Dunnock			1				1
Goldcrest							1
Goldfinch					1
Great Tit			1		1
Kingfisher			2
Linnet	1		1		1
Reed Bunting							3
Reed Warbler	13	6	16	7	10	9	11	4
Robin	2						1	1
Sedge Warbler	11		10		21	5	14	2
Swallow							2
Whitethroat			1
Willow Warbler			2		4		3
Wren	2		1		1		1	1
Total	35	9	42	14	47	16	42	10

	23rd August
Species	New	Retrap
Blackbird		1
Blackcap	2
Blue Tit	1
Cetti's Warbler		2
Chiffchaff	2
Dunnock	1
Reed Bunting	1
Reed Warbler	9	3
Sedge Warbler	6	2
Song Thrush		1
Swallow	5
Willow Warbler	2
Wren		2
Total	29	11