Marsworth 2nd July 2017

The wind was from the NW this morning which is not good at Marsworth, it was also stronger than forecast so being on my own I only put up four nets including a 30' by the hopper in the reed bed to try and catch some more of the locally breeding reed buntings.
The catching was steady, mainly juveniles including the first juvenile bullfinches and another cetti's warbler. Total 42 (27 new 15 retraps).
Sedge warblers seem to have had a successful breeding season and I caught two new sedge warbler juveniles which can be distinguished from the adults by their fresh, yellowy plumage and "necklace" of brown spots.

juvenile sedge warbler

The 30' next to the hopper caught a few reed buntings including an older female that had not been colour-ringed yet plus a couple of adult reed warblers caught for the first time this year, so that was a success. I had one blue tit that had started PJ moult and a dunnock that had virtually completed it, just a few greater coverts growing and body feathers in pin.

Butterflies were abundant once the sun came out, I saw small white, small and large skipper, ringlets, small tortoishell and comma butterflies plus Brown Hawker dragonfly. Water Forget-me-not is flowering in the reed bed rides. A strange looking insect landed on my camera case that I looked up when I got home - Ledra aurita - it is a type of leaf hopper with distinctive earflaps that is apparently usually found on oaks.

Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides

Ledra aurita

Our wren's nest was empty and looked like the chicks had fledged successfully: the entrance was enlarged but not damaged and inside the floor was flattened.

Lynne