540' CES nets
05:30 - 11:30am
Ringers: LL, CK, CMS
Blackcaps were clacking as the nets went up but there was no real sign of many passing through yet although the elderberries and blackberries are ripening. It was quite a busy start with over 50 birds by 8am but then it went quiet as the (unforecast) breeze picked up and the sun hit the nets. However, we finished with 72 which is above the average (57) for session 10. Juveniles made up 85% of the catch and we continue to catch lots of Chiffchaffs, Wrens and Long-tailed Tits. There was a bit more variety this week though with a Lesser Whitethroat and a group of Bullfinch, two retrap adults with three new juveniles.
Species
|
Row Summary
|
New Bird
|
Retrap
|
Blackcap
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
Blue Tit
|
2
|
2
|
|
Bullfinch
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
Cetti's
Warbler
|
1
|
1
|
|
Chiffchaff
|
15
|
12
|
3
|
Dunnock
|
1
|
1
|
|
Goldcrest
|
1
|
1
|
|
Great Tit
|
2
|
2
|
|
Lesser
Whitethroat
|
1
|
1
|
|
Long-tailed
Tit
|
9
|
8
|
1
|
Reed
Bunting
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
Reed
Warbler
|
14
|
13
|
1
|
Robin
|
1
|
1
|
|
Sedge
Warbler
|
1
|
1
|
|
Willow
Warbler
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
Wren
|
9
|
3
|
6
|
Totals
|
72
|
50
|
22
|
We also trapped three Reed Buntings, all adult males in moult. One was a new bird and the other two were retraps from 2016 and 2014 but they had not been seen so far this year so we suspected that they have finished breeding elsewhere and have returned to Marsworth to moult. The photo shows the new head feathers with brown fringes replacing the black, worn, breeding plumage - these fringes will wear off over the winter to reveal the black below in time for next spring.
 |
| Male Reed Bunting |
 |
| New brown fringed feathers replacing the worn black head feathers |
 |
| Reed Bunting in wing moult - new darker primary feathers growing sequentially out along the wing. |
 |
| Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis |
 |
| Orange Balsam flowerhead |
 |
| Willowherb sp.(possibly Epilobium obsurum) |
 |
| Angelica Angelica sylvestris |
 |
| Harvestman |
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