Marsworth CES 10 - 13th August 2018 - Willow Warblers passing through

CES nets 560'
1st half: Damp, cloudy, calm. 2nd half: Showers, broken cloud, light breeze.
LL, CMS

	Adults	Juveniles	Total
Blackcap	1	11	12
Chiffchaff		10	10
Reed Warbler	1	18	19
Sedge Warbler	1	1	2
Willow Warbler	2	10	12
Blue Tit	2	1	3
Great Tit	1		1
Dunnock		1	1
Wren		3	3
Robin		4	4
Cetti’s Warbler	1	3	4
Treecreeper		1	1
Goldcrest		1	1
Long Tailed Tit	1	2	3
	10	66	76

Hooray!! first time this year we have an above average catch. Claire and I managed to get CES 10 done on Monday as the weather forecast for Sunday had been heavy rain and wind (which did not materialise as it happens). GK helped put up nets before disappearing off to beat the London rush-hour.

We were kept reasonably busy with a steady stream of Blackcaps and Reed Warblers and a nice number of Willow Warblers. Two adult Willow Warblers amongst the yellow juveniles had completed moult and were in fresh plumage. A brood of Cetti's Warblers were in the area of Net 7, a juvenile female and two males by their size with an adult female that did not seem to have started moult. The adult female was a retrap, originally ringed as a juvenile in September 2016 and this is the first time she has been caught since Nov 2016.

The two Sedge Warblers were carrying fat and probably passing though. We caught our first juvenile Dunnock and Goldcrest of the year. There was a heavy rain shower for about 15 minutes at 10:30 and dispite our hopes that this might cause a Redstart or a Spotted Flycatcher or two to drop in, we caught very little after that as the sun came out and the breeze picked up.

Tawny Owl, Jay, Green Woodpecker and Hobby were all heard.

Lynne