CES 2

Sunday 15th May, Carlton and Elinor successfully completed CES2. The weather first thing was just about perfect without a cloud in the sky and zero wind, although it did cloud over some from mid morning onwards. The resulting catch was reasonable with the highlights being a carrion crow in gn1, two mistle thrush in gn2, (both new birds for Elinor); followed a little later by a Cetti's warbler, being last bird of the morning in gn7 (again a first "in Wales" for Elinor). The first 3JJ Robin was also a nice surprise.

Totals were - 18 (14) comprising: 

wilwa 1, (1). 

chiff 1, (3). 

sedwa 3, (3). 

cetwa 1. 

garwa (1). 

blaca 3, (2). 

goldf 2. 

bulfi 2, (1). 

robin 1. 

blabi (1). 

misth 2. 

sonth 1. 

dunno (1). 

wren (1) 

carcr 1.

 

Mrs Raikes also handed over a ring (LB21760) that came from a female blabi that flew into their conservatory window a few weeks previously.

 

Time was also taken between rounds to freshen up the bird drinking/bathing trays at gn4, 5 and 7.

Birdbox checks

Tuesday 17th May. Following CES2 Carlton and Elinor returned  to check all the boxes. Again the weather was good. Quite a few boxes were occupied by wood, or possibly yellow-necked mice as well as bees, wasps and at least one hornet! 

In the shelterbelt, 8 boxes were occupied (by birds!) and included recently hatched broods of 8 nuthatch in box 4 and 9 great tit in box 10.

RB2  had only three boxes with nests: a blue tit on 7eggs, redstart with a young brood of 4/5, and pied flycatcher/redstart clutch of 6 eggs. Box10 was occupied by a rather impressive queen                 hornet!. The rest of the RB2 scattered boxes were either damaged or empty. 

RB1, had 5 boxes with eggs: 1 pied flycatcher?, 2 bluetit and 2 uncertain. An additional nest (in box 10)  was a virtually complete mossy dome.

Finally 11 of the 14 boxes at Catherdine Common had nests, one of which, box 2, Included 4/5 recently hatched redstart.