August Bank Holiday weekend, and month end results

With the arrival of cool calm nights there is a good chance of mist at the Lake. This was the case on Sunday 29th, when Jerry set up the garden nets for a taping session. The mist didn't clear until 09.00 with catching very slow to get going, and then with sun on the nets the catching was a bit slow. However he ended on a decent 18 + (4), made up of Blackbird 1, Dunnock 1, Chiffchaff 4 + (3), Willow Warbler 1, Blackcap 9, Garden Warbler 1, and Bullfinch 1 + (1).

On Monday 30th there was a good turn out with Carlton (jetty), Ron (garden) and Jerry (rb2), with their respective catches of 7 + (1), 19 + (4) and 22 + (3). Alas no Aquatic Warbler on the anniversary of Carlton's visit to the jetty in 2019. Our 1000th bird for the month was ringed, only the 7th time we have ringed over 1000 in a month (once in July and six times in August). A Sedge Warbler at rb2 at 07.10 was that bird, but less than an hour later a much more "quality" bird might have been more appropriate for the achievement. The mix for the day was Hobby 1, Song Thrush (1), Robin 1, Willow Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 16 + (5), Blackcap 12, Reed Warbler 12, Sedge Warbler 3 + (1), Long-tailed Tit (1), Treecreeper 1, and Bullfinch 1.

Only the third Hobby the Group has caught (though a brood of chicks also ringed)

With a lack of juvenile wing coverts (especially in the greater and primary covert tracts), and lack of a juvenile outer tail feather, it looks like this bird can be aged as a 6 (hatched 2019 or earlier). Though happy to be corrected. Primary moult is suspended prior to Hobbies migrating, and is resumed in the winter quarters. This bird has moulted pp 8, first year birds would normally moult two primaries, but adults (which moult about a month later) may only moult one. Its wing length/weight make this bird a male.

Jerry and the Hobby, which is showing its adult type tail feathers in this image.

On Tuesday 31st, Peter and Alan were in the garden, with Jerry joining them later in the morning. After a promising first half of the session, the catching went quiet. It was the first outing of Peter's new Pipit trap, and successfully caught its first bird, despite none being seen in the point field beforehand, so promising for our autumn ringing. The day's total of 30 + (13) was made up of Meadow Pipit 1, Wren 1 + (1), Robin 1, Dunnock (1), Chiffchaff 8 + (7), Willow Warbler 2, Blackcap 6 + (1), Garden Warbler 1, Goldcrest 3, Great Tit (1), Long-tailed Tit 2, Nuthatch (1), Goldfinch 4, and Bullfinch 1 + (1).

The star bird for Peter this weekend (who needs a Hobby when a trap you buy rewards you with a bird within a couple of hours of being set!)

Our ringing total for the month was 1062, making the YTD 1974. This is our third highest number of birds that we have ever ringed in August, our fourth highest in a month ever and our best month for 36 years, so congratulations to all those who undertook several visits. We were helped by the weather and there were only five days that saw no ringing, with two of our sites often operated on most days. The 1062 birds were ringed as follows (a direct comparison between sites cannot be made as session times and number of nets varies between sites) -

Garden/Scrub area - 7 visits (incl 3 CES visits without tapes) and 159 birds ringed.

Jetty mornings - 11 visits/278 birds. 

rb2 mornings - 14 visits/477 birds.

Jetty roosts - 8 visits/137 birds.

Pennorth feeders - 1 visit/11 birds.