June CES - visits 4 - 6, including the 500th since we started this monitoring.

This month usually has reduced captures, as the local breeding adults have become familiar with the nets positions (avoiding them), and few young birds have left their nests yet. George and Ron did visit 4 on Tuesday 4th June. The weather conditions were ok but the catch was just 8 + (14) - including only two juveniles (Dunnock). In addition, a male Bullfinch was released un-ringed as it had "scaly legs" (not common in this species, but occasional birds have started to appear in the last decade). The same (or maybe a different Bullfinch) was caught in a RAS session in rb2 on 18th June.

Bullfinch with Fringilla papillomavirus - usually seen in Chaffinch

On Sunday 16th, it was Peter and Alan J for visit 5. It was another slow start, but picked up when the vegetation had dried, and the warmer conditions encouraged more insect activity. With some cloud cover late in the session the catch was boosted to 15 + (13), with over 3/4 of the catch coming in the last 90 minutes and the best net round being the last net round.

On Wednesday 26th, Jeremy and Robin did visit 6, which was the 500th CES session since we started in 1981. We originally started the CES monitoring slowly, and in the first four years limited our visits to 6 or 8 per year (rather than the usual 12), but since then we have missed only one session in 1988, and 3 others in 2020 (due to Covid restrictions). Today was calm but the hazy sun might have reduced the catch. Despite this, it was still an improvement on recent totals, and comparable to the catch for this session in recent years, at 32 + (8) - plus a un-ringed Bullfinch with scaly legs (see above). At last a decent number of juveniles were caught (especially of Blackcap and Chiffchaff), and the star bird was a Redstart.

Garden Warbler

The species mix for the 3 visits was - Wren (2), Robin 1 + (2), Redstart 1, Dunnock 5 + (6), Blackbird 6 + (6), Song Thrush (1), Garden Warbler (1), Cettis Warbler 1, Reed Warbler 2 + (4), Blackcap 13 + (3), Garden Warbler 1+ (3), Willow Warbler 2 + (1), Chiffchaff 13 + (3), Goldcrest 2, Blue Tit 2 + (1), Great Tit 1, Long-tailed Tit 1 + (1), Goldfinch 2, Greenfinch (1), and Bullfinch 2 + (1).