Reed bed Tape luring starts - August week 1

RB2

Saturday 1st August was the first opportunity to play lures in the reedbeds (following the end of the RAS monitoring). It was a very successful morning in rb2 for Jerry (despite sun on the nets for parts of the session). The total was 42 + (1), mainly Reed and Sedge Warblers, with a few Chiffchaff and Blackcap. About mid session, he heard some "flapping" coning from the first net, and when he got there found only a plucked corpse (lacking any feathers, no head/crop, no belly/intestines, nor no wings/legs. The size suggested a Song Thrush, left in the net by a Sparrowhawk. A blackbird's head, legs and wing bones suggested the posts/handrails are being used by the local pair to prepare food for the fledglings. He was back on Wednesday 5th for an even better session, despite the wind. A spell of drizzle around dawn probably encouraged some of the night migrants to land, and the catch was 46 + (4) including a French ringed Sedge Warbler. Back again on Friday 7th for a cold 4C start, but the highest total so far, though Sedwa numbers were low. The catch was 52 + (3)

The mix for the three sessions was Dunnock (1), Wren 3 + (1), Robin 1, Reed Warbler 65 + (3), Sedge Warbler 47 + (1), Blackcap 2, Willow Warbler 4, Chiffchaff 17+ (1), and Treecreeper (1).

Jetty

Jeremy started off the jetty on Tuesday 4th with an early start and a catch of 28. Peter was there on Wednesday 5th, despite more exposure to the westerly wind (than in rb2) had a catch of 35, including Starling leaving their overnight roost somewhere to the East of the Jetty, Peter likes Starlings and has improved our catching of them in recent years, mainly in winter, but this was a bit of an early morning shock, even for him! Peter returned on Friday 7th for a catch of 39 + (1). The variation between Peter's visits was stark with a heavy Sedge Warbler presence on the 5th replaced by a dominance of Reed Warblers on the 7th. 

The mix for the three sessions was Wren 3, Reed Warbler 45 + (1), Sedge Warbler 21, Blackcap 3, Willow Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 13, Blue Tit 1, Starling 14, and Reed Bunting 1.

Altogether an excellent start to the month, with just a single ringer operating each site (all our sites are set up so they can, if necessary be operated by a single ringer - as often that's all we have available to ring!). On the 7th Jerry and Peter caught 50 Reed Warbler between them, getting into the range of the day record of 59. This was only the 9th time we have caught 50 Reed Warbler in a day, had Peter known before he packed up, who knows what time he might have finished the session...