Saturday 30 June 2012

Broads CES and Kestrel Pulli

3JJJ's
A very early morning (03:30) in the broads found us attempting to catch cuckoo's for the BTO's Cuckoo Project, not far from our CES. We opened the CES at 04:30 as usual, though a poor show from the birds resulted in about 30 birds (totals uploaded later) and no cuckoos. A couple of 3JJJ's (recently fledged Jays - no post juvenile moult) were the highlight.






This afternoon a fellow Norwich and former UEARG ringer Danny Thomas very kindly invited a couple of us out to ring some Kestrel pulli (chicks) in a box on the outskirts of Norwich. 4 Pulli were ringed. These were my first Kestrels, after having several adults bounce out of mist nets and never doing any pulli before, so many thanks to Danny.

Friday 22 June 2012

CES Sessions


CES Norfolk Broads


CES 5 (21st June)
The longest day was definitely not the best day and the day also finished with a washout. Despite good conditions early on, overcast and still, the birds weren't moving (or weren't there!) A total of 7 birds - a few Sedge Warblers, a gropper, a juv Robin... Rubbish!

CES 4
A narrow window of good weather saw the wind drop to acceptable levels and a trip to our CES in the Broads. The weather was too good really with sun glare on the nets from about 7am. Catches were about as expected or slightly lower than in previous years:

Catch (retraps in brackets)

Grasshopper warbler  1(2)  both from previous 2012 sessions
Sedge warbler 9(4)  1 was a 3J in July 2011 at this site and the rest from 2012 previous sessions
Reed bunting 7
Great tit 7(1)  First caught  as a 5m June 2010.
Robin 3
Willow warbler 4(2)   one first caught as a 4F June 2011
Reed warbler 3
Long tailed tit 4
Bullfinch 2
Treecreeper 2
Whitethroat 2
Marsh tit (1)  first caught May 2011
Cettis warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Blue tit 1

Total  47(10)

We also ran a moth trap- few species and low numbers compared to last year with just 20 specimens of 14 species

Eyed hawk moth 3
Poplar hawk moth  2
Elephant hawk moth  1
Drinker  1
buff tip  1
buff ermine  1
flame wainscot  3  * notable A
brown rustic  1
Oblique Carpet 1  * BAP species 
Silver ground carpet 2
Aethes cnicana 1
Clepsis spectrana 1
Agriphila straminella 1
Donacaula forficella  1  * notable B

CES 3

                        New            Retrap

SEDWA            7             2
GRAWA            2
REEWA             1             1
WILWA             4             2
BLACA              2
GRETI                1
TREEC               2              1            (2 new were 3JJ’s)
WREN                2
BULLF               1
CETWA             1
BLUTI                               1

Total                  23            7

MUTSWA            1 (extra)