RINGING SESSION 20 - 2012

22/09/2012  Blackcap numbers are starting to build up now, 30 being the highest day total so far this autumn. There also seems to have been an influx of reed buntings. 

JAY - PRIMARY COVERTS (21.09.12)

Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (30,1)
blue tit (1,0)
bullfinch (0,1)
chiffchaff (2,0)
great tit (1,1)
long-tailed tit (0,1)
reed bunting (8,0)
reed warbler (1,1)
robin (1,0)
whitethroat (1,0)
wren (2,2)

DAY TOTALS: 47 ringed (9 species), 7 retraps

NEW SPECIES: none

OBS: grey heron, meadow pipit & sparrowhawk

RINGING SESSION 19 - 2012

21/09/2012 This morning's highlight was a Cetti's warbler. This was the 6th record for the site (the first was ringed in 2002); all have been in August or September.


CETTI'S WARBLER


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  


blackcap (17,1)
blue tit (0,3)
bullfinch (1,1)
cetti's warbler (1,0)
chiffchaff (7,1)
coal tit (1,0)
goldcrest (2,0)
jay (1,0)
long-tailed tit (2,9)
reed bunting (2,2)
wren (0,1)

DAY TOTALS: 34 ringed (9 species), 18 retraps
NEW SPECIES: Cetti's warbler & coal tit

OBS:sparrowhawk

RINGING SESSION 18 - 2012

16/09/2012  Our first jay of the year this morning was a bit of a handful. Technically a 'songbird', a jay can weigh in at up to 200 grams, which is the equivalent of 40 goldcrests!

JAY

Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackbird (1,2)
blackcap (20,0)
blue tit (2,3)
bullfinch (1,2)
chiffchaff (7,1)
great tit (0,2)
jay (1,0)
long-tailed tit (5,7)
robin (2,0)
wren (1,1)

DAY TOTALS: 40 ringed (9 species), 18 retraps
NEW SPECIES: jay

OBS: migrant hawker

RINGING SESSION 17 - 2012

13/09/2012  We are now in the peak blackcap migration period. But numbers of this species continue to disappoint, reflecting a very poor breeding season. Nevertheless, blackcap was "top bird" this morning, numbers-wise. But it was a goldcrest (below) that caught our eye; goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird species, weighing less than half a Jaffa Cake!  

Willow warblers continue to linger, but the last of them will be heading for Africa very soon.

GOLDCREST (JUVENILE MALE)

Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (13,1)
bullfinch (1,0)
chiffchaff (4,0)
garden warbler (1,0)
goldcrest (1,0)
grasshopper warbler (1,0)
reed warbler (1,0)
robin (2,0)
whitethroat (1,1)
willow warbler (2,0)
wren (1,2)

DAY TOTALS: 28 ringed (11 species), 4 retraps
NEW SPECIES: none

OBS: kingfisher, reed bunting, siskin

RINGING SESSION 16 - 2012

09/09/2102  Dawn was spectacular this morning, as it often is at this time of year, with the Gordano Valley shrouded in mist.

DAWN IN THE GORDANO VALLEY

 
Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackbird (1,0)
blackcap (16,2)
blue tit (1,0)
bullfinch (0,1)
chiffchaff (6,1)
goldfinch (2,0)
great tit (1,0)
reed warbler (2,0)
robin (2,2)
sonth thrush (2,0)
wren (1,1)

DAY TOTALS: 34 ringed (10 species), 7 retraps
NEW SPECIES: none

OBS: siskin

RINGING SESSION 15 - 2012

 05/09/2012  Our first grasshopper warblers of the season were caught this morning. Peak passage is usually during September and we're hoping for lots more this month to make up for the dismal summer. Our best year for this species was 2001 when we caught 39.
 

GRASSHOPPER WARBLER


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (9,2)
blue tit (1,0)
chiffchaff (4,1)
grasshopper warbler (3,0)
long-tailed tit (4,1)
reed warbler (2,0)
robin (1,0)
sedge warbler (5,0)
song thrush (1,0)
whitethroat (1,0)
willow warbler (8,0)

DAY TOTALS: 39 ringed (11 species), 4 retraps
NEW SPECIES: grasshopper warbler

OBS: buzzard, roe deer fawn

RINGING SESSION 14 - 2012

01/09/2012  This morning's visit was the last CES session of the year. The highlight of the morning was our first blackcap of the year weighing 20 grams or over - always a good indication that the autumn migration is well underway. Y103813 weighed in at 23.1 grams. At our site, lean blackcaps average about 17g, so 23.1g represents a fat loading of 35%. Our all-time heaviest (fattest) blackcap weighed in at a whopping 25.6g! 


BLACKCAP DRAWING - R.J. PRYTHERCH


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (5,4)
blue tit (2,0)
bullfinch (3,0)
chaffinch (2,0)
chiffchaff (5,1)
goldcrest (0,1)
long-tailed tit (1,1)
robin (1,3)
wren (2,0)

DAY TOTALS: 21 ringed (8 species), 10 retraps
NEW SPECIES: chaffinch

OBS: green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker & brown hare