Back To The Reeds

After clearing the net rides at the Nature Park last week it was good to get the opportunity to do some ringing there this morning. To ease our selves in gently Ian, Nikki and I met at 4.30 a.m. and put three nets up in the willow scrub.

Whilst setting up before doing the first net round a number of Starlings were exiting their reedbed roost and we estimated that 2,000 climbed up into the sky and headed off for the day's feeding areas. A 'Gropper' reeled as we had our first cup of coffee and Sedge and Reed Warblers sang from the reeds supported by an ensemble of Reed Bunting, Skylark and Whitethroat.

 Sedge and Reed Warbler

We processed 19 new birds as follows with recaptures in brackets:

Reed Warbler - 3 (1)
Great Tit - 7
Whitethroat - 3
Sedge Warbler - 3 (1)
Greenfinch - 1
Blackbird - 2
Reed Bunting - (1)

 Great Tit

Greenfinch

Whitethroat

Both the Reed and Sedge Warbler recaptures were from 2010 and the Reed Bunting from 2009.  It was interesting to note that we didn't catch any juveniles even though a number of people are suggesting that it has been an early breeding season this year, so it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks.

About a dozen Swifts and half a dozen Swallows fed over the pools and a couple of Stock Doves 'to'd and fro'd' from their nest site, and that was about it for the morning.

 Common Frog

EarlyMarsh Orchid

Yesterday the forecast looked as though tomorrow (Sunday) was going to be a write off but now it is looking okay.  In fact if we had cleared the net rides at Rossall we could probably have got out ringing tomorrow, so that's a job to definitely do one evening in the week. As there's a tide in the morning I might just have a look on the sea.