CES 2 - more Cetti's, a Paris ring, 2 Yellow Wagtails headline

Sunday 8th May 2022

Stu, Joe, Dave, Linda, Claire

Cool, overcast, still.  

Birds caught:  Reed Warbler 2/4; Cetti's Warbler 2/2 (including a third female with brood patch);  Yellow Wagtail 2/0 (a pair in same net, female with brood patch);  Garden Warbler 1/1;  Dunnock 0/4;  Reed Bunting 2/4;  Sedge Warbler 3/2;  Blackcap 1/0;  Chiffchaff 1/2;  Bullfinch 1/0;  Wren 1/0;  blue Tit 1/1;  Kingfisher 0/1;  Blackbird 2/0;  Great Tit 1/1

Total birds 42

Previous: 2021: 48 2020: 54  2019: 40 2018: 52; 2017: 36; 2016: 53; 2015: 28;  2014:33

Also seen : Red Kite 1;  Coot 1;  Green Woodpecker 1;  Common Sandpiper 1;  Sparrowhawk 1

CES 1 - nice variety, Cetti's and an aged Reed Warbler caught for 5th time

 Sunday 1st May 2022

Stu, Joe, Dave, Linda, James

Cool, grey (as per previous weeks).  Scrape flooded, ponds dug, reeds shooting from controlled fire

Nice dawn chorus ...

Birds caught: Dunnock 0/2, Chiffchaff 1/1,  Reed Warbler 5/3* (including a bird ringed as a juvenile in July 2014),  Wren 1/1,  Blackcap 1/0,  Song Thrush 1/0,  Linnet 2/0,  Cetti's Warbler 2/0 (male and female with brood patch),  Kingfisher 0/1,  Robin 1/1,  Sedge Warbler 7/0,  Reed Bunting 2/5,  Blackbird 2/0,  Garden Warbler 0/2,  Willow Warbler 0/1 - 41 birds

Previous:  2014: 33;  2015: 35;  2016: 31;  2017: 32;  2018: 37  2019: 39  2020:  N/A (Covid) 2021: 43 

CES 12 - Quiet final round for 2021

 Sunday 22nd August 2021

Stu, Joe, Dave

Birds caught:  Sedge Warbler 1/1;  Chiffchaff 8/1;  Whitethroat 4/0;  Blackcap 5/2;  Dunnock 1/1;  Wood Pigeon 1/0;  Blue Tit 8/1; Robin 0/1;  Wren 5/1;  Sedge Warbler 0/1;  Reed Warbler 1/1;  Blackbird 1/0;  Willow Warbler 1/0

Total birds:  46

Previous years:  Previous years - 2020 - 44   2019 / 2017 over 60 birds.

CES 10 - washed out two successive weeks

 Sunday 1st August 2021

Dave, Joe, Stu - all nets up, heavens opened, all nets down - 1 Reed Bunting caught

Sunday 8th August 2021 - no prospect of netting given weather.

Previous years:

CES 10 :  2020: 38  2019: 51;  2018:53  2017: 150 birds,  2016:  92,  2015 - no record,  2014: 40

CES 9 Lots of Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting young

 Sunday 25th July 2021

Dave, Joe, Stu, Linda, Claire

Birds caught:  Sedge Warbler 5/2;  Reed Bunting 15/2;  Reed Warbler 20/14;  Blackbird 1/0;  Wren 2/2;  Chiffchaff 11/0;  Greenfinch 1/0;  Song Thrush 1/0;  Dunnock 0/1;  Great Tit 1/0;  Whitethroat 1/0;  Blue Tit 3/2;  Blackcap 8/0;  Garden Warbler 3/0;  Linnet 1/0

Cloudy, mild, some drizzle

2021: 96  2020- no record 2019: 103 2018: 86 2017 - weather cancelled ;  2016 - 48  ;  2015 - no record ;  2014 - 86

CES 8 Very hot - good numbers of reed bed warblers

 Sunday 18th July 2021

Dave, Joe, Stu, Linda

Birds caught: Sedge Warbler 9/6;  Reed Bunting 7/1;  Reed Warbler 12/9;  Blackbird 1/0;  Wren 5/1;  Willow Warbler 0/1;  Chiffchaff 6/1;  Greenfinch 1/0;  Song Thrush 1/0;  Dunnock 1/0;  Great Tit 1/0;  Whitethroat 1/0;  Blue Tit 7/0;  Blackcap 3/0;  Lesser Whitethroat 1/0;  Bullfinch 1/0;  Garden Warbler 0/1;  Robin 2/0;  Grasshopper Warbler 0/1

Very hot - c15C at start - part of a week long spell of 32C+ temperatures ...

2021: 81  2020: 57;  2019: 101;  2018: 109;  2017: 129;  2016: 55;  2015: 39;  2014: 44

CES4 - nice range of Warblers

 Sunday 30th May 2021

Dave, Joe, Stuart, Sadie, Claire

Birds caught:  Sedge Warbler 1/8;  Reed Warbler 3/2;  Grasshopper Warbler 1/1;  Lesser Whitethroat 2/0;  Blackbird 1/0;  Dunnock 1/3;  Long-tailed Tit 5/2;  Blackcap 3/0;  Linnet 2/0;  Whitethroat 3/0;  Song Thrush 1/0;  Blue Tit 0/2;  Robin 1/0;  Reed Bunting 4/0;  Wren 0/1;  Chiffchaff 1/0

Total 48 birds

Previous years: 2020: 53: 2019: 70; 2018: 28  2017: 49 2016: 43  2015: 49 and 2014: 29

CES 3 - another shortened session due to weather - but good news ...

 Sunday 23rd May 2021

Dave, Joe, Stu, Claire

Cool morning - not much above 6/7C ; cloudy; wind increasing - halt called 1015.

Birds caught:

Wren 0/2;  Garden Warbler 2/3;  Bullfinch2/0;  Grasshopper Warbler 0/1 (as per CES1);  Reed Warbler 5/4;  Sedge Warbler 0/5;  Willow Warbler 0/2;  Chiffchaff 0/1;  Linnet 3/0;  Whitethroat 3/2;  Reed Bunting 2/0;  Great Tit 0/1;  Robin 0/1;  Blue Tit 1/3;  Long-tailed Tit 3/4;  Blackcap 4/0;  Dunnock 1/0

Total birds:  55

Also seen etc.: Swift, Swallow, Grey Heron, Coot (young), Mute Swan, Oystercatcher,  Hare,  Muntjac Deer

2021: 41 2019: 40 ; 2018: 52; 2017: 36; 2016: 53; 2015: 28;  2014:33

CES 2 - bad weather week, just got the date in

 Sunday 16th May 2020

Dave, Joe, Linda, Sadie, Claire, Stuart

Marginal forecast, following week of wet and windy weather.  Early 10am finish due to rain.

Birds ringed:

Linnet 5/0;  Long-tailed Tit 2/0;  Dunnock 1/2;  Reed Bunting 1/3;  Sedge Warbler 4/7;  Whitethroat 2/0;  Reed Warbler 2/4;  Blue Tit 2/1;  Robin 0/2;  Song Thrush 1/0;  Wren 0/4;  Chiffchaff 1/0;  Garden Warbler 1/0;  Willow Warbler 0/2;  Blackbird 1/0

One Sedge Warbler was first ringed at Chelmarsh in 2014 - and has been caught at least once in all but one year since.

Total birds:  48

Also seen: Water Rail, Canada Goose, Grey Heron, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Coot, Blackcap, Oystercatcher,  Swallow, Buzzard

2020: 54  2019: 40 2018: 52; 2017: 36; 2016: 53; 2015: 28;  2014:33

CES 1 - -1C, but very good morning including Grasshopper Warbler

Sunday 2nd May 2021:

Joe, Dave, Stu, Linda and Claire

Very chilly start, some mist, half moon, sunrise ...

Birds ringed:  Reed Warbler 2/1;  Blackcap 2/0;  Reed Bunting 3/6;  Chiffchaff 1/1;  Wren 4/5;  Robin 1/1;  Willow Warbler 1/1;  Great Tit 0/2;  Sedge Warbler 5/2;  Dunnock 3/0;  Whitethroat 1/0;  Song Thrush 1/-;  Grasshopper Warbler 1/0

First known GW for a number of years!

Total birds ringed:  44 birds

Previous:  2014: 33;  2015: 35;  2016: 31;  2017: 32;  2018: 37  2019: 39  2020:  N/A (Covid)

Split team - Chelmarsh and Eardington Sewage works

Sunday 20th September 2020

Joe, Linda, Sadie - Chelmarsh - tapes for warblers

James, Stuart - Eardington Sewage - tapes for wagtails and pipits

Chelmarsh:  Blue Tit 9/3;  Blackcap 4/1 (control of a French ringed bird);  Reed Warbler 1/1;  Chiffchaff 24/1;  Dunnock 2/1;  Wren 0/2; Buullfinch 1/2;  Robin 1/0;  Reed Bunting 1/1; Great Tit 3/0;  Long-tailed Tit 2/0;  Goldcrest 2/0

Eardington Sewage:  Magpie 1/0 (ringing tick Stuart);  Pied Wagtail 16/0;  Grey Wagtail 2/0;  Meadow Pipit 6/0;  Blue Tit 3/0;  Kingfisher 1/0;  Robin 3/0;  Robin 2/0

Also seen : Buzzard 2,  Raven,  Rook,  Kestrel, Goldcrest, Skylark

CES 12 - quiet end to another year

 Sunday 30th August 2020

Joe, Stu, Dave, Sadie

Cold 7C start - then sun and breeze.

Birds caught:

Blackcap 5/4;  Dunnock 3/2;  Chiffchaff 6/1;  Reed Warbler 1/3;  Reed Bunting 3/0;  Sedge Warbler 1/0;  Wren 2/2;  Blue Tit 0/3;  Bullfinch 4/1;  Robin 1/1;  Marsh Tit 0/1

Total birds:  44 (11 species)

Previous years - 2019 / 2017 over 60 birds.

Also seen / heard:  Kingfisher, Tawney Owl,  Great White Egret,  7 Little Egret,  100+ Canada Geese,  2 Green Sandpiper,  Swallow,  2 Cettis Warbler

CES 11 - very large numbers - birds feeding up?

 Saturday 22nd August 2020

After a week of bad weather - storms, wind and rain, very good conditions and one of the best two or three session catches.  

Dave, Stu, Linda, Joe.

Birds caught:

Chiffchaff 32/7;  Willow Warbler 9/0;  Dunnock 4/1;  Blue Tit 12/10;  Reed Warbler 13/0;  Whitethroat 2/0;  Wren 3/3; Blackcap 12/1;  Song Thrush 1/0;  Bullfinch 6/0;  Sedge Warbler 2/0;  Robin 1/0;  Blackbird 3/0;  Reed Bunting 1/1;  Long-tailed Tit 2/0;  Great Tit 2/3;  Goldfinch 4/0;  Garden Warbler 3/0; Marsh Tit 2/0;  Redstart 1/0

Total birds - 142  ( 20 species )

2019 - 56; 2018 - no CES11;  2017 - 96;  2016 no CES 11;  2015 - 45;  2014 - 46

Also seen - on scrape - Mallard, Greylag and Canada Geese, Green Sandpiper, 17 Lapwing, 2 Little Egret and 1 Great Egret, Cettis - at least 2 birds singing

CES 10 - very quiet - concerns about the season

 Sunday 2nd August 2020

Dave, Joe, Linda, Stu, Sadie

Record low numbers ...

Garden Warbler 3/0;  Blackcap 3/1;  Reed Warbler 9/5;  Wren 2/1;  Whitethroat 1/0;  Chiffchaff 6/0;  Blue Tit 2/0;  Robin 1/0;  Treecreeper 1/0;  Goldcrest 1/0;  Great Tit 1/0; Willow Warbler 1/0

38 birds

CES 10 :  2019: 51;  2018:53  2017: 150 birds,  2016:  92,  2015 - no record,  2014: 40

CES 8 - lower catch than recent years, but many warblers

Sunday 19th July 2020

Stu, Dave, Joe, Linda and Sadie

Birds caught:

Reed Warbler 8/9; Reed Bunting 3/3;  Blackcap 4/0;  Blue Tit 1/3;  Wren 5/2;  Willow Warbler 1/0;  Chiffchaff 3/0;  Great Tit 3/0;  Garden Warbler 0/1;  Robin 2/0;  Dunnock 0/2;  Linnet 2/1;  Sedge Warbler 2/1

Total birds:  57

2020: 57;  2019: 101;  2018: 109;  2017: 129;  2016: 55;  2015: 39;  2014: 44

Other birds seen or heard:  Green Woodpecker, Green Sandpiper,  Yellowhammer,  ? Goshawk?

CES 7 - Very good warbler catch

Saturday 11th July 2020

Dave, Stu, Linda, Joe, Sadie

Mild, calm to start, sun rose onto nets.

Birds caught:

Blackcap 9/1,  Reed Bunting 2/0,  Reed Warbler 15/9,  Wren 2/0, Chiffchaff 6/1,  Sedge Warbler 7/4,  Whitethroat 2/0,  Blackbird 1/0,  Great Tit 1/0,  Robin 1/1,  Kingfisher 2/0, Linnet 1/0, Cettis Warbler 0/1

Total - 65 birds caught

2020:  65;  2019: 106;  2018: 58  ; 2017: 92 ;  2016: 90 ;  2015: 59;  2014: 48

CES 6 - good catch with lots of young warblers

Wednesday 1st July 2020

Last day due to weather.
Dave, Stu, Linda

Birds caught:

Great Tit 2/0;  Reed Warbler 16/3;  Blue Tit 18/3;  Blackcap 1/0;  Chiffchaff 7/3;  Dunnock 5/1;  Song Thrush 1/0;  Robin 1/1;  Reed Bunting 1/1;  Goldfinch 2/0;  Whitethroat 1/1;  Cetti's 1/0 (young);  Garden Warbler 3/0;  Sedge Warbler 3/5;  Wren 0/1;  blackbird 1/0

Total birds:  82

Previous:  ( 2019:123  2018: 61 2017:  118,  2016: 51,  2015:  56,  2014: 31 )

CES 5 - More young birds

Sunday 14th June 2020

Dave, Stu, Joe, Linda, Sadie
Still, mild, cloudy for most part - ideal ringing conditions - split stations

Birds caught:

Chiffchaff 12/8;  Blackcap 7/0;  Sedge Warbler 4/7;  Reed Warbler 5/3;  Lesser Whitethroat 1/0;  Whitethroat 1/0;  Dunnock 2/3;  Wren 0/2;  Great Tit 10/2;  Robin 1/1;  Blue Tit 3/2;  Reed Bunting 4/1; Linnet 1/0; Willow Warbler 0/1;  Cetti's Warbler 0/2;  Treecreeper 1/0;  Kingfisher 1/0;  Goldfinch 1/0

Total birds:  86

Total birds:    2019: 93  2018: 62  2017:  71   2016:  56   2015:  27   2014: 43 )

CES 4 - young Chiffchaff and Blue Tits in the catch

Sunday 31st May 2020

Dave, Joe, Stu, Sadie

Another hot sunny morning - driest May in over 125 years ...

Birds caught:

Dunnock 2/0,  Cetti's Warbler 1/0 (second breeding female),  Sedge Warbler 1/6,  Wren 0/4,  Willow Warbler 1/1,  Reed Warbler 4/1,  Blue Tit 10/5,  Long Tailed Tit 2/0,  Chiffchaff 5/2, Whitethroat 1/0,  Blackcap 2/0,  Lesser Whitethroat 1/0,  Linnet 1/0,  Goldfinch 1/0,  Robin 1/1

Total birds: 53



2019: 70; 2018: 28  2017: 49 2016: 43  2015: 49 and 2014: 29

CES 3 : catch affected by sun on nets

Monday 25th May 2020

Dave, Stu, Joe, Linda, Sadie
Cool 3/4C start, but sun strong and hitting nets from start.  Hot dry weather continues.  Phrag pretty dry and concerns about Reed Warbler numbers.

Birds ringed:  Cetti's Wabler 0/1,  Sedge Warbler 1/8,  Whitethroat 2/0, Wren 3/2,  Reed Bunting 4/1,  Robin 4/0,  Long-tailed Tit 0/1,  Goldfinch 3/0,  Chiffchaff 2/2,  Willow Warbler 0/1,  Garden Warbler 0/1,  Dunnock 0/1,  Great Tit 1/1,  Reed Warbler 0/1,  Blackcap 1/0

Also seen:  Grey Heron 1,  Lapwing 2,  Oystercatcher 1,  heard: Cuckoo 1

Birds ringed:  41

2019: 40 ; 2018: 52; 2017: 36; 2016: 53; 2015: 28;  2014:33