CES Session 2

Ringing ~ 16th May 2014 ~ 

My GCSE exams started on Monday 12th May so I have been busy revising and generally stressing out, meaning that my birding and patching efforts have been greatly reduced! However, with almost half of my exams done in the first 4 days, I didn't have any exams on Friday (16th) and so I decided to make use of the day by going ringing, sleeping, doing some revision and patching.

Due to the fact that ringing was a CES visit, it meant that all the nets had to be open very early! I had to set my alarm for 03.15, though I think it will get earlier still as sunrise gets earlier throughout the coming weeks. MC and I arrived at the ringing site just before 04.00, donned our waders and had all the nets open by 04.50.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

The first net round produced very little and we hoped it did not foreshadow what the rest of the session would be like. Thankfully the birds started to wake up and the rest of the net rounds were much more productive, including a number of new and already ringed Reed Warblers.

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

My personal highlights of the session were the Jay, caught about halfway through the morning, as I'd never ringed one before, a Moorhen, the brood of 6 Blue Tits that we ringed once we'd finished the CES and all the newly fledged Robins we caught throughout the morning with their fluffy brown plumage and yellow-based bills.

A recently fledged Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

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