Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 26 April

Tom, Duncan, Gary and I managed a Sunday visit to Holme Pierrepont, despite the weather forecast predicting it would not be possible! There was hardly a cloud in the sky and only a slight breeze was blowing. We erected 12 nets including a couple in new sites.

We finished on 47 birds including 18 recaptures. The catch was made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 2/0, Song Thrush 1/0, Dunnock 0/2, Wren 2/0, Robin 1/3, Reed Warbler 4/1, Sedge Warbler 4/0, Blackcap 8/3, Garden Warbler 0/1, Chiffchaff 0/1, Willow Warbler 3/3, Blue Tit 2/0, Long-tailed Tit 0/2, Bullfinch 2/0, Reed Bunting 0/2.

There were a couple of Whitethroats around but they managed to avoid the nets, as did a calling Cuckoo. The oldest retraps of the morning were a Robin and a Garden Warbler from 2011. An added extra was a couple of Blackcap controls.

Kev

 Willow Warbler with pollen deposit on bill from migration (T. Shields)