Attenborough, Tuesday 22 March

Myself, Mick, Pete and photographer, Ben Andrew, made our first visit to Attenborough on Tuesday to see how the breeding Cormorants and Grey Herons were doing. Ben is doing a photo essay on breeding inland Cormorants and wanted to see some ringed and their nests. We managed this and he went away happy and they may appear in BBC Wildlife one day.

Our impression with the herons is that numbers are down and it's a later breeding season than some years. Several nests had gone and a few new ones had appeared in the more sheltered eastern end of the reserve. Nevertheless, we ringed five heron nestlings and a brood of four cormorants. We plan to return in a few days when there should be more to do.

Jim

 (photo (c) Ben Andrew/Mick Pearson)