The third CES session at Attenborough was carried out under blue skies, full sun and a bit of a breeze. The conditions did not help but even so the catch was very disappointing. The usual 168m of net was erected along with another 18m well away from the CES nets at which we played a cuckoo call. We ended with just 20 birds and 4 of those came from the single cuckoo net, none of them being a cuckoo though! The MP3 lure was very effective at bringing a couple of cuckoos to investigate, but they stayed too high in the canopy to go in the net.
The birds we did catch were: Chiffchaff 1, Wren 1, Blackcap 3, Garden Warbler 1, Reed Warbler 2, Blue Tit 4, Great Tit 2, Robin 1, Dunnock 3, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 1. The whole site seems very quiet and unless there is a major increase in numbers in the next 3 visits this will be the worst CES season ever at Attenborough. After this catch we did not really need any further discouragement for the coming visits but we got it in the form of the first hatch of mosquitoes, they will be out in full force by visit 4!
On a more significant note, today we said goodbye to Jake as he heads over the pond to Baltimore to start a new job and a new chapter in his life. Jake has been an active and respected member since joining us in April 2022, we will miss him but wish him well for the future. To mark the occasion we presented him with a good luck card featuring a Blue Tit on the front, so he can be reminded of just what he is missing when in the USA. Even more memorably Holly made him an ‘American’ style going-away cake called Devil's Food Cake, it was delicious but not one for those on a diet!
Kev
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| Ringing base (HJ) |
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| Net ride (KH) |
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| Jake's Cake (KH) |
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