Post date: Jul 9, 2016 4:32:27 PM
The 7th session of the CES was carried out today, this time with the company and help of Arne H. and Dennis H..
I was completely soaked and quite muddy throughout the session (due to the rain that fell during the second hour and the overgrown, wet vegetation over the net line that was taken care of while putting up the nets), but the temperature was mild (14, then raising to 20ºC), so it felt reasonably comfortable.
Finally, I caught a decent number of birds: 80 of eleven species. The most remarkable were the 20 Reed Buntings, a species that has been the subject of my and my student's research during the past five years, and which are certainly having a very successful breeding season this year (only two out of the 20 birds were adults). This year's CES numbers have already beaten the totals of previous years for this species despite there are still five sessions left!
There were also 20 Chiffchaffs caught, of which only one was an adult, and smaller numbers of Sedge, Reed, Willow and Garden Warblers, Blackcaps, Great, Blue and Marsh Tits and Dunnocks. As usual, the detailed results are described here. Curiously, the Reed Warbler with the Belgium ring caught in the previous session was again retrapped (twice), and so it is most probably breeding locally.
I did not have time to take any pictures nor make any observations apart from the various flocks of crossbills flying overhead. It is now time to enjoy the weekend and prepare for the (I hope and expect!) Portuguese victory on Sunday!
JMN