17th May 2010 - Chesworth and an Unusual Nest Site

The normal Monday visit to Chesworth Farm started a bit warmer than of late and Eddie and I caught 26 new birds including four Goldfinch (including a juvenile), three Greenfinch (including two juvenile), a Reed Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 House Sparrow and 5 Robin (including four juveniles - below).
Once finished netting we went to look at a Chiffchaff nest that had been spotted a couple of weeks previous by Eddie and found five ringable chicks making 31 new birds for the morning. Also seen here was a Hobby, a Kestrel, a Buzzard and a Barn Owl, all out at the same time.

The best of the retraps included two Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Reed Warbler (including a female with a full brood patch already) and a Blackbird ringed in 2008.

During the late afternoon, Mandarin Ducks have been coming into the Feeding Station at Warnham LNR to feed so Jake and I made an attempt to catch it with a couple of impromptu nets but although one came in were only able to catch a new Woodpigeon! May try again soon. Whilst attempting this I happened to hear some chicks calling from the edge of a copse and eventually found the noise coming from a nest of Great Tits in the unusual spot of the bottom of a tree tube with a rose growing in it (below)! Thankfully, Jake's nimble fingers came into action again and all eight chicks were ringed.
Birds ringed:
Robin - 5 (2)
Goldfinch - 4
Reed Warbler - 1 (3)
Chiffchaff - 3 + 5 nestlings
House Sparrow - 3 (1)
Greenfinch - 3 (3)
Blackbird - 1 (2)
Great Tit - 8 nestlings (4)
Woodpigeon - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - (2)
Dunnock - (1)
Chaffinch - (1)
Long-tailed Tit - (2)
Blue Tit - (2)
Whitethroat - (1)