Juveniles in a June reedbed

This morning we had a great session in the reedbed surrounding the Mallard Pond and across to the hedge around the water meadows at Heron Pond.

One of the first birds of the morning - our first juvenile Reed Warbler of the year, a couple more to follow and 14 more adult retraps. Great for our RAS study. The Mallard Pond is in the foreground, looking across the reed-bed to Heron Hide on the hillside.

Seven more juvenile Sedge Warblers - great to ring these before the passage birds start arriving, we are likely to catch 500 in July and August, and we have ringed over 200 so far this year, though few breed on the site.

Four new juvenile Cetti's, likely from two different nests, and great to retrap one of our breeding females.
An early juvenile Redstart was nice and also interesting to catch two male Linnets. Six juvenile Blackcaps added to the warbler mix, and with the usual residents a total catch of 87 birds.
Chris and Dawn were ringing at a site on the far side of the photo, Wendy and I near the Mallard Pond.
Chris managed to colour-ring seven more Reed Buntings in this session, four of them adults, again great for our RAS on this species.