3 Jays for the final CES of 2018....

Another CES (Constant Effort Scheme) season is over. All 12 sessions were completed with good numbers of the group available for each one.  Some new trainees this year, helpers and lots of visitors too stopping off to see us at work by the river viewpoint on the Teifi Marsh.
The last session on Tuesday will be remembered for the unusual catch of 3 Jays. Two juveniles

and an adult female still with a brood patch and just starting wing moult

A Kingfisher started the day well. Other species were predictable with Reed Warblers, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blue Tits keeping us busy. Blackcap numbers are starting to increase. Many were in the middle of post juvenile moult with the black crowns of the males starting to grow.

The morning ended with a total of 87 birds - 72 new and 15 retraps.
After all 12 sessions the total for CES this year is 763 with 519 new and 244 retrap.
The most frequently caught species were the following..

Less than 5 of each were Lesser Whitethroat 4, Common Redstart 4, Reed Bunting 4, Jay 3, Long-tailed Tit  3, Kingfisher 2, Common Whitethroat 2, Lesser Redpoll 1, House Sparrow 1,
Not all of the birds breed on the CES site. In particular, Sedge Warbler numbers are boosted by migrants in late Spring. This is reflected in the fact that we catch large numbers in the first 2 CES sessions then very few during peak breeding season until autumn migration starts.
The oldest bird retrapped was a Reed Warbler ringed as an adult in July 2012 and caught each year at CES since then.
The total lack of Cetti's Warblers is a big concern. Not one was caught or heard since the cold spell this Spring. The number of Blackbirds was markedly down. Last year we ringed 75, just 16 this year.

It felt at the time that the sessions this year had been quieter than average but on looking back at recent years the graph clearly shows that apart from the bumper year of 2011 totals were much the same as recent years.

Our data will be added to that of the other 140 CES sites around the country.  Analysis of the data for the 24 species studied provides valuable trend information on abundance of adults and juveniles, productivity and adult survival rate. We will post the link when the BTO publishes the results.

CES results are combined with other BTO surveys to produce the annual Bird Trends report. It is a useful and interesting resource to refer to and good to know that our work on the Teifi Marsh contributes to this.
BTO Bird Trends 2017

Thanks once again to the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales for their continuing permission to ring on the Teifi Marshes Reserve and for their much appreciated support for our work.