CES 3, a wandering Dipper, Chough and Skokholm.

A CES session that will long be remembered for the unprecedented number of Blackbirds! 28 juveniles, 5 new adults and 3 retraps.

The total for the session was 107 (87 new and 20 retrap) of 19 species.
Only 4 birds were extracted from the very dry reed bed nets, a female Reed Bunting with a brood patch, 2 retrap Reed Warblers from 2014 and 2015 and a juvenile Dunnock.
The only unusual capture was a juvenile Nuthatch, the second caught during a CES session although the 97th for the group with most being ringed in our gardens. A Coal Tit was unusual too, only the 7th CES bird. Compared to previous years we were missing Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats.

As well as CES, the group have been busy with other ringing activities.
Chris and Jenny went over to Ramsey Island to help ring Chough pulli. 4 chicks were colour ringed.

Thanks to Tim Guilford, Oxford University for the climbing expertise.
See Tweet by Ramsey Island

Karen had a surprise when she was helping at Paddy Jenks CES. A Dipper she had ringed at a nest box in the Gwaun Valley turned up in one of the nets. As Paddy explains in his blog, although only 10km away in a direct line it had jumped catchments, probably crossing the Preseli hills!
Pembs Ringing blog

Two of us have been out on Skokholm Island for a week. The highlight was undoubtedly a Bluethroat

but regular work was as interesting as ever with over 50 Manx Shearwaters caught one night and more adult Oystercatchers colour ringed as part of Pembs ringing group project looking at survival and dispersal.

Look out for Oystercatchers with orange colour rings.

With the continuing wind, our biggest challenge this week is trying to fit in CES4 but a fine weather window is looking unlikely at the moment.