Friday 10 August 2018

July 2018 - bird numbers down on recent years

A poor month for captures with a total of 482 new birds, when recent Julys have been over 700.

Low catches continued on CES sessions and one of the three planned Wraysbury sessions was postponed till August, but whether the low numbers are due to the hot weather, or to a cold spring, or to low productivity, awaits analysis.

The top species was Blackcap at 90, closely followed by Reed Warbler on 85. Only 20 Chiffchaff were ringed. Kingfishers have had a difficult year so it was good to have singles at Bedfont and Wraysbury, and Stanwellmoor had some success with all three hirundines.

Other pleasing records this month were 3 juvenile Meadow Pipit at Stanwellmoor, 4 Cetti’s Warbler (Bedfont, Wraysbury and Stanwellmoor) and a House Sparrow at Bedfont South Side.