21st June: The latest Constant Effort Site ringing today revealed 18 new birds, most of which, encouragingly enough, were juveniles. Totals were 3 adult Reed Warblers (2 retraps), 2 juvenile Blackcaps, 1 adult and 2 juvenile Common Whitethroats, 1 juvenile Chiffchaff, 2 juvenile Robins (1 retrap), 2 juvenile Dunnocks (1 retrap), 3 juvenile Long-tailed Tits (plus 2 retrapped birds from last session and 1 adult and 1 juvenile Great Tit (Roger Peart).
Sandwich Tern, Longham Lakes, Dorset, 16/6/13 (Chris Parnell)
16th June: 1 Sandwich Tern on the depth pole on LR South in the evening (Chris Parnell).
14th June: Despite dodgy weather, a very successful CES ringing session captured 37 new birds and 16 retraps. Two flocks of Long-tailed Tits swelled the numbers, and included 15 new birds, all juveniles, and 6 retraps, which were all adults (5 females, 1 male). Other highlights included 4 new Reed Warblers, 1 male Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Greenfinches, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Reed Buntings and 1 juvenile Willow Warbler (Roger Peart). The Willow Warbler almost certainly doesn’t breed at Longham, although they are on Ferndown Common 1 mile to the north, and it might have wandered from there.
Remarkably, hot on the ample heels of the Herring Gull came another bird ringed somewhere else, this time a Reed Warbler. If we hear about its origin we’ll let you know.
Herring Gull (ringed), Longham Lakes, 10/6/13 (Chris Parnell)
12th June: The Herring Gull seen on 10th was ringed at Pitsea Landfill Site, Essex, on 24th March 2012, as a second calendar-year.
10th June: Mammal trapping again produced a juvenile Wood Mouse (see 8th), probably the same animal as 8th. Birds included 2 Lesser Black-backed and 29 Herring Gulls, plus at least 1 Gadwall and what looked like a recently fledged brood of Common Whitethroats. One of the Herring Gulls was colour-ringed (Dominic Couzens).
9th June: Somewhat magical evening visit revealed a few good birds. Best of all was a Cuckoo still singing late at night, surely proof that they are breeding locally; also a Hobby over LR North in the near darkness, and oddly, a flock of 12 Greylag Geese flying over from the Hampreston area. At least one Great Black-backed Gull was around. Of mammal interest (or perhaps not), there were a minimum of 54 Rabbits on-site, most of them along the west side towpath (Dominic Couzens).
8th June: The first mammal trapping session of the year overnight produced 1 juvenile Wood Mouse from the seven traps, and a lot of slugs. Birds included about 100 Swifts, a pair of Shelducks and a male Gadwall, all flying low around the site. (Dominic Couzens)
7th June: A excellent report of a Red Kite overhead (4th for Longham) between 2.30pm and 3.00pm. Also a burst from the resident Cetti’s Warbler (Alan Pearce). In late afternoon a Mediterranean Gull was calling. A few young Pied Wagtails about. (Dominic Couzens).
3rd June: The fourth Constant Effort Site (CES) ringing session produced 16 retraps and 14 new individual birds. The retraps included 10 caught for the first time this year, including 2 Robins, 2 Reed Warblers, a Song Thrush, a Whitethroat, 3 Dunnocks and a Blackbird. The completely new individuals were 5 Robins (all juveniles), 3 Song Thrushes, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Bullfinch and juvenile Dunnock and Blackbird. While ringing was going on, at least 50 Swifts were flying over, and a Poplar Hawk Moth appeared. (Roger Peart).
31st May: The Greenshank was present on the main island in LR South first thing, and there were at least 500 Swifts over the reservoir (Shaun Robson).
27th May: CES ringing this morning produced 23 new individuals and 11 retraps. Of the retraps, three were Long-tailed Tits, to the delight of my daughter (left). The new individuals were 10 Reed Warblers, 4 Robins, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Song Thrushes, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Wren, 1 Blackcap and 1 Green Woodpecker. (Roger Peart).
Roger comments that there is a shortfall in birds this year compared to last: new birds just 55 vs 83 at this stage, with retraps 42 vs 55. Only Wren, Goldfinch and Bullfinch are doing marginally better this year, while such species as Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Blackbird are well down.
25th May: Swifts everywhere this morning, with a Hobby hunting, a Cuckoo calling and the drake Garganey asleep on the main island (Chris Parnell).