Ty'n y Caeau - 23/1/2016 - First of the year for KRG

After what seemed to be an interminable period of poor weather we have at last rung ( or should that be ringed) in the new year well after the usual 1st of Jan. dateline.

Anyway Cedwyn, Phil and Chris set up the nets for first light, and whilst it all sounded very quiet we were pleased to have a handful of Yellowhammer in the nets before we had completed the job.

The rest of the morning was fairly quiet but it did mean we had time to have a good look at the birds and get into the swing of ageing etc.

Late on we were rewarded with a fairly unusual catch - a Skylark.

There were plenty of birds around and hopefully the extra feeding will mean better catches later in the season.

Totals for the day:

Ty'n-y-Caeau 26.09.2015

     On what was forecast to be a 'relatively' windless morning for the area, Heather Coats and I set out the usual line of nets along the hedgerow. We then added an additional line of three - metre high, two shelf nets - at the edge of the crop margin where I had noticed on a previous visit, that many birds were foraging in the stubble that had remained following the harvest.

     Soon after dawn large flocks of finches began milling over the field in addition to a peregrine falcon and a kestrel that cruised just above the hedgerow scattering the finches in all directions including the nets. 

     The two-shelf nets proved their worth producing a large proportion of the overall total for the morning.  

Willow Warbler

Yellowhammer

By 11:15 the wind began to rise bringing the session to an early end but not before we had captured seventy-two birds with only two re-traps which by chance were the final two birds ringed at the previous visit ten days earlier.

Ty’n-y-Caeau                                26.09.2015
Species	New	Re-traps	Total
Dunnock	2		2
Willow Warbler	1		1
Blue Tit		1	1
Great Tit	1		1
Greenfinch	5		5
Goldfinch	46	1	47
Linnet	13		13
Yellowhammer	2		2
8                                                                            72

Ty'n y Caeau 17/9/2015

After preparing the ride and setting up the net poles last week in rather windy conditions, it was excellent for Cedwyn and Chris to have an early chance at ringing in almost perfect conditions at TyC.  Absolutely no wind and slightly overcast with birds in evidence on arrival we had great hopes and have to say we weren't disappointed.
A slight problem at the start was that the final bamboo pole to be set up broke which meant we only had 1 less 40' net than intended. Total span today was 5x60' & 1x40'. We may have to look into obtaining more poles as the remaining bamboos feel distinctly fragile.
The first two rounds were calm but productive and as said earlier there were plenty of birds, a mixed flock of probably 200 - though my counting of swirling groups of them is not good - see if you can estimate how many from the white dots in the photo below of about half of them that landed in a tree at the bottom corner of the field. Unfortunately only had my iPhone to get a picture.

I'll take a proper camera next time

Anyway the morning picked up quickly and we finally had a total of 89 birds which after recent CES sessions was a real shock to the system. If we'd had the extra net up, we may have had to make excuses to our respective wives for a much later return home than planned.
The catch included this Stonechat which was the first we had actually seen at Ty'n y Caeau.

OK - I was concentrating on the bird not the horizon!

So here's hoping the autumn sessions can keep up this level of entertainmant.

Totals for the day:

CES 12 - Kenfig 4/9/2015 - The end of a very poor CES year

Perfect conditions to start but the results just didn't do it justice. Suffice to say that the totals for the day matched those for the year and a quick look at the comparison shows it all in grim relief.

This years session totals compared with the average 1997-2014, which contained a number of poor years. ( see all the CES results on link at right)

 The only cheer was that it did contain a large proportion of juveniles which hints at continued breeding success, but where have all the birds gone?

Totals for the day:

So that's it for CES for another year, so lets get off to Ty'n-y- Caeau, and hope for better results.

CES 11 - Kenfig 18/8/2015 - Another Disappointing Day

Bird of the Day:

Lesser Whitethroat

Even though the final outcome was poor we started in a positive mood having picked up a Grasshopper Warbler and the Lesser Whitethroat in the early net rounds. With conditions looking favourable as can be seen

(and no wind but that's less obvious in the picture)










All nets set by 06:05, who was to know that the paltry total of 15 birds for the morning was all we were to have.
In the catch, as said, was this rather scruffy Grasshopper Warbler.

Plus a Cetti's Warbler

The wind did become a fairly stiff breeze by mid morning but I have my doubts that that was the reason for such low numbers.
This year's CES is looking to be a record breaker, with the lowest ever numbers, but at least there were some good birds. Lets just see what the final session can bring.

Totals for the day:

CES 10 - Kenfig 7/8/15 - Good Numbers Good Birds

3 Grasshopper Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, and 
           1 Marsh Tit.

They may not be a particularly exotic set, but for Kenfig they are pretty unusual to catch. The Marsh Tit also being a first for some ringers here.
Cedwyn and Chris had the nets up by 06:10 to be joined a little later by Dave. The early round picked up the  Grasshopper warblers and one liked it so much it decided to visit again later in the morning.
The weather was pretty much ideal for a mornings ringing and the total of 47 was a respectable haul given recent catches.
Two Goldfinch also added to the list if unusual suspects, as whilst they can be caught at the reserve, they are not frequent visitors to the reedbed. The one rarity that we were relieved not to have in the nets was the Great White Egret, which did pass uncomfortably close toward, the end of the session.

Totals for the day:

CES 9 - Kenfig 30/7/2015 - What No Wind & Birds to ring!

After having to abandon the idea of any ringing for CES 8 it was a relief to be able to put up all the nets for CES 9 with absolutely no wind. It may be a bit picky after the weather we have had to complain that a little less sun would have made the conditions perfect.
Cedwyn and Chris, along with Suze, a welcome visitor, had all the CES nets up by 06:10 and then set about putting the extra 2x18m nets at the west pool slack.
The early net rounds rewarded us with a good catch and each subsequent round brought in a few each time. The CES total of 31 was the best session of the year by far, with 57 birds caught in total, more than 90% being juveniles.
Star bird was the Garden Warbler even if they are a little lacking in exotic plumage.

Garden Warbler

That plumage deficiency was made up for by the the juvenile Willow Warbler that was stunningly yellow in the early morning sun.

Willow Warbler

Totals for the day: