Freddy's posting on "multiple jeopardy" prompted me to add some further observations re this abysmal breeding season. Last year, Andy Chappell from the Mid-Lincs Ringing Group resumed ringing at one of our sites near Donington on Bain with a view to commence a Constant Effort Ringing Site (CES) this year. This entails visiting the site 12 times from May to August every 10 days, using the same nets in the same place for a minimum of six hours and recording everything that is ringed or re-trapped. The trial last year resulted in a ratio of adult to juvenile birds at 1:4 Today was visit No. 8 and very few juvenile birds have been caught. No Blackcaps, no Garden Warblers, no Reed Buntings, no Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler and the list goes on. Apart from a few Tits, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Dunnocks and Wrens, so far there are no juvenile birds. Let's hope for a vast improvement on the next four visits. The current ratio of adult to juveniles stands at 1:1.5!! To sum up the season so far - Res Ipsa loquitur!
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