I had one 40ft net up at New Hythe by 6.am(west scrub).Its getting very difficult to put up more nets now due to the increase in dog walkers,who let their dogs run riot all through the scrub areas.If this continues birds like Nightingales and other species that nest close to the ground will be pushed out.
The Country Park now holds the highest density of Nightingales in the area,some 14 pairs.Places such as the Reed Island Site and Eccles Old Factory area (which held some 30-40 odd pairs in the 1980s and 90s are becoming unsuitable (new housing at Eccles and the habitat on the Island Site is now very tall) it needs to be managed).
My one net was up until 9.am and up until that time I had caught no birds.However when I came to take it down I had one ringed Nightingale in the net.Iwas expecting it to be a retrap from previous years but in fact it proved to be a control,a bird that another ringer had ringed.Out of the 240 Nightingales I have handled in the area,this is my first control.It will be nice to know where and when it was ringed.I have sent the information off to the British Trust for Ornithology.
A paper on The Burham,Eccles and New Hythe Nightingales (Woodcock A.) can be found in the 1991 Kent Bird Report.
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