Wind stopped play

Yeah! Got the message when a strong gust took the top of the net into the apple tree. The wind tugged the net so hard, one of the guys slipped (only a couple of inches) and the net was free to fly. Out with the ladder! After that the wind got worse and stayed that way for a few days. Still bad. Doah.

We had a Community Speed-Watch session today by the school which is on the village outskirts. Despite the temperature being above freezing, the wind coming across the site meant we left gladly after an hour, the morning rush being over. Just the two miscreants from over two hundred motorists, one of them well over the 30 limit (40+ mph). That's despite four stationary bods in high-vis jackets (one a PCSO) - he needs to go to Specsavers! There were a few "front-end dippers" coming out of the 40 zone once they twigged us. Job done. Several 'thumbs-up' from drivers.

During this period since my last blog, there has been no rain, just a smidgin of dry snow. The ground is beginning to firm up at long last after all that rain from April to January (2012 was up 38.6% on the 1981-2010 local average). The Egrets are not so wedded to the local horse paddocks any more and I have spotted them elsewhere up and down the local streams. Other people have reported lots of Siskins in their gardens, but here they seem to have mainly departed and we are more likely to pick them up in the tops of the stream-side Alders, now that the cones have dried out again. What is noticeable is the build up of Blackbirds and the return of the Mistle and Song Thrushes. [Haven't a clue why the latter vacate this vicinity in winter]

The Buzzard kettles have now become courting pairs, displaying some distance from their preferred nesting site on occassions. The Moorhens are also back on territory but there has been no further sightings of the Kingfishers or Dippers. Several ringers have been shouting about the huge numbers of Redpolls that they have caught, but they are infrequent hereabouts. However, we might be lucky in the next few weeks to obtain a specimen or two during their northward passage.

From the catching and watching it has been apparent that there are quite a few more Blue Tits around. I suspect they are wanting to get into full breeding nick, hence their visits to the feeders (and the nets). As usual, they soon learn how to circumvent those (almost) invisible obstacles! Here's the running order since last we were here.



Collared Dove 1

Blue Tit 1 (8) - seems to be older males and younger females

Great Tit 1 (4)

Long-tailed Tit (2) - possible pair

Blackcap (1) - the unlucky one; the rest (4+) are busy to-and-froing to the sultanas on the bird tables. I will move the nets later.

Wren (2) - potential pair

Blackbird 2 (2) - the new ones were "non-standard"

Robin (2)

Dunnock (6) - there must be 10 (ringed) knocking about

House Sparrow 1

Chaffinch 2 - both young females

Greenfinch 1 (1)

Goldfinch 5 (2)

Siskin 3 - all virgin males (2CY)

Totals - 17 new birds (30 recaptured)