Bridgewater Bay NNR

A walk with the Somerset OS led by Jeff Hazell (ex Londoner) in murky conditions turned out OK and the company was terrific; about a dozen of us, from beginners to old hands. I took my dog along as she is very "clingy" at the moment (in the last week of her season).

High tide was at 11:10 and now subsided after the equinoxial high to a moderate 8.7 metres.

Birds seen (Wall Common): Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret (5 or more), Grey Heron, Mute Swan (pair nesting), Brent Goose (15, 3 dark-bellied), Shelduck (100+), Mallard, Buzzard, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Lesser Black-back Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Skylark (masses singing), Sand Martin (several parties through), Meadow Pipit (again a fair few), Pied and White Wagtail (3 of the latter), Dunnock, Wheatear (smart male), Blackbird, Chiffchaff (3 singers), Great Tit, Magpie, Crow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting. I also saw a Yellowhammer, my first for the year, just before I arrived at the rendez-vous (they all seem to bugger off from us here in winter).

500

It almost passed me by, the 500th new bird at Fairmead. The ring was given to a 5F Brambling at 5.30 pm on Monday 21st. This intermediate target was achieved in 69 days - and I've not been able to ring all day every day. At present, it's about 8 new birds a day, with Goldfinches approaching the 200 mark.

Some Solace at the Equinox

A better week brought about by better weather and some welcome sunshine - for much of the time! The best day in the garden was today, Sunday.

The "semi-resident" female Blackcap spent much of each morning feeding away in the Camellia, now in full bloom (see last week's blog entry); this pissed off the pair of Robins and the result was a draw.

I played about with the nets and the feeders, trying to find the optimum layout in the orchard. Ever hamstrung by the badly cared for and mis-shaped apple trees (nobody thought of reducing the top growth), there are now 4 nets instead of the 2 that worked well when I was able to ground feed the Bramblings and Chaffinches.

The highlights were a male Goldcrest, a second straight forward collybita Chiff (most likely the one that sings from the trees in Union Lane, 5 doors away), a couple of moving Siskins and a 5M Brambling with a very low weight, fat and muscle score that must be on the move, too.


Wing detail of said 2CY Bramblefinch.

Here then is the list of the 16 species handled over the last seven days:
Goldcrest 1
Blue Tit 3 (1)
Great Tit 2
Coal Tit 1 (1)
Long-tailed Tit 3 (1)
Chiffchaff 3 **see below**
Blackcap (1)
Wren (1)
Blackbird 1 (2)
Robin (2) - nesters from other gardens
Dunnock (1)
House Sparrow 3
Chaffinch 1
Brambling 1
Greenfinch 6 (2) + 2 local movers (2km)
King Harry's 12 (5)
Siskin 2

***Stop Press*** Have just caught second Chiff, this one with a wing of 66m, [e6,wp4/5,2=8] with a weight of 13.3g, fat 35, muscle 2; has to be another abietinus.

This weekend is the Spring Gala of the WSR (West Somerset Railway). Just a couple of pics from yesterday.


SR 30777 "Sir Lamiel" [4-6-0 King Alfred class] tender first, passing cleared signal for Williton down platform.


'Brit' 70000 [4-6-2 West Country Pacific] starting up the incline from Williton station to Stogumber. Almost the same view from our bedroom.



Williton station in the early morning sun.
Notice the newly refurbished footbridge ex Trowbridge that was returned and lifted into position by the contractors, TEMA, on Wednesday 16th. Not much ringing done that day. Just need to fit the wooden steps and find £20K for the roof and lighting!

Some movement

Firstly it was the wind in the NE that put a stop to a decent catch, then it swung SW and upped a gear. If it hadn't been for the wind, the grey skies with fleeting sunshine and the odd passing shower might have produced something ringable.

The latter half of the week saw me back in Bedford on family business, before moving on to Aylesbury. We had arranged an early spring ringing session in the 15 year-old wood we are looking at. The skies were clear, the sun beamed down, the wind got up and we were dead in the water. All we had for our troubles were 2 male Goldcrests.


It wasn't all bad as we saw a Woodcock fleeing from one net, 3 Jays "laughing up their sleeves/axillaries", a Tawny keeping a box warm, various tits defending clusters of boxes and, up with the Kites, Sky Larks singing their little hearts out in the blue skies, out performing the 'hiss' of a "SqueasyJet". Two early starts and well over 400 miles driven in 36 hours. Almost home, I saw an adult male Hen Harrier flying alongside (not quite) the car as I crossed "the levels". I slept soundly last night.

Back home for the whole of the last day of the week, and with the day starting grey and damp with a promise of a clearance - it was 'nets up' sharpish. Shortly thereafter the sound of a Chiffchaff singing in the early sun along Union Lane at the back of us perked me up. Then, behold, one in the net. This individual's characteristics of long wing, 2=7, black-black legs, full colouration and minimal abrasion puts it within the realms of abietinus. Overall it turned out to be the best day of the week.

Now a few mundane images of mundane birds that turned up this week.




Having had the nets up for a shorter time, the week's total was up slightly on the previous two. 19 birds ringed and 11 species handled as under.
Blue Tit 1
Coal Tit 1 - first since mid-Jan
Long-tailed Tit (1)
Chiffchaff 1 (new)
Blackbird 1 (1)
Robin (2)
House Sparrow 6, after a 6-week gap
Chaffinch 2
Brambling 1 (& a 2nd male avoiding the nets today)
Greenfinch 3
Goldfinch 3
Nine weeks in and I'm almost at the 500 'new birds' mark.

Other signs of spring included several bumblebees, Brimstone butties, primroses and the Camellia in full flower now.



No sign of tadpoles hatching yet; perhaps another week?

Some signs of spring

These two "luvlies" are billing and cooing on our chimney every morning. They are just one of the four or five pairs hanging around the small industrial estate between us and the railway. It can get quite noisy when they are joined by one of two pairs of Collared Doves on the electric wires, a pair of Jackdaws and the nazal twang of the Greenfinches. It is all part of the celebration of spring which cannot be far away now. [First Bluebell in the garden this morning]

Ringing has been very slow with the north-east wind blowing the nets and keeping the "feels like" temperatures close to freezing. This is completely different in a friends garden which is on a west facing slope, protected from the current wind and also benefitting from the sunshine more than we do.



The dominant species this week was Greenfinch; a male and female 'second years' from this week are in the photos above. Just 13 birds ringed but a total of 10 species handled over the seven days.
Long-tailed Tit (1)
Wren (1)
Blackbird 1 (1)
Robin (4)
House Sparrow 1
Chaffinch 1
Brambling 1
Greenfinch 6
Goldfinch 1
Siskin 2

If you multiplied these totals by 10, you would be close to the numbers of bird ringed by my two nearest ringing neighbours. C'est la vie. Welcome to West Somerset! (Thanks, Denise).

And, finally, down the lane at the back of us, the Rooks are extremely busy refurbishing last years nests and building new; 12 pairs/occupied nests counted this morning.

Not every thing is spring-like yet. The Hazel catkins are fully elongated but the small red female flowers have not yet burst; the same goes for the Alders. There were 7 Redwings on the (now unoccupied) sheep field by the Doniford Stream and I also picked up a Little Egret, a Gt. Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Bullfinch and a Buzzard during my short walk with the dog. There are still some Bramblings around, with a loose flock of 9 flying over to roost.