Brrr....

Bitterly cold last night when we went down to -6C; today wasn't much better as we couldn't quite get to zeroC.

Not much in the way of bird activity after the dawn raids by the pair/trio of Dunnocks, the winter resident Robin and one of the two male (unringed) adult Blackbirds. A lone male Goldfinch (ringed) and a juvenile female (ringed) Greenfinch attended the upstairs restaurant briefly before it all went quiet.

Nets up. Four House sparrows messing about in the tops of the trees. Nets partially visible against the clear blue sky. The moderate to strong north-easterly wind has gone and been replaced by a light/gentle westerly. One of the Collared Doves sits pensively and all fluffed up in the Crab Apple tree by the garage. Hope its not sick; shouldn't be - there's plenty of food laid out.

Still nothing in the net. Have to pop round to see my younger brother in the residential home and take his mail, etc. Just furl the nets while I'm gone; whoops, got a 1CY male re-trap Blue Tit. Biggy with a 66.5 wing and weight of 11.8g; no probs there, then.

Back and unfurled the nets. I'll go and run through the three quarters of a million plus viruses, trojans and malware on the computer in the mean time. Time for a coffee and a sandwich, just check the net, oh a 'sparrow' has just flown in, better take it out. "Blow me down with a feather!" (polite version), I says to myself, loudly.

It's only another female 'Bavarian' Blackcap. I'll get this away quickly. Ringno ...845, wing 73.5mm, weight 20.8g, fat 2, muscle 2, tail shape adult/rounded. Take a couple of quick photographs while I'm at it.
[The one on the 8th was a 3F, wing 77, wt.20.7g, F3 M2]

I have three Leycesteria bushes, one in the front right and two up the side but none in the back. I do have 5 or 6 seedlings sprouting in the front gravel, ready for setting in the back, though. Originally given to me by a 'C' ringer when I moved here, they are attractive to Blackcaps, Robins and Blackbirds with their syruppy 'seeds'.

Just finishing up the blog and a third bird for the day - an adult, poss 'continental', female blackbird, doing OK so far (wt. 111g)