Yesterday, Sunday, was overcast with the wind in the north-east, i.e. coming through the wood, which, in turn, protects the garden. As usual, a net up by the weeping cherry, the tree from which most of the feeders hang. It was a reasonable mornings catch of 37 birds, 20 of them new.
The real point of the day was catching Blackbirds. There were 8 in all, 2x 5F, 2x 5M, 2x 6F & 2x 6M. Each category had a 'normal' wing and a 'longer' wing, but no 'super length' continental-types. The weights had dropped down to 105-110g except for two birds caught just after 9 o'clock which were a 5M at 120g and a 6F at 131g. [5 = last year's, 6 = 2 years or older]
Over the morning, I caught 5 Lottis. The first was a pair just after 10:30, heading for the peanuts, the female being unringed. Two more were recaptured shortly after but another unringed one, a possible 5M, visited the fat balls
shortly before lunch.
Only 4 Coal Tits were caught, 3 of them already with BTO passports. Coal Tit activity has reduced over the two weeks since I last visited and there was no sign of the three or four old birds that are regularly caught (= net happy). Surprisingly, I am still catching new Blue Tits; today it was 5 out of 13 that needed brand new bracelets.
Great Tits were also in short supply - just 1 new and 3 recaptures. Chaffinches obliged with three more of their number insisting on being 'registered' before they flew off to pastures new.
The real tragedy was today's weather turned for the worse - and that prevented me from catching any of the army of birds that visited the garden. I saw at least 7 unringed Blackbirds and 6 unringed Chaffinches coming and going to bread.There were Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Marsh Tits zipping back and forth to the sunflower hearts like there was no tomorrow. A couple of strangers in the form of Greenfinchs hogged one feeder. It's amazing to think that the birds knew that cold nights were coming and that they must put on an extra 10% of body weight now if they were to get round to next weekend.
Which is more than we can hope for Jenny's poor old mum in the QE2 hospital. She will be 95 next Monday - if the "Liverpool care pathway" allows. A testing time.
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