Margaret's funeral

Jenny asked me to come and support her at her mother's funeral, which was yesterday (10th). Couldn't turn down a second visit in a week, could I? Joking apart, I felt I had to go and wish this sweet lady farewell anyway, along with all the King clan.

I took advantage by putting just the one net out early, hoping to catch more 'continental' Blackbirds. Both days were dull and the temperature never got above +6C, having climbed from near freezing. There was no frost however, the wind keeping it at bay. The one sign that spring was somewhere over the horizon and about to descend on us was this female Goldfinch. Her presumed mate was singing his heart out in an Ash tree above the garden. These are the first we have seen or heard since the late autumn.

The total haul was a mere 23 birds of which 9 were recaptures as follows:
Dunnock (1),  Robin (1),  Blackbird 7,
Long-tailed Tit 1,  Marsh Tit (1),
Blue Tit 2 (3),  Great Tit 2 (3),
Goldfinch 1.

A fairly even split with the Blackbirds; 2x each of 6M, 6F & 5M plus 1x 5F. There were 2 possible 'continentals'; a whopping 6M had a wing of 144mm and a weight of 139gm and a 5M with 135 & 118 respectively. The oldest known bird was a Blue Tit caught as a full adult (4M) in December '07.

Fred Cooke reported 30 odd Siskins in the Babingley valley, which is not very far away at all. None so far heard in our part of the wood. I suspect his were in the Alders on the Castle Rising Estate.