Ready, steady, go!

The "house-work" on the new domicile is nearly completed and now is time for a little "play". Recently, we've been suffering from low temperatures and a cold (onshore) wind and, to top it all, heavy rain was forecast for today. On rising from the pit, there just happened to be a light overcast with a calmer wind and just the odd intermittent spot of rain; that is, until noon.

I got out quickly and put up a net or two. It threatened rain once or twice but nothing more than a few spits or spots. And it turned out to be ideal ringing weather in many ways, what with the birds trying to get ahead of the game in case another hard spell descends upon us. After all, the period through January and early Feb. is, normally, the coldest part of the year.

We haven't seen, or heard, the Great Spot. for over a month now, but today it fell into the net with the most unholy racket. The bird turned out to be a juvenile female, as can be seen by the old, unmoulted greater and primary coverts.

A couple of Siskins "pop in" to the garden every so often, but there is a small flock of about a dozen down the road over the railway on a fairly regular basis.

Recently, we have seen three male Blackcaps and a female feeding on the fruit (lightly micro-waved apples) we spear onto the orchard trees. I was lucky enough to catch a male bird almost at once.

Number one bird today was my old favourite, the Goldfinch; I nobbled seventeen, spread throughout the morning with the older birds coming early on and the juveniles later.

Second in popularity was the Brambling. Eight birds and all males, both young and old. This represents only about 10% of the birds that were descending on the feed just a few days ago.

So, to the catch total for the morning. Well, I was surprised that it eventually came to 49 new birds. [This is the first time I've ringed in the area]. The list:
Great Spot 1,
Blue Tit 3,
Great Tit 3,
Coal Tit 1,
Blackcap 1,
Wren 1,
Blackbird 3,
Robin 3,
Dunnock 3,
House Sparrow 1,
Brambling 8,
Greenfinch 3,
Goldfinch 17,
Siskin 1,
That's fourteen species, more than I could have hoped for. Now that the rain has set in, (they say it'll be with us for the next three days) I can go back to those little jobs that keep cropping up around the house. I have to get them sorted before the real ringing season starts!