Evening all

The sun and the wind and the showers have persisted. A different tack was called for and it came in the form of calmer winds at the end of the day, or even a slight shift so that the wind came from the north where we are somewhat sheltered by 40' (13m) trees.

The beginning of this week has turned up a small but significant group of birds. The 2CY female Great Spot has been back again, this time in the net after feeding.


GRSWO - 2CY female with old greater coverts and white tips to the primaries

The fully adult Blue Tit pair have been foraging in the apples for a while now and both were caught, separately, on Tuesday. It should not be long before they bring their new offspring to the orchard.

Apart from re-trapping one of the four young Robins, a noisy, and probably unsure, >3CY male was caught and ringed; the last "resident" male was trapped on 14th February. The pair with the fledged young at the bottom of the garden have taken them off in the opposite direction to the one the interloper came and left.


ROBIN - adult male, the "interloper" 958


SISKIN - 2CY female

Three Siskins were caught over three evenings but the most pleasure was had when four 1J (just fledged) Goldfinches turned up close together in a net with one of the parents singing/calling madly by the end of the net. They most likely bred in the front hedge where there is also a second pair.


EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH - age class 1J

11 new and 4 r/t of 7 species:
Gt. Spot. W-pecker (1)
Blue Tit (2)
Robin 1 (1)
House Sparrow 1 (incubating female)
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 5
Siskin 3