The Long-tailed Tits have fledged

A couple of evenings this week I've been able to open 70' of net in the orchard part of the garden. It has been a bit of a Long-tailed Tit fledging period.

So far I have ringed broods of 8, 8, 9, 6 & 8, all with at least two, if not three, adults. I have also ringed the first free-flying juvenile Blue Tit; I haven't yet found out which neighbours have boxes that are used regularly.

Bag of Long-tailed Tits

Handful of (young) Long-tailed Tits

Two site ringing ticks broke up the proceedings - first an adult male Jay (also a garden tick)

... I did let it go ... eventually!

and shortly after, a Mistle Thrush, a species I've not done for a while. This one was a 2CY female with a BP4. They nest over the road and take possesion of our large Holly tree in the autumn come berry time.

Apols for the poor quality - camera on wrong setting. Nice of the Weigela, though!

Forecast is for wind and rain over the weekend. Tonight was only feasible because the wind was NW/NNW and we are sheltered by a belt of trees.

Two-night's tally came to 39 and 9 "passes":-
Jay 1
Blue Tit 2 (1)
L-T Tit 27 (5) + 1 control
Blackbird 6 (1)
Mistle Thrush 1
Robin 2
House Sparrow (1)