Camera-less

Having returned home from a brief holiday, it took a couple of days to get the net up. Piccies will not be a feature - least ways, ones that are any good - as I lost my new camera on day 1. This was a bit of a bind since I needed to photograph some ancestral buildings and a couple of memorials. Things should improve by the middle of next week when I intend to be up and running again camera-wise. Meanwhile, it's back to the old one.

There were lots of fresh young birds around in the garden that required the acceptance of some BTO bling. I caught the first Great Tit, Robin, Dunnock and Chaffinch fledglings of the year on 23/05 and a Song Thrush the day after. I had already ringed the first young Blackbird and Goldfinchs some two and a half weeks earlier.    

A new 6M (3CY+) cock Robin

This week so far has seen 23 new birds ringed and 11 re-trapped as follows:

Blue Tit 1 (1)

Great Tit 2

Wren (1) - a tail-less female that must be sitting

Blackbird (3) - feeding fresh (2nd brood) young somewhere nearby

Song Thrush 1

Robin 3 (1)

Dunnock 3 (3)

House Sparrow 1

Chaffinch 2

Greenfinch 9 - 3 young & 6 adults 

Goldfinch 1 (1)

Bullfinch (1) - a nesting female

New male 6M (3CY+) Greenfinch with diagnostic grey tips to primary coverts

 Here are just a couple of links to fellow bloggers' blogs about the DEFRA Buzzard v Pheasant saga that is hitting the headlines.

http://wansteadbirder.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/defra-shocker.html

http://anotherbirdblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/buzzard-response-sort-of..html