Hors de combat

The last couple of weeks have been hit and miss, ringing wise. Some kind soul gifted me a lurgi that is baffling the quacks right now. As a consequence, I have dived in and out of sessions in the garden, as and when I have felt able. 

Things have not all been bad and the few birds that I have managed to catch/ring have kept my spirits up - as well as adding to the year's species list. There has been somewhat of a change in the birds visiting the garden whereas others have taken to feeding away from the normal netting area.

So, in essence, I have three weeks of records to catch up on. I am afraid this will include the best day of the period, which was when I caught and ringed the Hawfinch, as per a previous post. Sparrows have risen to the fore of late and members of the crow family have suddenly descended on the garden, especially early in the morning before most people are up. As yet, I've not managed to catch a Magpie as it (there are two) flushes from the fat ball containers. A judiscious switch in the position of a net should do it.      
  

Jackdaw - breeding adult (female)

Although the list only averages out at around 2 new birds and 1 re-trap per day, the species list totalled 16 for this 3-week period. Apart from the above Jackdaw - and that Hawfinch - a Woodpigeon and a Pied Wagtail (female of the local breeding pair) were useful additions in the net. Juvenile Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Dunnock and Greenfinch were all present in the catches.   

Pied Wagtail - 2CY breeding female

     To the totals [16 spp, 45 new, 27 r/t] :

Woodpigeon 1

Jackdaw 1

Blue Tit 5 (5)

Great Tit 4 (2)

Wren (1)

Blackbird 6 (3)

Song Thrush 1

Robin 2 (3)

Dunnock 2 (1)

House Sparrow 6 (5)

Pied Wagtail 1

Greenfinch 7 (1)

Goldfinch 5 (5)

Siskin 2

Bullfinch 2 (1)

Hawfinch 1        
       The only bird so far in moult was a (r/t) 3CY female Blue Tit which had dropped its first two primaries (moult score 02) - and was a bit scruffy around the head.

The attack of the 'Lurgi' has upset my social plans for the weekend a tad. I was hoping to see my disabled brother before going on to my eldest grand-daughter who is celebrating her 8th birthday. The next day I was due in London at a reunion of three dozen of us, plus wives or partners, from the same year at grammar school, all of us already at or shortly due at the seventy year milestone. We have had two of these before (at the same celebrity's house), at 60 and then again at 65.   

Instead, as it was a "mixed traction weekend" at the local station, I popped down and took a piccy of the "Royal Scots Grays" Deltic locomotive (which was only running on one engine and making a lot of 2-stroke smoke).

Deltic "Royal Scots Grays" @ Williton