Saved by the tits

I managed to get in another session down at the water meadows on Sunday, a week after our last effort. This was the only chance of doing any ringing this week, so I took it gladly. I concentrated around net 1 since the rides further down the meadow were susceptible to the weather. As it was, I would have missed/scared off the only Blackcap hanging round there if and when I put the nets up. It was fairly sunny despite the cloud cover racing in from the coast (from the north-west) but the willows and alders create some shade for the net(s) at the top end of the site, where I stayed today.

Last week's moulting adult Chiff

Nine o'clock - and still no birds in the nets. Boredom was averted by a spot of bird watching instead. The local male Sparrowhawk appeared from the direction of home but was quickly picked up, and picked on, by the resident Crow from the hill. For a while, the Sparr let the crow have its fun but eventually turned on its tormentor. After a bit of a telling off, the Crow returned to the offensive until the Sparr was outside the imaginary defensive territorial ring. [Well, I couldn't make out the boundary, only a set distance from the top of the hill]. Later, a female Sparr was brought to my attention by the swarm of 'clinking' Swallows that accompanied her. She soon cleared off towards the riding school. 

The Woodpigeons have finished building their nest in the willows on the other side of the stream/river. The local male(?) Great Spotted Woodpecker flew across to look for its 'dinner' elsewhere. I counted four Blackcaps 'ticking' around the site in various hedges. These hedges would be ideal for ringing if only they didn't consist of a fence/hedge/deep ditch/hedge/another fence; they are kept at just the right height, too, for setting an intercepting net. 

From the lane, looking SE towards the Quantocks

Standing in the lane I could see the net. At nine o'clock, I noticed some activity around the trees. It look liked tits or warblers from this distance. By now the place was warming up and there was more bird activity generally. Eventually I could see that I had a catch.

It wasn't a brilliant morning but I did end up with the following:

Blue Tit 4 - including an adult male '49er'

Great Tit 2 - juvs

Long tailed Tit 1 (1) - an adult pair completing their moult

Chiffchaff 3 - a 3JP and 2x 3JJs

Blackcap 2 - a 3JP male & a 3JJ fem

There should have been another Blackcap, a 3P male, but it was a case of 'butter fingers'.

    

The weather forecast implies that we won't be able to go ringing this week until Friday at the earliest. Perhaps a spell of better (fine) weather then, before the aftermath of hurrican Isaac hits us. Tallyho!