Wind stopped play

Yeah! Got the message when a strong gust took the top of the net into the apple tree. The wind tugged the net so hard, one of the guys slipped (only a couple of inches) and the net was free to fly. Out with the ladder! After that the wind got worse and stayed that way for a few days. Still bad. Doah.

We had a Community Speed-Watch session today by the school which is on the village outskirts. Despite the temperature being above freezing, the wind coming across the site meant we left gladly after an hour, the morning rush being over. Just the two miscreants from over two hundred motorists, one of them well over the 30 limit (40+ mph). That's despite four stationary bods in high-vis jackets (one a PCSO) - he needs to go to Specsavers! There were a few "front-end dippers" coming out of the 40 zone once they twigged us. Job done. Several 'thumbs-up' from drivers.

During this period since my last blog, there has been no rain, just a smidgin of dry snow. The ground is beginning to firm up at long last after all that rain from April to January (2012 was up 38.6% on the 1981-2010 local average). The Egrets are not so wedded to the local horse paddocks any more and I have spotted them elsewhere up and down the local streams. Other people have reported lots of Siskins in their gardens, but here they seem to have mainly departed and we are more likely to pick them up in the tops of the stream-side Alders, now that the cones have dried out again. What is noticeable is the build up of Blackbirds and the return of the Mistle and Song Thrushes. [Haven't a clue why the latter vacate this vicinity in winter]

The Buzzard kettles have now become courting pairs, displaying some distance from their preferred nesting site on occassions. The Moorhens are also back on territory but there has been no further sightings of the Kingfishers or Dippers. Several ringers have been shouting about the huge numbers of Redpolls that they have caught, but they are infrequent hereabouts. However, we might be lucky in the next few weeks to obtain a specimen or two during their northward passage.

From the catching and watching it has been apparent that there are quite a few more Blue Tits around. I suspect they are wanting to get into full breeding nick, hence their visits to the feeders (and the nets). As usual, they soon learn how to circumvent those (almost) invisible obstacles! Here's the running order since last we were here.



Collared Dove 1

Blue Tit 1 (8) - seems to be older males and younger females

Great Tit 1 (4)

Long-tailed Tit (2) - possible pair

Blackcap (1) - the unlucky one; the rest (4+) are busy to-and-froing to the sultanas on the bird tables. I will move the nets later.

Wren (2) - potential pair

Blackbird 2 (2) - the new ones were "non-standard"

Robin (2)

Dunnock (6) - there must be 10 (ringed) knocking about

House Sparrow 1

Chaffinch 2 - both young females

Greenfinch 1 (1)

Goldfinch 5 (2)

Siskin 3 - all virgin males (2CY)

Totals - 17 new birds (30 recaptured)

Finch fest

The weather has been awful. 44.5 mm of rain so far this month after 139 mm in January. Everywhere locally is sodden. A couple of days without rain saw the river go down and almost lose its colour. So it was a pleasant surprise to find a Dipper sitting on the bank by the old weir, singing. This is my first sighting hereabouts since the end of April last, when four chicks sat on my neighbour's wall, waiting to be fed by the parents. Next day we had THAT RAIN. And that was that!

Six (6) Little Egrets have been working the meadows and the horse paddocks for a while now. Occasionally, they are all together but they are more likely to be scattered over the site, which is extensive, and are often "invisible" to me from the lane/footpath. The problem is that when the meadows dry up, they will all be accessible again on foot but less inviting for the Egrets. Three of them have hung around in previous summers, so there is always the chance that they may decide to breed here. Four of the six now have nice plumes, so here's hoping!

6 Little Egrets @ Highbridge

Here's what I been up to, ringing-wise, since this time last week:
Collared Dove 1
Goldcrest (1)
Blackcap 1 (2) - all ladies
Wren (1)
Robin (2)
Dunnock (2)
Pied Wagtail (1) - the club-footed male
Chaffinch 2 (1)
Brambling 1
Greenfinch 10
Goldfinch 16 (1)
Siskin 20
Total 51 ringed (12 recaptures)

Adult male Brambling 

Today has been a pleasant day, if with a cold wind. The forecasters predict another three or four more of bright conditions which may not be all that helpful as there is yet no background of green foliage from the apple trees to hide the net! We shall see.

February starts green and gold.

The wintry weather since my last blog has not done much for the art of bird-catching. The enemy has been the strong winds and their friend, the rain.

I made use of this poor interlude to visit family in Bedfordshire and to meet up with Martin Garner and Tormd Amundsen on their UK tour. Not having been to a Beds Bird Club meeting for over two years now, it was inevitable that I would be teased by my many friends of times past, all in good humour. It has been less wet since returning home but, boy, has the wind been a problem combined with the low temperatures. 

The hundreds of thrushes have left the horse paddocks by the river, leaving the dozen or so Blackbirds in possesion and in peace. More recent notable sightings have included a Red Kite, a Green Woodpecker, the Magpies lining their nest (which they built a month ago), a silent Chiffchaff, the usual Egrets and the return of a Grey Heron working the river, now that the waters are receeding. The real "red letter" was a noisy Kingfisher, which, between us, we have only seen once since last April; the floods have created some suitable, if rather soft, banks for a possible nest. Perhaps they will return this spring and raise young again.

Nonetheless, I have been able to open a sheltered single 60', with the 1st and 3rd being the better catching days. Otherwise, it's been grab a couple of hours after sunrise or after lunch - and hope for the best.  During this period, I did manage a "first" for me; I controlled an adult male Siskin, albeit from Denise just 14km to the west under the edge of Exmoor. Previously, I have had just two recoveries, both long-distance, of the species many moons ago, so this was a real bonus. Perhaps there will be more.

Two species took overwhelming precedence, just two others were also ringed, plus a further five species "fell in" as retraps. All revealed now. (All different birds)

Blue Tit (1)

Blackcap (2) - the 'left-leg pair'; the 'right-leg' pair' also present

Blackbird (1)

Robin (2)

Dunnock 1 (2)

Chaffinch 2 - 'big' birds

Goldfinch 21 (3) - 50/50 on age; 20 male, 4 female (significant).

Siskin 21 (1) - 73% were 2CY; 12 males, 10 females

Bullfinch (2) the 2 adult females, both showing the beginnings of a brood patch

New = 45, recaptured = 13

2CY male

The ratio of Goldfinch males to females at this time of year falls in line with previous work I have done on the species in a different part of the country. Three of the four females were full adults. February seems to be Siskin catching time, while new Goldfinches should feature heavily until the end of April (mean egg laying date 27 April).

3CY Female