All shipped out? Not quite!

It's been a week since my last post and a good week it's been. The weather has been bright and sunny for much of the time, if a little breezy. The trees are just thinking about sprouting leaves and, surprise,surprise, the Blackthorn is flowering (6-8 weeeks later than normal)

On Friday last, it was very clear and we finished with cloudless skies that evening and a light westerly; ringing had been slow and so it was to prove the next day as well. Migration had been going on at high level but, conversely, must also have been taking place to the south of us. Sunday and Monday proved the point with an influx of Willow Warblers, after four days of virtually none. It also signalled the "change-over" between the sexes, this time females dominating the catches. 

Willow Warbler

Blackcaps have also seen an increase in the numbers of females coming through, but there are still some very heavy (high fat scores) males passing by, obviously "tanked up" for a long journey ahead of some 200 - 300 miles non-stop  - or possibly more.

"Extra large" male Blackcap

We have also had a steady trickle of Siskins, probably of local residence, coming to the Nyger seed tray and feeders. There have been a couple of females showing good signs of developing a proper brood patch, but on the other hand, a couple of males with full tracheal pits, surely a sign of on-going migration.

Siskin - 2CY male

The main attraction for me, as you all know by now, is the build up of King Harrys (Carduelis carduelis). This started in the middle of last week and is starting to gather pace. It should continue for another couple of weeks. This year, migration is likely to be condensed into just three weeks, instead of a more normal five to six week spread, purely because spring has been delayed somewhat this year [we reckon by about three weeks].

Adult female Goldfinch

The one surprise - a male Starling. There are a few pairs nesting in the village but not many. They visit the garden either to collect nest material or to raid the bird table or the vegetable plot for food for their mate/young. This was only the third to receive some bling here. Many moons ago, we used to visit winter roost sites at night and pluck a sample, and any bird with a ring on, by hand from their perches. Messy job. They're not called "flying s**t" for nothing. 

Adult male Starling in breeding plumage
(ready for the off)

To sum it all up, here's the list for the week:
Woodpigeon 1

Blue Tit 1 (2)

Coal Tit (1) - a broody female

Chiffchaff 1

Willow Warbler 32 (+ 1 control)

Blackcap 16 (6)

Starling 1

Blackbird 3 (2)

Robin (3)

Dunnock 1 (3)

House Sparrow 7 (1)

Chaffinch 1 (+ 'pegleg')

Greenfinch 5 (1)

Goldfinch 29 (5)

Siskin 13

Bullfinch 1 - a 2CY female

Total - 112 (24), 16 species

Other birds seen in the garden included Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Collared Dove (nesting), Magpie, Rook, Jackdaw, Swift, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Wren (2 singing males), Song Thrush, Pied Wagtail (min 2 pairs), as well as the neighbouring Herring Gulls (2 pairs nest building) now joined by a pair of Lesser Black-back Gulls.

Bee Fly spp.
(found clinging to the net)

Down the lane, I also picked up my first Sand Martin, Common Whitethroat, Little Owl and Kestrel. A lone Little Egret reconnoiters the stream daily.

It's predicted to turn much colder next week with northerly winds again, so 'fingers crossed'.

Red letter, Yellow letter

The stiff wind has put paid to any garden ringing for a couple of days or so.

It's not been 'all bad' as the migrants are still (were) passing through. Even another Lesser Redpoll (or whatever - subject to lumping again?)

I do love these coverts!

(Lesser) Redpoll

It's been up and down by species but overall things are looking good. The only worry is the severe lack of insects as is shown by the Phylloscs feeding on the ground, especially early in the day. The Blackcaps continue to queue up for their ready-soaked sultanas (7 in view around one bird table the other day) before attacking the Ivy berries.

2CY female Blackcap
(3CY+ females have a proper chestnut cap)

Two of the over-wintering Blackcaps were re-caught - two 3CY females at 24.0 g and  24.3 g (early morning), both ESF fat 5. On the other hand, a returning 3CY male only weighed 18.1 g, still holding on to a small amount of fat after his return migration.

We have been graced with two Common Redstarts, a young female and a young male, the latter staying for a morning and finding its way into and out of the fruit cage. 

Common Redstarts - 2CY female (top), 2CY male

At the same time, the Siskins continue to find the Nyger seed ... and some the net (the sheltered one, between the bare Apple trees).

male Siskin (April)

Since the last blog, the birds caught are as under:

Blue Tit 1 - female, thinking of breeding (no proper BP)

Great Tit 1 - cocky adult male

Long-tailed Tit 1 - a hen with a nest somewhere hereabouts

Chiffchaff 5 - all the fairer (and smaller) sex

Willow Warbler 17 - looks like the ladies now outnumber the men 2 to 1

Blackcap 30 (4) - plus several same period retraps

Wren (1)

Blackbird 2 - both brooding hens

Robin 1 - a new, full adult male

Redstart 2 - both 2CY as told by their old greater coverts

Dunnock 1 (2) - 

Chaffinch (1) - the cock minus a foot caused by 'leg mange'

Greenfinch (1 control) - ringed as a 2CY male 2 winters ago

Goldfinch 4 - 2 male, 2 female; a rather 'chunky' male off somewhere

Siskin 11 - in all stages of abrasion into breeding plumage

Lesser Redpoll 1 - 4th of the year

Bullfinch (1) - the male hatched 2011, now in full glory.

Total - 77 new + 10 retraps 

Black Friday

Let the figures speak for themselves. 

It's been amazing seeing all these Blackcaps, mainly males passing through the garden. One was first ringed 2 years ago (3rd July) as a 3J down on the water meadow; the others have been around  for 3-4 days. At the same time, Phylloscs have been moving through, across the grass mainly. Have now sussed how to catch these low-flying/hopping jobs - by putting a single panel down the garden path! As well as the birds below, quite a few others were seen to avoid capture as they moved across the plot. The one red letter bird was Linnet that we have never seen in the garden before.

Chiffchaff 4 (1) - 1 female (on size)

Willow Warbler 8 (1) - all males (on size); one very yellow bird inc. legs

Blackcap 11 (5) - all males except 2

Blackbird 1 - longish winged, 2CY male, 

Robin (1) - 1 of the resident cocks in fine fettle

Dunnock (1)

House Sparrow 2

Brambling 1 - 2CY male

Greenfinch 2 (1)

Goldfinch 1 (1)

Siskin 5 - mixed of ages and sexes

Linnet 1 - adult female (BP2)

36 new, 11 recaptures

Adult female Linnet (3CY+)

2CY male Brambling 

The heaviest Willy was 10.5g (F25 ESF). A Goldfinch was a nice weight at 18.8g (F50), 4g above 'summer norm'. Blackcaps ranged from 16.4g to 22.2g (F35), with most around the 18.4g mark. The Brambling was 27.9g (only F15). Just 2 Blackcaps had a low muscle score of 1.

Willow Warbler, male

We were also graced with 8-10 returning Swallows and a single House Martin. On the buttie front - Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell. No sign of last week's Small White and Red Admiral.

Right on cue

What a difference a couple of days make.

Willow Warbler, adult male (dark legs)

Chiffchaff, adult male (pale legs)

Over the weekend, things started to "warm up", both on the ringing front and with the weather. At first it was finches and 'semi-resident' Blackcaps, then a little rush of Chiffchaffs together with the first Willow Warbler of the year. The latter was right on cue based on previous years. The next day, there were several of these Willies in the garden, going over the, as yet to be planted, vegetable garden, picking at vegetation between the plots. And the day after, there were even more around, on the lawns, in the apple trees, in the fruit cage. Unfortunately, you can't catch them all unless you turn the garden into a Brescia style trapping station with sound system. The last bunch that I caught all had those pollen horns, caused by sticking their beaks into freshly opened flowers, possibly on the Scillies or near continent the day before.

2CY Lesser Redpoll, male

3CY+ Lesser Redpoll, male

2CY Magpie

Other species that are seldom ringed here did me the honour of getting caught. First up was a fat Woodpigeon, then a 5M Lesser Redpoll followed by a cracking 6M, next a 2CY Magpie and, finally, a fine adult Herring Gull fell into a 20 foot superfine. The damage sustained was minimal, a mere 20 meshes annihilated. Just one more after that, a last year's male Pied Wagtail. Well, not quite. 

Female Brambling

A fellow birder in the village informed me that he still had Bramblings in his garden and one was ringed. He invited me to put a net up sometime soon, before they go. I thought today (Wednesday) would be good, but he had to attend hospital in Bristol. Never mind, a 6F decided to pay me a visit in recompense. With poor weather forecast, a visit to this chap's garden could be delayed somewhat. Watch this space, as they say.

Siskin, adult male

Before we get to the list, I must just mention that, during my walk with the dog yesterday late morning, a large flock of 50+ migrating Meadow Pipits dropped into the empty sheep field. What a missed opportunity (can't be everywhere, worse luck). Just need the grass to start growing vigorously so that the horses (7 yesterday) can be removed to the riding school paddocks, away from my nets.

My efforts in the garden resulted in:

Herring Gull 1

Woodpigeon 1

Magpie 1

Coal Tit (1)

Chiffchaff 12 (1)

Willow Warbler 11 (1) - the retrap was taken by a cat some 300m west & released

Blackcap 6 (3) - new birds mostly males (1 female on Monday)

Wren (1)

Blackbird (3)

Robin 1 (3)

Dunnock (1)

House Sparrow 1

Pied Wagtail 1

Chaffinch 1 (2)

Brambling 1

Greenfinch 2 (3)

Goldfinch 5 (2)

Siskin 6 (1) - just one heavy one, male @ 16g fat4 musc3

Lesser Redpoll 2

That's 19 species, 52 new birds with 22 retraps.

The last bird that I caught turned out to be the first female Chiffchaff of the year - just three weeks and one day after trapping the first incoming male Chiff.

As an interesting aside, the percentage of all birds that are retrapped in Somerset is 29%; this is reflected in my own figures here in the village. Fellow local ringers are already approaching last year's final figures thanks to this spring's "Siskin Fest"; not so here. We go for quality instead!

It's a lovely day, today, ...

... that is, if you are looking out through a double glazed window and don't have to venture out into the stiff northeasterly and crazy wind-chill. 

As I walked around the village I noticed that there were lots of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Siskins and the rump of Redwings cowering in the well stocked gardens of the larger properties, trying to 'eek out a living', mirroring the situation in my own premises. The wind has been too strong over the last few days to risk any mist-netting, not just from the birds' safety and well-being point of view but also on a pecuniary level (ripped nets caught on 'vegetation').

Over the Easter weekend holiday period, I did manage to present a few birds with a memento of West Somerset in the form of some BTO bling.

Male Chiffchaff (one of many)

Female Blackcap (first for 2013)

Magpie 1
Coal Tit 2 (1)
Long-tailed Tit 1
Chiffchaff 4 (4) - passage still on-going with birds remaining for 2-7 days. No definite signs of any females arriving.
Blackcap 5 (5) - 4 of the "winter regulars" (now getting fat, in preparation for the "off") plus a rake of newly arrived migrants.
Blackbird (3)
Song Thrush (1)
Redwing 3 - all adults (Euring 6)
Dunnock 1 (2)
House Sparrow (1) - a last year's juv male
Pied Wagtail 1 (1) - the second pair that visits for mealworms
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch 1 (3) - much singing in the tree tops
Goldfinch 2 (1)
Siskin 13 (1) - and yet they still come, but few 2CY birds

Adult female Pied Wagtail

Adult Redwing (male)

Still no Willow Warblers spotted in this neck of the woods; perhaps next week? My stinking cold is, hopefully, abating in time for some better weather from this weekend onwards. If it warms up (stays above 5C) I might consider a spot of grass-cutting.

What a difference a year makes

Below are the figures for new birds ringed in the first quarter of 2013 within the garden compared to the same period last year (in brackets). Mostest first. Major winners in green, losers in red (non-scientific)

Siskin 105 (6)
Goldfinch 96 (64)
Chaffinch 30 (8)
Greenfinch 21 (22)
Chiffchaff 19 (4)
Blackbird 12 (11)
Blackcap 11 (10)
Long-tailed Tit 7 (4)
Dunnock 6 (6)
Blue Tit 6 (12)
House Sparrow 4 (9)
Bullfinch 4 (8)
Collared Dove 3 (1)
Wren 3 (6)
Coal Tit 3 (0)
Great Tit 3 (7)
Brambling 3 (0) - but 52 in 2011
Woodpigeon 2 (1)
Robin 2 (5)
Song Thrush 2 (2)
Redwing 2 (10)
Pied Wagtail 1 (0)
Goldcrest 1 (1)
Magpie 1 (0)
Lesser Redpoll 1 (2)
Willow Warbler 0 (1)
Grey Wagtail 0 (1)
Total 348 (203)

A very lazy wind out there today, hence the post. Confined to the radiator.