Another GO

(That's word-play for you old-time, CBC workers)
Written on 8th February 2014.

As it is, I did have another go. Actually, it was four goes after the Goldfinches and another for the Siskins, which seem to have descended on the property in the last fortnight. As a by-catch, I think I caught all the local Blackbirds, Robins and Dunnocks, too. Well, almost.

It was a bit "hazardous", especially under-foot, as we are still in that run of Atlantic lows that have brought us repeated heavy rains and high winds since the middle of December. Since I last blogged (19th Jan), we have had another 170 mm of rain ... and some of that was hail, driven at 40-50 mph! Its "persisting down" outside right now as I type! Over the last eight weeks (up to last night, 7-8th) we have now had 471mm; or over 18.5 inches in old money and more than half the average annual rainfall recorded over the last 30 years!!!

Male - per Svensson

With all this wet weather, the horse paddocks are a haven for the Little Egrets. We can't aspire to the ten of last month but we have managed six together this week. I also saw a flock of twenty or so Chaffinches up the lane but just a pair around the garden. There are still a few Fieldfares and Redwings around, picking through the hedgerows, but the high water levels, and the brick red colour of the discharge, have kept the Dippers, Kingfishers and Grey Wagtails away. Yesterday, I did see a flock of over twenty Pied Wagtails feeding in one of the sheep fields now the sheep have been packed off to market. [Best place, or they'll end up with bad feet or even foot rot] .

The male and female Blackcap that have visited us every year since the winter of 2011-12 are still visible most mornings, snaffling sultanas and suet off the bird tables. They see most birds off except for the two cock Robins, who turn the tables. The Collared Doves just look bemused when one of the Blackcaps pops out of the Camellia and hops onto a tray. The "resident" Pied Wagtails keep looking at the top lawn for the meal-worms I put out especially for them. I have to change tack every so often because the No.1 cock Blackbird is also rather partial to them.

Adult female - per Svensson

The sex ratio of Goldfinches has evened out a little and is nearer to parity. The females still hold sway overall (4:3), but males dominate in the cohort of birds returning for a second or third winter by 2:1. A large tranche of those recaptured belong to birds ringed after last season's post-breeding / post-juvenile moulting. I've noticed that there are usually three main periods of feeding activity - the first approx. 30-40 minutes after I can make out birds (usually Blackbirds) at the bottom of the garden on brighter days or after dawn on a cloudy day. The second is half an hour either side of sidereal noon, with the third some two to three hours after that; then it goes "cold". Neither rain nor wind seems to reduce their activity at the moment, only mine. For interest, the temperatures have been ranging between 3C pre-dawn and 8C early afternoon, although one day it did reach 10C. During a couple of the storms, the temperature has dropped dramatically, as evidenced by the hail stones rattling on the windows.

Hard-won results:

Woodpigeon 0 (1) - presumed male, shot after 204 days

Blue Tit 2 (1)

Coal Tit 0 (1)

Long-tailed Tit 0 (2) - pair

Blackcap 0 (3) - 2x males, 

Blackbird 1 (4) - I know there are 4 of each sex hanging around; potential pairs?

Redwing 1 - fine adult

Robin 0 (2) - probably the females of the 2 pairs

Dunnock 2 (4)

House Sparrow 1 (1)

Chaffinch 1 

Greenfinch 2

Goldfinch 54 (35) - see above; oldest - a 4M from Oct 2012 (480 days)

Siskin 12 (5) - oldest retrap was a 5M from May 2012 (637 days)

Bullfinch 0 (4) - all females, 2 of which were full adults

Total - 15 Species, 76 newly ringed, 62 individuals re-captured. 

Imm female - per Svensson

The weather forecast is for more of the same for the foreseeable future (month?), so again it's wait and see. I doubt if I'll be able to top prune the apple trees this winter - more birds escaping over the nets! See you soon.