Due a break in the good weather

The good weather of the last four weeks has benefited all the young birds that have recently fledged. We have not had more than 3mm of rain in a day since I last blogged , which has facilitated opening the net on five days out of seven. The breeze has been strong at times especially in the afternoons when it has had a welcome cooling effect. Today the weather is on the turn and the barometer is on the way down for the first time in ages. The warm and sunny days have been good for the soft fruit and a period of rain should benefit the apples and pears.

Having said that, the young birds have done well, going by the amount of bird food that has "disappeared", and I have caught juveniles almost exclusively in the last four weeks or so. Six more young Jackdaws 'found the net'.

Young Jackdaw, lacking the adult grey nape

 We are seeing second and third broods of Robins, a species that seems to do well around here. Just had to take a couple of pics!

Young Robin starting its post-juvenile moult

Young Robin well into its post-juvenile moult

One of the Pied Wagtails had obviously been naughty and sent to bed without its tea, going by the severe growth bar on its tail ( or rather, lack of growth). At some time in the near future the tail will snap off at this point. Incidentally, one of the other young wagtails has already lost its tail completely.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail (M.a.yarrellii)

 It has been good to catch a few Coal Tits. They used to breed in our large conifers but we had to take down the three nearest the house (very near!) for insurance purposes and they now breed over the road. The numbers of Blue Tits on the feeders has also jumped up; although they fledge later than their big cousins, the Great Tits, they start their post-juvenile moult earlier, something that only ringers really appreciate.

Juvenile (3JJ) Coal Tit

Juvenile (3JJ) Blue Tit

Now for the ringing list covering the last month:

Collared Dove - 2; an adult and a f.g. bird of the year
Kingfisher - 3; all juvs
Gt. Spotted Woodpecker - 2 (1); retrap female and (presumably) her offspring
Jackdaw - 6; all juvs
Goldcrest - 2; both juvs
Blue Tit - 22 (3); all 25 were juvs
Great Tit - 17 (1); all 18 were juvs,, 7 of which were frequent "visitors" 
Coal Tit - 3; all juvs
Swallow - 2; both juvs
Long-tailed Tit - 4 (8); all juvs
Chiffchaff - 3; juvs
Blackcap - 13; 3x 2CY males, 2x 2CY females plus 8 juvs
C. Whitethroat - 1; a juv
Wren - 5; a female & 4 juvs
Blackbird - 11 (6); 2x adult females, 5 adult males (y new) & 10 juvs
Robin - 11 (4); a male, a 4 year old female, 13 juvs with multiple captures
Dunnock - 16 (5); a male, a female retrapped plus 19 juvs
House Sparrow - 16 (12); 3 r/t males & 2 new, with 23 young. 
Grey Wagtail - 1; 2CY breeding female
Pied Wagtail - 2; both juveniles; 2 unringed juvs also visiting daily
Chaffinch - 28; all juvs, none retrapped
Bullfinch - 1; breeding 2CY female
Greenfinch - 27 (3); a male & a female retrapped, 4 new males & 24 youngsters (10 male, 13 female, with 1 left unsexed due to confusing 'signals')
Linnet - 1; a cracking 2CY male (sorry, no photo)
Goldfinch - 53 (11); 9 were adult males, 6 adult females and the 49 others all young birds
Siskin - 5; 1x 3M, 2x 3F, 1x 5F, 1x 4M

That's 259 new rings attached and 54 other birds recaptured, quite a few more than once.

261 were this years hatchlings and comprised 83.4% of the total catch. Of these, I surmise that only some 80 will survive the coming winter and that I will re-capture just 30-35 of those in the next calendar year, allowing for abmigration and the vagaries of catching.

We have been playing host to a stray racing pigeon for the last couple of months. It has even wandered into the garage to find the source of all that lovely bird seed that gets put out on the lawn. Although only 25 miles from home, the owner would have to travel 86 miles each way and pay the Severn crossing toll! Not worth it for a 10 year old bird.

WHU2005/C00471 from Whitchurch, Cardiff

At last the buddleia is in full flower and the Peacock butties have reappeared. So have several other species including the much loved Gatekeeper, one of my favourites. Also we were able to supplement our stock of "worms", courtesy of a neighbour.

Family of Slowworms

During a break from writing this, a family party of Ravens, 2 parents and 2 offspring, flew  westwards over the garden. 

Post-script: we had 37 mm of much anticipated rain in 24 hours and strong winds.