A wintery month

Well, we thought it was cold for us! The temperatures yo-yoed up and down from day to day, hitting minus 7 and plus 12 at night and daytime maximums between plus 4 and plus 15. Compared to some, we got off lightly. Something tells me it's going to get worse later this week with strong winds adding to the dismay.

Since Boxing Day, exactly one month ago, I have managed to ring 115 new birds of 21 species. A couple of birds stand out: another young Black Redstart was somewhat of a surprise and a male Blackcap in its 5th calendar year made a return visit to the bird table. 

Juvenile Black Redstart number 2

During this period, there have been seven other species in the garden which haven't found their way onto the 2015 capture list (yet); Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Redwing, Rook and Sparrowhawk.

Immature female Blackcap (winter)

I have a new trainee who is taking a year out from his studies at Bangor Uni. to earn some money and get some hands-on, too. He's certainly got the hang of wing measurements and 9 times out 10 gets the same as me - and I'm known as a 'long-winger' [cut the jokes out there, you lot]. Charles shows promise.

The complete list is as follows, subsequent captures omitted:
Woodpigeon 1
Collared Dove 2
Goldcrest (1)
Blue Tit 5 (5) - X105976 is a 2010 (male) bird
Great Tit 1 (3)
Coal Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit 8 (6) - mostly paired up, incl. a pair of birds ringed by JW in November 
Blackcap 3 (2) - X105790 had evaded capture in previous 2 winters
Wren 1 (2)
Starling 3 - the females this time
Blackbird 2 (5) - 7 local birds but only ever see 4!
Robin 2 (8) - 10 birds! Mostly paired up with minor sparring at times. 5 were retrapped 2x. Female L890601 was a 3J back in early summer 2011.
Black Redstart 1 - 
Dunnock 2 (8) - also paired up and singing. Y482086 is a 2011 female or earlier
House Sparrow 9 (9) - 15 of these were males!
Pied Wagtail 1 (2) - Y482785, a male from the 2012 broods
Chaffinch 2 - starting to appear, so more to come?
Bullfinch 2 (2) - retraps were both 2012 hatch year males
Greenfinch 6 (2) - after an autumnal dearth, a sudden influx; 2 adults sent over by JW
Goldfinch 60 (36) - 58 males, 36 females, (2 un-sexed); 81 immature birds & 12 full adults (3 un-aged); 3 males from 2012 broods.
Siskin 2 (1) - the retrap was ringed as a 2CY female in March 2013
Note: JW's garden is just 2km NE of mine; it's also 4x the size! 

Another fat pig

Now, a different sort of red bird spotted from the bedroom window. Unfortunately, unable to lift off with live prey this time.

Devon Air Ambulance - 24 Jan 2015

Santa special

Christmas Robin

A Happy Christmas to all my readers and may 2015 treat you well when it arrives.

Since my last posting on the 14th, there has been a steady trickle of birds through the garden. However, it has not been really wintery, just a tad miserable with grey skies and plenty of westerly winds that have now turned northerly. Right now, the sun is out and the temperature is low. During that time, ninety different birds have passed through the "ringing room", with by far and away the most being 45 Goldfinches (50%).

There have been a few "oddities" that I don't normally catch and that always engenders a warm feeling. In a different part of the country I might look upon them as a more regular occurence at this time of year. There was a Song Thrush (only the 4th of the year), another Blackcap making 20 in the last two months, the other half (female) of the Starling pair and, lastly, a Black Redstart a couple of days ago.

1CY female Black Redstart

A full list of captures is as follows:

Blue Tit 3 (2) - 1 new adult male

Great Tit 1 - adult male

Long-tailed Tit 3 (4) - all this years young (the local adults are all ringed)

Blackcap 1 - immature male

Starling 1 - adult female

Blackbird 1 (1) - immature birds

Song Thrush 1 - 1CY

Robin 2 (4) - 1 new adult, the rest this year's offspring

Black Redstart 1 - a large 1CY female with a wing of 87 mm. [Garden tick]

Dunnock 4 (4) - 2 new adults, 1 a male on CP

House Sparrow 2 (4)

Chaffinch 1 - 1CY female

Greenfinch 3 (2) - new = youngsters; the other 2 were "controls" from nearest ringer, John, one originally ringed not quite 6 years ago, as a 2CY male, in January 2009 - and not seen since.

Goldfinch 29 (16) - made up of 10 adult males, 6 adult females, 13 immature males, 12 immature females and 4 unsexed juvenile birds.

Plans for the next week or so include having a look at a flock of Meadow Pipits on a neighbours field, provided his daughter's horse is elsewhere. Au revoir.