Two weeks have passed

In those two weeks things have moved closer to the shortest daylength, now just five weeks away, and there has been a small amount of movement. During weeks 45 & 46 in other years (all three, big deal), I have caught 21 different species and averaged 26.33 new birds per week. The only species that has been trapped but not turned up as a new bird is the Long-tailed Tit. This year, I have achieved 32.00 new birds per week covering just 14 species. Below I've tabulated all 21 species, with the average number of new birds over the last three years alongside this years.

1CY female Chiffchaff

1CY male Chiffchaff

These are the two Chiffs from this period. Athough the same species and approximately the same age, they look much different (and not just because of my photography skills). This female was greener and yellower than the male. It was a pity that my new trainees were not around when these were caught, but there will be plenty of opportunity for that at a later date, rest assured.

As you may be aware, I love my 'Stillits' (that's Norwegian for Goldfinch) and I'm having a good year for them. Of the 14 retraps, 5 were males, the oldest 467 and 348 days from ringing, the others ringed as juveniles this year. The other nine were females, three of which were returning adults, the rest all juveniles with the oldest ringed back at the beginning of July. Female Goldfinch X105685 was ringed 1397 days previously as a 3CY bird. She will be about five and a half years old by now. It happens to be the 92nd Goldfinch that I ringed, in my first ten days here, while there was snow on the ground. [See http://masterringer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/king-of-kings.html] With a long history of being caught in different months, I suspect that she breeds and remains locally.

Note: average new for weeks 45/46 shown in square brackets [-] thus. As always, current retraps, counted once only if more than one re-capture during this period, in brackets (-).
Collared Dove [0.67] - 1; a 1CY bird from early in the year
Gt. Spot. Woodpecker [0.33] - 0; a cracking adult male, noisy too!
Magpie [0.33] - 0
Goldcrest [2.33] - 2 (1); both males, one an adult renewing part of its tail that "came adrift" elsewhere
Blue Tit [10.00] - 7 (4); two adults, the rest youngsters
Great Tit [1.00] - 1 (1)
Coal Tit [0.67] - 1
Long-tailed Tit [0.00] - 0
Chiffchaff [0.67] - 2; 1CY of opposite sexes
Blackcap [3.67] - 2; both males, the first a full adult (Euring age 4)
Wren [1.00] - 0
Blackbird [4.67] - 2; both young males (probably fairly local, going by wing legth)
Song Thrush [0.67] - 0
Redwing [0.67] - 0
Robin [1.00] - 2 (2)
Dunnock [1.33] - 0 (2)
House Sparrow [2.33] - 1 (1)
Chaffinch [2.00] - 1
Greenfinch [4.33] - 1
Goldfinch [14.67] - 39 (14)
Siskin [0.33] - 0

However, the following period started with a Sparrowhawk, a Gt. Spotted Woodpecker, a Goldcrest and another Blackcap (makes eight so far this season), all of which would have improved the figures. I get the impression that autumn has been about two weeks late this year (compared to recent years) and as yet we haven't seen any Redwing movements and many of the trees are still carrying a lot of leaf. More about them in a fortnight's time, fingers crossed.

Today, it rained.

Nothing new in that; it's a Bank Holiday. It looks as though we will get at least twice the normal August rainfall, in other words, as much as we expect each month from October to January.

This week I've not been able to put up more than one net. The orchard needed some pre-winter attention (it is left to go wild) and there was a 'Pony Week' down on the meadow. However, I did manage 36 new birds and 25 re-captures covering 16 species in the limited time available. A goodly chunk of the new birds were caught by the stream yesterday, when I erected a 60' between some willows and alders. Fortunately, the seven or so ponies were feeding out of sight on the other side of the stream. Their presence does stop me netting the ford, probably the best place.

Other birds that I have seen this week include a lone Swift over the house of an evening, two Ravens being seen off by the local crows, a young Moorhen, a couple of Grey Wagtails, the usual Dipper and Kingfishers and, a sign of winter approaching, two Canada Geese over the house, a precursor to the dawn movements from Dunster Beach to one of the inland reservoirs. The Swallows and House Martins continue to feed young.

The list:

Sparrowhawk 1

Blue Tit 2 (2)

Great Tit 2 (2)

Long-tailed Tit 3 (11)

Chiffchaff 10 (1)

Blackcap 4 (1)

Garden Warbler 1

Wren 1

Blackbird 1 (2)

Song Thrush 1

Robin (2)

Dunnock 1 

House Sparrow 2 (2)

Chaffinch 1

Greenfinch 1

Goldfinch 5

The Sparr was chasing the Sonth and both landed in the net just short of my left ear; don't know who was the most surprised. Grabbed the Sparr first (of course). The chiffs were a welcome surprise, too; several more did not "find" the net and one escaped the bag. Best, though, was my third borin' juvenile bird of the summer, giving credence to the fact that they (Garden Warblers) might nest quite local. The species was recorded as a mere 'possible', the lowest level of proof, for our 10km square on the recent national atlas.

Around here, the birds have been nesting quite late and having second or third broods, which they would not normally attempt. There are still many young birds in wholly juvenile plumage, but underneath we can see that some are already playing 'catch-up', with some new body feathers sprouting. It was particularly noticeable that the Chiffs were in all levels of plumage, as I caught them over a 90 minute period. I also 'controlled' a Chiff that my nearest ringing neighbour had ringed as 3JJ (fresh juvenile) some two months earlier. I was able to sex it on wing-length as a male.

I'm rather busy this week and the weather doesn't look good - either too windy or rain on and off all week. It must improve somewhen; not too much or all the migrants will just fly straight 'high-over'.

Middle March

It's been longer than a week, but the current weather is holding things back right now after what promised to be a mild and gentle beginning to spring. Progress has been slow,in part due to the extremes of bright sunshine or blustery winds first thing in the morning. The weathermen must have realised that I was due a dose of shingles. Got to have something to occupy ones mind when the catching is slow!

Male Lesser Redpoll

This is what ten days from 15th to 24th have accomplished:

Collared Dove 1 - a second escaped (as they do)

Blue Tit  (3) - no brood patches apparent

Great Tit 1 - a female with the beginnings of a brood patch
[Note: Great Tits generally nest 7-10 days earlier than Blue Tits]

Chiffchaff 2 - first on 19th, next on 21st; low fat scores indicate "local" birds

Wren 1 - 2CY female

Blackbird 1 (2) - another new full adult female

Robin 2 (2) - nesting in progress. 4th & 5th new birds of the year also

Dunnock 1 (3)

House Sparrow 1 (2)

Chaffinch 3 - plus one released unringed ("scaly leg")

Greenfinch 1 - cracking male

Goldfinch 13 (10)

Siskin 1 (2) - all males

Lesser Redpoll 1 - only the second of the year

29 new birds + 23 recaptures of 14 species  

There was not much sign of passing Goldfinches. One female was carrying a large amount of fat deposits (ESF 40) sufficient for a migration of perhaps 200+ miles, with another two birds with less (ESF 25), enough for 100 miles or so. Half of the birds showed no or little traces of fat so they must be intending to remain locally for the time being. We know that they cross the south-west peninsula, seeking the warmer English Channel coast during winter, before returning north to areas around the Bristol Channel.

Goldcrest
(heard but not caught - yet)

 My apologies for a late posting - due to my current, painful affliction. Should be able to catch up later this week, I hope.

A fortnight later ...

 Time flies when you're having fun. My fun has had to be split between getting the garden back into shape, now that we've had some significant rain, and getting out ringing. Actually, much of my time has been spent in the garden, either strimming and raking, treating the Horse-tail, mowing, light pruning, hedge trimming or ringing some birds.  

The highlights from the latter have been the catching of two parties of Long-tailed Tits. The first contained five new birds, all youngsters under-going a full moult (one of those odd UK species that does this), plus two adults with consecutive ring numbers that were not of my doing. Two days later, I caught four more youngsters, and then, a week after the initial encounter, two more ringed adults, and two juveniles from the original session. It turns out that all four of these adult birds were ringed at the same time, back in late October last year, in friend John's garden the far side of the village (approx. 2 km away)  

So here are the results from an hour or two most days, once the kittens have come in for their breakfasts. There is still not a lot of movement.
Blue Tit 1 (2)

Great Tit 2

Long-tailed Tit 9 + 4 "controls" (see above)

Chiffchaff 2 - local birds?

Wren 2 (1) - the retrap was a "first brood", the others more recent

Dunnock 4 (2) - all juvs

House Sparrow 7 (2) - mainly incidental to trying for the next species 

Pied Wagtail 7 (3) - the main target species, as they are still nesting nearby

Chaffinch 1 - juv

Greenfinch 3 - moulting male & female plus a 'youth'

Goldfinch 3 - freshly fledged juveniles

Young Pied Wagtail (M.a.yarelli)

House totals = 11 species, 41 new birds, 10 re-traps & 4 'controls'.
Oh! And the Sparrowhawk has been in twice. That's according to the heaps of feathers from two unlucky Collared Doves.

I have also been able to get down to the meadows, twice on my own and once with company. Quantity low, quality high. Birds not caught include two Green Sands, a couple of Dippers, more Kingfishers, several Whitethroats, Swallows and martins and the (three) Little Egrets currently there on a daily basis. Would love to catch and ring a full adult Egret. It has been done!

The Himalayan Balsam is flowering well down by the river and the bees are busy pollinating it, making sure there will be a plentiful supply of seed for next year. The Rose-bay Willow-herb is also coming into flower, a plant I much prefer.

Rose-bay

Today's photos are all from this sub-site.

Young female Kingfisher

Young female Chiffchaff (starting PJ moult)

young Sedge Warbler (fat score 30)

Kingfisher 3 (1) - all juveniles; "and still they come!" (10 so far)

Chiffchaff 7 - all juveniles, mostly males

Blackcap 1 - a 2CY male bird that hasn't started moulting; still breeding?

Sedge Warbler 1 - second bird here this year; fat score of 3 (tracheal pit almost full) and 12.6 grams in weight/mass; "on it's way south to Senegal (?)" This bird could easily put on another 10 grams before it is ready to fly out over the Atlantic in a non-stop flight to West Africa.

Wren 1 (1) - young males

Dunnock 1 - a juv-juv

Grey Wagtail 3 - new species for the year; these were all juveniles

one of the 3 young Grey Wagtails

Farm totals = 7 species, 17 new & 2 re-captures.

There are still plenty of birds to come but I won't wish my life away just yet!
Back soon.

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!

Plenty Spring Chiffin

Well, another week has gone by so I need to put pen to paper - or bash the keyboard in modern parlance.

The Equinox weather is not as kind as last year; we are suffering minus 5 at night and, if the sun shines, plus 5 during early afternoon. The wind continues to come from the east or north-east and only occasionally drops to "light air". We also had 35mm of rain on 21st/22nd and a light drop of snow this morning. Compared to counties further north and east, we are positively 'balmy'. At least the roads are clear, very clear.

Vismig wise, Stock Doves and Meadow Pipits seem to be all that is happening, although I did hear a Curlew calling from the hill. Every day the garden has played host to between 3 and 7 Chiffchaffs, not all of which have found the net (can't put them everywhere!). Over the last few days, Blackcaps have started to appear, too. As far as I can tell, all the birds of both species which are passing through here are males. Females usually appear some 7-10 days later; we'll have to wait and see. I am also expecting to extract the first Willow Warbler sometime next week. The Apple trees want to blossom but it's so cold for the time of year.

I was given a fresh Sparrowhawk that had flown into some garden furniture. No ring.

Things are beginning to even up on the Siskin front. Previously, there has been a heavy preponderance towards adults and a bias for males. More recently the imbalance between full adult and 2CY has reduced (7:5), and it's the same for the sexes (M:F). They had a shocking breeding season last year round here (prolonged rain and felling of much larch affected by Phytophthora), so a shortage of "virgin" birds is to be expected. 100 Siskin in total ringed so far this year compares favourably with 40 last year and 43 the year before. And controlled birds, too!

Goldcrest - 1, a passing male
Blue Tit - (1)
Great Tit - (1)
Long-tailed Tit - (2), obviously a pair
Chiffchaff - 15, all with wing lengths from 61-66mm, no obvious 5's (2CY)
Blackcap - 6 (1) + 1 control, new birds were all males except the one 2CY; re-trap was one of our over-wintering females, control L293404 of as yet unknown origin.
Blackbird - 1 (1), both males, the females are on eggs but visit at dawn for a sultana or two
Robin - (2), both last year's youngsters, the ladies are on eggs somewhere
Dunnock - (3), courtship activity has slackened over the week
Chaffinch - female with 'scaly leg' not ringed
Greenfinch - 1
Goldfinch - 5 (2),
Siskin - 10 + 2 controls, 1 from the other side of the village (2km W) more than once, and 1 as yet unrecognised male L869461
 Total = 40 + 13 re-captures + 3 controls

Male Blackcap - spring

We have frog spawn! Fortunately, the pond is close to the house and doesn't often freeze over.

The Chiffchaff Foxtrot

You need to keep up - slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.   

That was the way it went on Sunday, when we were able to have another visit to the water meadows. Few birds early on, followed by a bit of a rush, then a slow down and stop. By the way, we had 110mm of rain last month, which combined with June and July, meant that we had more than twice the summer's average. It's still too wet underfoot to visit our new site on the Levels.                                        

It was an early start, some three quarters of an hour before sunrise. Later, before we caught most of the birds, there was an on-and-off period of drizzle as a front passed over. Things picked up around 9 o'clock. 

Juvenile Chiffchaff - September

The Chiffchaffs dominated with 12 new birds, all youngsters in various stages of post-juvenile moult. Blue Tits were also out in force, with two adults from last year in spanking, new plumage. A turn-up for the books, as far as we're concerned, was a juvenile Whitethroat, a species that normally departs the site by the third week in August. 

Juvenile Whitethroat - September

Altogether, we managed 24 new birds and 3 retraps as follows:

Blue Tit 5 (2)

Chiffchaff 12

Blackcap 1 - 3P male, no fat

Whitethroat 1

Wren (1) - this year's juv 

Song Thrush 1

Robin 2

Dunnock 1 - an adult male in full moult

Chaffinch 1

Other noticeable birds around were three Grey Herons, making their way to the coast and two flocks of Canada Geese in the opposite direction.

Today, Monday, I returned but it was a little later than yesterday before I unfurled the nets. Although the weather was cloudy at first, the sun appeared by half nine. The wind had also shifted round to the south-west. I did manage a few more Chiffchaffs in ones and twos. Just lately, the Robins have all re-appeared, singing and calling in preparation for establishing their winter territories.

So, 10 new birds and two retraps were all I could muster today, as follows:

Blue Tit (1) - adult female from Jan 2011

Long-tailed Tit 1 -juv in heavy moult

Chiffchaff 6 (1) - 100% juvs again

Blackcap 1 - 3 female, fat 20

Song Thrush 1 - adult male in moult

Robin 1

Bird-watching in between realised the local Swallows, about 24 in all, family parties of Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch milling about and a Wood sandpiper, travelling upstream, that didn't stop.

At some time, if we're lucky, we might catch one or two adult Chiffs. These will be from more northern climes, as our local 'mums and dads' always seem to leave in August, before or during their complete summer moult.

The last week has seen jersey and Garden Tigers in the garden, plus many other butterflies, including up to 3 Painted Ladies at once.

If the weather holds, we will be out again as often as possible during September. as October is "deadly" and November is only good for passing Siskins .

Saved by the tits

I managed to get in another session down at the water meadows on Sunday, a week after our last effort. This was the only chance of doing any ringing this week, so I took it gladly. I concentrated around net 1 since the rides further down the meadow were susceptible to the weather. As it was, I would have missed/scared off the only Blackcap hanging round there if and when I put the nets up. It was fairly sunny despite the cloud cover racing in from the coast (from the north-west) but the willows and alders create some shade for the net(s) at the top end of the site, where I stayed today.

Last week's moulting adult Chiff

Nine o'clock - and still no birds in the nets. Boredom was averted by a spot of bird watching instead. The local male Sparrowhawk appeared from the direction of home but was quickly picked up, and picked on, by the resident Crow from the hill. For a while, the Sparr let the crow have its fun but eventually turned on its tormentor. After a bit of a telling off, the Crow returned to the offensive until the Sparr was outside the imaginary defensive territorial ring. [Well, I couldn't make out the boundary, only a set distance from the top of the hill]. Later, a female Sparr was brought to my attention by the swarm of 'clinking' Swallows that accompanied her. She soon cleared off towards the riding school. 

The Woodpigeons have finished building their nest in the willows on the other side of the stream/river. The local male(?) Great Spotted Woodpecker flew across to look for its 'dinner' elsewhere. I counted four Blackcaps 'ticking' around the site in various hedges. These hedges would be ideal for ringing if only they didn't consist of a fence/hedge/deep ditch/hedge/another fence; they are kept at just the right height, too, for setting an intercepting net. 

From the lane, looking SE towards the Quantocks

Standing in the lane I could see the net. At nine o'clock, I noticed some activity around the trees. It look liked tits or warblers from this distance. By now the place was warming up and there was more bird activity generally. Eventually I could see that I had a catch.

It wasn't a brilliant morning but I did end up with the following:

Blue Tit 4 - including an adult male '49er'

Great Tit 2 - juvs

Long tailed Tit 1 (1) - an adult pair completing their moult

Chiffchaff 3 - a 3JP and 2x 3JJs

Blackcap 2 - a 3JP male & a 3JJ fem

There should have been another Blackcap, a 3P male, but it was a case of 'butter fingers'.

    

The weather forecast implies that we won't be able to go ringing this week until Friday at the earliest. Perhaps a spell of better (fine) weather then, before the aftermath of hurrican Isaac hits us. Tallyho! 

Game of two halves

Well, you could say that, with no score in either half but a fruitful half-time interval!

Not only has the weather been awful, we've had over 80mm of rain so far this month, but the birds are not about also. If you want to do any decent ringing/netting, the dawn lull in the wind soon turns to a hefty breeze. The Elderberry, one of the mainstays of passing migrants at this time of year, is beginning to ripen but the fruits are sparse because the flowerheads were not fully pollinated. The Blackberries are still hard and many are far from ripening, but it promises to be a decent crop, so who knows. The Policeman's Helmet [Himalayan Balsam] is approaching 3m tall down by the stream and seems to be the only thing keeping the local bees happy.

I know it's that time of year when many of our birds moult and therefore tend to stay out of sight, but this lack of birds is getting me down a little. Last year, I was enjoying reasonable success at a site that I had only just got permission for, but then the weather was a lot better than it is now. I was even catching the odd bird in the garden. But not this year.

In deep contrast to us here, a fellow ringer, Denise, who lives 10 miles to the west, just inside the National Park, has been ringing Siskins by the score (a score = 20, for our foreign readers) for the last two weeks or so. Her total for new Siskins alone exceeds 750 this year, just in her garden, while other Siskin ringers, well to the east, are wondering if the birds will grace their nets at all in any number this season.

Since the last post we have endured - rain, rain, rain, a couple of 3's in the garden, a decent morning down at the meadow = 20 birds (although nearly all the birds were trapped in just one net), 3 dawn retraps before the rain, showers, wind, nothing, nothing and, lastly, nothing except heavy showers. The garden nets are all in the shed now!

The main stay have been the young Chiffchaffs, together with a few Blackcaps. The prize for getting in a session down at the meadows last Sunday was a juvenile Grey Wagtail, that I forgot to take a picture of. That's two I've ringed this year, bearing in mind we haven't found out where they nest yet.

Adult Grey Wag (library pic) - possibly the mother of today's bird

Total tally for the period turned out to be 21 plus 4 retraps of 9 species:

Great Tit (1)

Long-tailed Tit 1

Chiffchaff 9 - just one adult, a female with a MS of 18

Blackcap 4

Wren 2 (2)

Blackbird (1) - one of the first males caught in Jan. 2011 

Robin 1 (1)

Dunnock 1 (1)

Grey Wagtail 1

Right now, we're keeping an eye on tomorrow's weather forecast - as it may be possible to get another sesssion in, down by the stream in the willows and balsam.

All the action here - Net ride Nr.1

After that, it's house and garden - as both our neighbour and uourselves have some fencing to attend to  following the Bank Holiday. Meantime, the other half will be harvesting the mega plum crop, which has ripened at long last (4 weeks later than 2011).             

Inevitably

Having chopped out a 'new' ride, I thought I might as well use it. Getting on site some three-quarters of an hour before sun-up, I soon had 2x 40' in action. Making a jaunt round this spot, I also realised that I could still use the original 40' site if I opened up another 40' closer to the stream. This latter combination might be suitable for a whole morning session in spring and summer when I neede to make use of the shade from the trees to obscure the netting.

Any way, back to the matter in hand. Nets set and a Kingfisher flew right over the nets in the half-light. Two thrushes 15 minutes before sunrise got me started. Then it was a lengthy period counting the Siskins going to and fro. Two of the four Little Egrets returned from the beach, no doubt moved on by early morning dog walkers at high tide (currently only 6m, so plenty of beach left exposed). A Water Rail squealed in the stream and later a Moorhen skittered off. Four Magpies flew across the field followed shortly after by one of the male Sparrowhawks. Two Grey Herons got up and moved to other fishing spots; the stream is still running high after the recent rains. [86mm in 10 days].

There were several small flocks of Siskins busy in the Alders, accompanied by some Chaffinches, but well above net height. Half an hour after sunrise, a mixed flock, mainly of tits, came my way. Eventually they reached the clump of willows, Alder and Hazel where the nets (N1) are situated. Out of this crowd I caught and ringed all my other captures bar one. An hour later I was surprised to find a fine male Siskin in the net, one that hadn't managed to follow his feeding party. The first of many this winter? I watched, hopefully, three different Chiffchaffs utilising the trees in this area. All were calling noisily but nothing would tempt them down to net level. As one of my favourite birds, I'll try for them another day soon.


Male Siskin, Nov 2011, Euring code 4.

All in all, 12 birds, and a good mix.
Goldcrest 1
Blue Tit (1)
Great Tit 1 (1)
Long-tailed Tit 1 (2)
Blackbird 1
Song Thrush 1
Robin 1
Goldfinch 1
Siskin 1

By 10am, the sun was very bright and the NW wind had picked up, not just blowing the nets but dumping lots of leaves into them as well. Pack up time!.

Getting autumnal

The leaves are beginning to turn on the trees and the mornings, apart from being darker, are colder and with a dampness in the air. Ringing has been hit and miss with a couple of early morning garden sessions and, likewise, a couple on the water meadows. The winds have had a southerly component, so not alot of 'joy' in the nets. Nevertheless, it's all 'good stuff' and grist to the mill. I am still on course for 2,000 new birds for the year for the 1km square where I live.

Garden birds:
Blue Tit 1 (1)
Great Tit 1 (1)
Coal Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit 2 (2)
Chiffchaff 1
Blackbird (1)
Robin 1 (2)
Goldfinch 6


3J female Goldcrest, mid Sept. On passage?

Down-along-the-stream birds:
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed Tit (1)
Chiffchaff 12 (2)
Blackcap 6
Wren 1
Robin 1 (2)

Whilst processing a Blackcap on day 2, I noticed that 3 Chiffchaffs had gone into net 2 all of a sudden. Turning back to the job in hand, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a Woodpigeon heading that way. Lo and behold, it hit the 40' net at full tilt - and out sprang the 3 Chiffs! What a b*gg*r!

Other birds seen - 3-4 Buzzards wheeling over the house and the meadows (the local pair and their off-spring), very few Swallows now, just the 1 local family brood and small parties south every now and then, the local House Martins, a couple of Great Spots, a Green Woodpecker (red-letter day!), a family party of Magpies with still reliant (begging) young, a Green Sand, the first 3 Mipits of the "winter", a lone Sky Lark south, a flock of perhaps 2 dozen Goldfinches (yippee!) and 4 Little Egberts (that I managed to photograph in the tree overlooking the ford; the closest I got with my 'teeny-weeny' camera was 60-70m)

Rain, rain, go away!

It has been a week of showers - and Wednesday and today, quite heavy, and almost continuous, showers. More tomorrow and the day after with the wind increasing, too. A better picture might emerge for Bank Holiday Monday. During the better weather days this week, it has been impractical for me to do any ringing as I needed to concentrate on the house and garden chores.

I have managed to catch bits and bobs in the garden when not otherwise occupied with workmen etc. and also have been able to set a net for a couple of hours at the water meadows, with one in the orchard and another couple on the bank directly opposite.


Robin - bird-of-the-year after completing PJ moult

At this quiet time of year, ringing wise, in the garden, I procured the following: 3 new birds and 4 retraps -
Great Tit (1)
Blackbird (1)
Robin 2 (1)
Dunnock (1)
Goldfinch 1

Down at the Doniford Stream, things have been a little better, as one would expect during autumn migration. Even considering that the early morning was 'cold' and I had to pack up by half-eight anyway, I managed just 17 birds. Just as well, really, because the rain crept up and then decided to stay for the day.

Chiffs predominated; all youngsters, one of which I first caught a month earlier.
Chiffchaff 7 (3)
Blackcap 2
Blackbird 3
Wren 1
Chaffinch 1


Chiffchaff - hatch year female having finished PJ moult

No idea when I will be able to make it down to the meadows again - visiting relatives from my and Jen's dad's birthplace descending on us next week.

For friends and family - our new gates (well, 2 new sets and 1 refurbed).
We are now, hopefully, terrier and, maybe, badger proof.

Non-stick flying plan

As well as the three, usual nets, I put up a full height 30 foot across the stream at the ford today. First up was a small wader. It must have brushed the underside of the netting as it call repeatedly but did not fly off with a big kerfuffle. It wasn't the Green Sand. that has been around for a couple of weeks, so it might have been a Common Sand. (most likely at this time). Sometime later I saw a Kingfisher pass safely under. Then a female Goldcrest, mid-stream and top shelf; gotcha!

In between net rounds, I took out a trickle of Long-tailed Tits that had been hanging around in the big Alders just upstream of the ford. Similarly, I bagged a juvenile Chiff and a juvvy Willow Warbler, both in the second shelf (from the top) and more or less centred.

Elsewhere, the orchard net did not produce much; a "Prune", a young Song Thrush and a control, juvenile Chiffy. This had come from neighbouring ringer, John, two kilometers to the west, the first recapture of the many young birds that he has ringed this summer. We both thought that there would have been more birds coming my way, but, alas, no. I have decided to abandon ringing in among the Apples during post-fledging migration time as it seems that more birds can be caught "out in the open" as they approach the trees, maybe because they are on a lower trajectory as they come in.

Net 1 produced little although there were many birds in that general area. One reason for a poor result was having to shut the net early when the showers started as I couldn't keep a close eye on all four nets. Net 2 produced quite a few Chiffs and a miscellany of other species. I could walk backwards and forwards between this net, the ford and the orchard on the other side, passing "the ringing station" without going out of the way. This avoided any problems.

Apart from the Goldcrest, I had a couple of other 'successes'; I caught the first adult Willow Warbler of the 'autumn'. It had, to all intents and purposes, finished its full post-nuptial moult [see below]. The other was my sixth juvenile Kingfisher in as many weeks, this one just as I was about to take in the ford net, all other nets by now in the boot of the car.


Adult, male Willow Warbler, August

Ahead of this, returning from the orchard, net bag in hand, I noticed that the ford net was 'hanging funny'. I couldn't see anything in it, but as I approached, a flapping started and this "large brown thing" rose up and down and eventually got enough lift to dis-engage its feet and fly off over the net. I later saw this female Sparrowhawk hanging around the site of Net 1, where there was alot of twittering, etc. Bloomin' showers!

Twenty new birds in a few hours, dodging the showers, with 7 re-captures; ten species in all.

Kingfisher 1
Goldcrest 1
Blue Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit 2 (3)
Chiffchaff 8 (1 + 1 control)
Willow Warbler 2
Blackcap 1
Wren (1)
Song Thrush 1
Dunnock 3 (2)


'D' permit holder

Least said ...

Sunday's trip was poor; the wind had swung to the south overnight and was stronger than forecast. Nets now in the wrong places, haha! Five new birds and three re-traps for five hours hard graft with four nets (one didn't catch). And the Green Sandpiper decided to fly "the wrong way".

Kingfisher (1)
Chiffchaff 3
Blackcap (1)
Wren 1
Dipper (1) juv in tail moult
Dunnock 1

Have now ringed 221 new birds of 20 species, with 24 re-traps, since I started here, on the water meadows, 5 weeks ago.

Weather forecast not good for the coming week. B****r.

Busy doing nothing

Wednesday evening, we went to look for Nightjars on Exmoor. At a site where they are usually seen, we put two nets up. We switched the lure on and off and on and off until it was pitch black. Nothing. It was late in the season and the weather has been poor of late so we suspect that the birds left early, after rearing just the one brood during that glorious month of June 2011.

On Thursday, in the garden, it was "the return of the re-traps"; by this I mean that the locally breeding birds and their offspring are beginning to be more conspicuous and can't help falling in the nets just to tease me. I haven't got a full set-up yet, as I need the poles elsewhere. That problem will be solved (with a few blisters and some sticky fingers) shortly. The eventual outcome will be new 24, 2 section poles, enough for 6 nets here and 6 down at the water meadows.

Blue Tit (1)
Great Tit (2)
Long-tailed Tit (1)
Chiffchaff 1
Wren 1 (1)
Robin 1 (2)
Dunnock (1)
House Sparrow 1
Blackbird 2
Goldfinch 3 (2)

Total 9 (10)

The aluminium tube for the new poles arrived yesterday - I went to buy a pipe-cutter.



Today, Friday, was a dull day. Overnight the temperature slumped to 16C and hardly picked up from there. None of the water meadow nets did much early on, probably because it was still "dark", but they did "try harder" later.

The stream was the busiest place this morning. Every time I crossed it, I spooked a silent Dipper. Kingfishers were noisy today but not as noisy as a Green sandpiper that dropped in for a quick poke amongst the pebbles. At one point a group of passing Swallows dropped in for a drink and a very quick "wash-and-brush-up". The orchard net (which is positioned on the meadow across the stream) managed to trap a second juvenile Dipper, probably the same one that I kept disturbing.





Juvenile Dipper undergoing PJ moult - head (top), belly, undertail, wing/mantle (bottom).

I kept going until I knew that the young girls from the riding stables would be coming; they do this alot during school holidays. To avoid any problems, I put the dog safely in the car whilst I took down. Sure enough, they rolled up just as I had shut Net 1 and was processing the last birds. Not the best of mornings but all "grist to the mill", nonetheless.

Blue Tit (1)
Great tit 3
Long-tailed Tit (1)
Chiffchaff 4
Willow Warbler 1
Blackcap 4 (2)
Whitethroat 1
Wren 1
Dipper 1
Blackbird 2
Dunnock 1
Chaffinch 1

Total 19 (4) and all juveniles. A couple of the Blackcaps were well advanced with their PJ moult but had not put on any fat ready for migration.


Juvenile female (3P) Willow Warbler.