The future looks bright!

Recently built & lined HOUMA nest

Not least because of this emblem of good luck that has appeared outside our bedroom window!

We have had a couple of sessions down at the meadows during the last week, but today I noticed that they had been in behind us and cut the hay, which was over 1 metre high in places. This bodes well as we can now get in to the whole site and, what's more, open up some old stream-side racks where there is more cover and little disturbance. Just in time for the Willow and Sedge Warblers to arrive.

For both sessions, we placed a 40' net across the ford and three nets "in the bushes" where we know we will catch - when the season picks up, that is. A third effort consisted of an early foray into the garden before the local workmen started about their business. The abnormally clear and hot weather is making the birds reticent to even come for food, our local Pied Wagtails being an exception.

Juvenile Kingfishe No.8

Kingfisher 5 (1) - all juvs.; makes 8 known young

Blue Tit 3 - all juvs
Great Tit 2 - both juvs
Chiffchaff 6 - all fluffy juveniles (and just a singleton female type)
Blackcap 6 (1) - the retrap a 5M ringed last year as a juv.; this had a growth on its left foot (see pic)
Whitethroat 2 - a 2CY pair nesting stream-side in Rosebay
Wren 3
Dipper 1 - another juv., this one starting to acquire its belly patch (see pic)
Blackbird 1 (3) - 2 males from August 2011 on the meadow
Robin 3 - all juvs. (see pic)
Dunnock (3) - incl. a known pair from summer 2011
House Sparrow 4 - 2 very recent fledglings (FL) & 2 juvs starting full moult
Greenfinch 1 (1) - presumed nesting pair, male a 5M when ringed, June 2011
Goldfinch 1 - a juv. (see pic)
14 spp, 38 new + 9 re-captures

Juveniles of - Dipper, Blackcap, Chiffchaff & Robin

I have had a look at this year's "Top Ten" and compared them with the previous two years, also at the 28 week stage.
Goldfinch 176 (104, 237)
Siskin 170 (19, 42)
Blackcap 84 (43, 79)
Willow Warbler 73 (33, 19)
House Sparrow 68 (35, 35)
Greenfinch 60 (49, 85)
Chiffchaff 53 (12, 63)
Blackbird 45 (28, 81)
Dunnock 22 (20, 30)
Blue Tit 21 (32, 91) 

Young, male Goldfinch 

The effects of last year's wet spring and summer can clearly be seen in some species, as can the fierce winter the year before. So far this year, things are not too bad. The Sparrows certainly love the drier weather and the heat.

More ringing - after I've done some "habitat management".

Hard cheese

Hard graft, more like, for a few more weeks to come. My absence has been forced by a computer "mal-function", commonly known as the OS going nutty during a Win7 update, forcing complete closure and re-programming. Still - we're up and running now, but minus a large chunk of my ringing database. Hence the introductory comment.

A few ringers have been remarking on the poor breeding season, with special regard to provisioning of the young with food. Irregular feeding results in poor quality plumage in extremis but is generally evident in the growth bars present in the flight feathers. (That includes the tail). Sometimes the feathers lack pigment, giving the young birds an uncommon plumage hue. Their poor quality can lack insulation properties, making life even harder than it should have been as they enter the world. Here are two of the examples I have handled  recently.

Blue Tit fledgling

House Sparrow fledgling

Well, it's not been all bad. I've managed to ring in the garden in between fixing "the box" and other duties, wind and sun permitting. Suddenly, it seems as if the one-time nestlings have all popped out and are having to fend, in part, for themselves. I've racked up 94 new birds since being "off air", with another 21 recaptures. Today, I sloped off down to the 'river' after a three week gap, and added to the garden mix by way of Blackcap, Dipper and Swallow juveniles. 

Juvenile Dipper

Juvenile House Sparrow

Juvenile Siskin

Juvenile Goldfinch

Things are very quiet down there, with many birds singing heartily still, but very little evidence of any young about, excepting some Blue Tits, ... but the wind didn't help.

The totals over the 16 days were as follows; no double-counting. The re-traps, by and large, were adults

Jackdaw 1 - a cocky male

Blue Tit 9 (1)

Great Tit 7 (1)

Swallow 1 - juv

Blackcap 1 (1) - first juv and a 2010 male

Wren (1)

Dipper 1 - second juv

Blackbird 15 (4) - 7 were adult

Robin 7 (4)

Dunnock 5 (5)

House Sparrow 15 (2) - the r/t's say why I don't do a RAS!

Pied Wagtail 1

Chaffinch 5 - plus 2 with leg mange (unringed)

Greenfinch 5 (1)

Goldfinch 17 (1)

Siskin 4 - all juvs

16 spp., 94 new, 21 r/t 

The last bird of the day was a re-trap, male Blackcap. He was originally ringed, as a 2CY bird, in virtually the same spot, on, to all intents and purposes, the same day two years ago. It was only the third ever visit I had paid to the site and the first time I had set a net between those trees. Nine of the 12 Blackcaps I caught that day were juveniles. Not so this time. I do love my Sylvia warblers. 

I'll try to get another bulletin out before our German & Austrian visitors arrive in eleven days time. So long.

You have to smile

If you didn't, you would cry. My computer's operating system decided to play up and wipe everything, including 99.5% of itself, one night doing a Windows Update. My days are now spent mostly re-building my system, my files and my databases.

However, when it first happened, I decided to take a trip to the meadows. The horses were corralled, and the grass is getting long, but I grabbed at the chance 'to get in the river' while it was low. I caught 14 birds in a 20' net, including two Dippers (one a youngster) and half a dozen Swallows (one a returning male). On the downside, I didn't take my camera.

Young Dipper - showing white margins to wing feathers

Since the last post, the garden has been full of birds coming to the various food sources. Almost all are feeding young either in the nest or close by after fledging. The demand for supplementary food is just as high at the moment as it is during a cold winter's day! I am catching some new, unringed adults looking for a food source (?) and a few juveniles as they try to fend for themselves. Catching, on the other hand, has been "frugal", with intermittent attempts during spells of better "ringing weather". It seems at times as if the only birds around are juvenile House Sparrows (they're just 'bombing about') and Greenfinches. One 'up beat' moment came when I caught my first young Blue Tit of the year.

I was quite surprised to total up my efforts over the fortnight and arrive at 77 (different) birds of 18 species. 19 of these were 'old friends' - or re-captures to be precise.

Woodpigeon 1 - yet another "middle aged fatty"

Collared Dove 1 - a late 2012 hatch bird

Blue Tit 1 - my first juv. of 2013

Great Tit (1) - a male of minimum age 4 years

Swallow 5 (1) - all breeding in local barns

Long-tailed Tit 2 - mother and 'daughter' (?)

Dipper 2 - and adult & a juv.

Blackbird 6 (4) - 7 adults (5 males) & 3 juv males; odd bias?

Song Thrush 1 - adult female with BP

Robin 1 (2) - much less activity at present - 2nd/3rd broods?

Dunnock 4 (5) - 2 new males & 2 juvs; just 1 female

House Sparrow 15 (4) - 14 youngsters & 1 new female/mum

Pied Wagtail 2 - an adult and then a youngster

Chaffinch 1 - a juv.

Greenfinch 11 (1) - 7 young females to 5 young males

Goldfinch 4 - all newly hatched

Siskin (1) - a re-trapped youngster (10 days)

Bullfinch 1 - a 2CY male

Whilst walking the dog along by the river, I saw a pair of Kingfishers. They are definitely back, as I'm not the only person to have spotted them lately. Are they breeding after last year's disaster?

Juvenile male Kingfisher
(caught on the same river meadow in 2011)

I must get out more often! I'll report back when I do. Cheers.