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.

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!

No sooner said than done.

The good Lord must have been listening - He sent me a Redpoll!

We had our first spring Meadow Pipit over north last week. In the sheep field, which now has sheep and lambs in it, the Little Owl has moved out - temporarily, until the sheep go, then he/she will be back. The eight Jackdaws that nest in the farmhouse chimneys use the field instead. However, the local head Crow takes exception to this at times and harries them into leaving. The Daws just make a lot of noisy fuss, return to the rooftop and bide their time until the coast is clear once more. The Magpie nest is finished but there is no sign of incubation yet as the pair can be seen loafing on/keeping a look-out from the hill. ['She' was sat atop the nest today] With the first flush of Hawthorn leaves, the Long-tailed Tits are busy prospecting and hoping to pick up a bit of wool from the field opposite. The Moorhen pair are proving elusive.

In the garden, most of the residents are singing and their lady friends are starting to get brood patches, though none I've seen has yet got a full blooded one apart from a Robin, today. Dunnocks are everywhere. The Blackcaps (at least 3) are still with us, scoffing the soaked sultanas and mealworms between bouts of singing and dancing. I have managed to pick up a couple of Denise's Siskins lately (National Park, 11 miles away) and also a stray Greenfinch (4CY) from John who lives at the other end of our (rather straggly) village. His garden faces a wood and open farmland, while I'm surrounded by large gardens and light industrial. John has just told me he's netted a Brambling from Norway and a host of Siskins coming to drink at his pond, so I'm definitely in the wrong place.

Just broken into another £196 's worth of rings! I hope my pension's going to go up in the Budget! Good job I don't need any nets just yet!

God's gift

Plodding on regardless with a good day invariably followed by a rubbish on. Time to move the nets around. Won't be long now before the first Chiffs arrive.

Blue Tit 3 (1)
Great Tit 1 (1)
Long-tailed Tit (1)
Blackcap (2)
Wren (2) - both male, one not seen since last March
Blackbird 3 (4)
Song Thrush 1
Robin (6) - that's a full house!
Dunnock (3)
House Sparrow 1 (3)
Chaffinch 3 (3)
Greenfinch 1C
Goldfinch 13 (10)
Siskin 2 + 1C
Lesser Redpoll 1
Bullfinch (1)

27 new birds + 2 'local' Controls + (37 recaptures)

A bit different

Wind and rain stopped play - first for 20 days! Nobody mention the word "drought" - you know what happened last time!

. . . but not gone yet!

A ringed male and a ringed female Blackcap are still feeding at the bird table; presumed to be the same two birds that have wintered with us since they are approaching and leaving to a familiar pattern (both different).

Little Egret - surveying one of its favourite fishing spots
[This is the closest I've got to it - some 30metres - before it lifts off]

Things are still very slow, mainly due to the inclement weather we're having - nothing but heavy showers, especially in the mornings when the birds are about foraging, thereby putting the kybosh on ringing just a tad.

Walking down to and around the meadows has not produced much either. Territorial Blue and Great Tits, an absence of female Blackbirds suggesting nesting has stated [this will be in the thick 'Devon' hedges], singing Greenfinches and Chaffinches, a singing Chiff, a nosy Magpie, a pair of Crows and a Pied Wagtail. The Little Egret (above) mooches back and forth along the stream from the bridge to the sea all day long. The only other occupants of this stretch of water seem to be a pair of Mallard and a couple of prospecting Moorhen.

It's not all doom and gloom as I have managed to ring 11 new birds and re-trap 7 others since the last blog, using just the 60' (18m) garden net.
Goldcrest 1 (1) - a local pair
Blue Tit 1 (1)
Chiffchaff 1 - another male on the move
Wren (2) - a pair?
Blackbird (1)
Dunnock (2)
Greenfinch 2 - both females
Goldfinch 3 - all males; on migration?
Siskin 2 - a pair?
Lesser Redpoll 1 - another one!

Lesser Redpoll - adult male (March)

I suspect it will be Wednesday before it's any good trying to ring down at the stream sites; the forecast is for wind and sunshine - funny combination?