Summer sunshine

The weather has been good to us; just one morning when we had a heavy shower that brought 11mm in one hour before breakfast. Our garden thermometer has measured a max of 23C to 29C in the shade before 2pm every day since last time.

Following on from the sad tale of the other two Herring Gull chicks, I can report that the third one managed to fledge successfully last week - not before I was able to ring it when it was in the throws of mastering flight. They normally spend two/three days practising when it is possible to throw a towel over them and pick them up.

42 day old Herring Gull chick

The garden nets have been moved around a couple of times, with one always in the bottom of the orchard. The sun has meant an early start and an equally early finish by ringers' standards. With more racks cut out down the meadows by yours truly between garden chores (sweaty work), we were able to give that a couple of goes, too. The net runs have never exceeded 180' at either site so far, giving a max. of four nets operated.

A problem at this time of year, especially if ringing very early or very late in the day, is the possibility of catching, inadvertently, a bat. I did just that and, after disentangling it from the net, I left it to come to its senses on the potting shed door.

Small bat (Pipistrelle?)

I was lucky enough to re-catch the juvenile woodpecker in the garden again. As you can see from the photograph below, "it" (still unable to sex the bird) had just begun its post-juvenile moult. The photo shows the contrast between a new, red, adult under-tail covert and the pink juvenile ones.

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker

 "Fairmead" - 113 birds of 17 species, 72 new, 41 retraps (+10 re-handlings): the vast majority were young birds. I haven't caught any Jackdaws this year (yet), but there were >105 sitting on the roof the other night.

Herring Gull - 1, 41 day old chick about to fledge (see above)

Gt. Spotted Woodpecker - (1), the previous juvenile, just starting its first partial moult

Magpie - 1, first juv we've ever caught here

Blue Tit - 9 (4), juvs plus one r/t 2CY moulting female, r/t adult male in heavy moult

Great Tit - 5 (2), juvs

Long-tailed Tit - 1 (5), juvs & 1 r/t adult female

Wren - 2 (1), juvs, probably males (on size)

Blackbird - 10 (1), 8 male & 2 female juvs plus a new 3CY+ male

Robin - 3 (4), 4 juvs, 2 r/t females, 1 r/t male

Dunnock - 3 (3), 2 r/t females, 1 r/t male

House Sparrow - 10 (9), 6 males (1 new), 4 females, the rest = juvs

Pied Wagtail - (3), adults

Chaffinch - 1, a lone 3CY+ male

Bullfinch - 6 (2), 2 new females, 2 new males, 2 old males, 2 juvs

Greenfinch - 4, all males, 1 male 2CY

Goldfinch - 7 (3), 1 r/t male, 1 new male, the rest were unsexed juvs

Siskin - (2), a possible pair

Meanwhile, down the road, our species make-up is profoundly different at this time of year. I got the most enjoyment from re-catching the adult Dipper (below) that was ringed as an adult in May last year. This time it was actively moulting, as can be seen if you study the picture closely. Visible are the contrast between old and new primaries, a row of, as yet, unmoulted median coverts and some new, black feathers appearing in the crown. 

3CY+ Dipper in active moult (mid July)

"Egrove" - 50 birds of 14 species, 42 of which were new birds; all juveniles except where indicated.

Kingfisher - (2),

Blue Tit - 1,

Long-tailed Tit - 4 (1), r/t adult female

Chiffchaff - 4,

Blackcap - 18,

Adult female Blackcap in active moult

Garden Warbler - 1, a sign that they breed 'on site'

Garden Warbler in wholly juvenile plumage
(note the pale grey collar present in the species)

C. Whitethroat - 1, a 3CY+ female with a good brood patch

Wren - 3 (1), inc. a 2CY r/t male

Dipper 1 (1), a 'this year's' young bird and territorial male in full moult (above)

Blackbird - 2 (1), a new 3CY+ female

Song Thrush - 1, the first for the year

Robin - 2, 

Dunnock - 3 (1), only 1 juv, the rest adult males with pronounced cloacal protuberances

Goldfinch - 1 (1), the r/t was an adult male

I don't split the ages of adult Goldfinches into 2CY and 3CY+ at this time of year (May - August) as differentiation in feather age is nigh on impossible. All adults revert to Euring age class 4 anyway after the moult is complete since they all have new flight feathers.

Well, that's that. The contractors are coming in to mow the rest of the hay crop this coming week which should enable us to visit more of this longitudinal site. I will report back when we have some more news to share with you.

To B or not; 2 B.

We were informed at Conference that RIN had upped the ring size to be used on all Dunnocks and Yellowhammers to B. Of course, I then had to catch two Dunnocks when I got back and duly obliged by putting on the new ring size, ahead of the official email from Thetford that came yesterday.

The weather has almost forced a complete shut-down, it has been so awful. Squally winds have been the culprit and we're not out of it yet - Monday promises a right hooligan of a storm. Any road, I have managed to keep up the general monitoring of the garden birds by being prepared to open and close at short notice!

Visiting Mrs. Magpie

Now the good news. Number 1 surprise was an adult MAGPIE in the net with a ring already on, that no-one locally owns up to. Then came notice of a "virginal" male SISKIN that I caught in February being recaptured in Kent during April (that's 290+ km east of here); not had one from that direction, although we used to get a lot of east-west movements in Surrey. Thirdly, I re-caught a male BLACKCAP (for the fifth time) that I originally ringed in January 2012, then trapped again in January this year; it's probably one of those central European breeders that comes west in winter instead of moving south like 'normal' Blackcaps. It just happened to be in the net early one morning with THREE others.

Mr. "I'm back again" Blackcap

Goldfinches featured highly again. I've handled 418 different birds this year so far, with 77 same-year recaptures. L890862, an adult male, has succumbed to my SFH charms five times (should know better); he was a 3J in September '11. Two birds, both males, were ringed consecutively on 17th March '11; also, both of them were caught together on 14th inst. Two of the re-trapped Long-tailed Tits were ringed in early 2011 as well.

To cut to the chase:-
Magpie - 1 control
Goldcrest (1)
Blue Tit 3 (3)
Great Tit (1)
Long-tailed Tit (12)
Blackcap 2 (2)
Blackbird 3 (1) - no real "biggys" yet
Robin (2)
Dunnock 2 (3)
Goldfinch 22 (15)
Totals - 32 new, 41 retraps, 10 species

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my (Christian) readers and I extend the best of Solstice and Seasonal Greetings to those who are not.

PS. The young cat has hurt her front leg and is confined to barracks - so that's one logistical problem sorted!

Liquorice "hors de combat"

nmbx

This mild weather

... continues here in the south-west. One day the fronts track up from France and it rains heavily and then the wind goes easterly and we're bathed in bright sunshine one minute and under a cloud blanket the next. When you wake up the next day, it's all round to the west with hill fog and drizzle. When the wind clears the murk, the leaves are being shaken off the trees. Such is a ringer's, hard life hereabouts! you just have to cope and get in a few hours when you can.

Any road, I have been fortunate in that the garden has been protected from the worst of the wind this week. The meadows were unringeable as the nets sites were all vulnerable to the wind on any one day. A couple of achievements this week have been the capture of bird species No. 40 for the 1km grid square, the spotting of No. 76 and the ringing of No. 1500 this year.
The Grip - it rejected the pencil in favour of my fingers!
"I'm watching you, mister" [Magpie age 3 (1CY)]

As you may have guessed by now, species number 40 was a juvenile Magpie. They are not very common round here (I suspect they get shot fairly frequently) but there is a successful pair on the outskirts of Watchet which I often see from/at the meadows.

I also caught the first Greenfinch since August, an adult female. They are now very scarce here during the summer months and I suspect their breeding numbers in the area are low, that is until you get closer to the wooded slopes of Exmoor.
Another species that I have not been catching is the Goldfinch. The local breeders (in my tall, front hedge) know full well where the nets are in relation to the feeders and make sure they don't get caught too often.
Understudy for 2011 Goldfinch No.289 or new ring No. 1500

The last "exciting" bird I caught was another Blackcap. This is the fourth in four weeks (an adult female, an adult male and latterly two 1CY males). The only month this year when I haven't caught one of these is, ironically, May, always thought of as one of the better months for overall numbers.
So, as usual, to the totals for the first three days this week (Mon-Wed) . 16 new birds and 14 retraps of 14 species. All the retraps were birds of the year; the only adults were 2 new Blue Tits, a male Blackbird, both new Robins, the male Chaffinch and the female Greenfinch
Magpie 1
Blue Tit 3 (2)
Great Tit (1)
Coal Tit (1)
Long-tailed Tit (5)
Chiffchaff 1
Blackcap 1
Wren (1)
Blackbird 3 (1)
Robin 2 (2)
House Sparrow 2 (1)
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 1

Yesterday was shopping in the county town for groceries and materials/fittings for the refurb. Today and the next few days will be non-ringing days; first, it's rip the kitchen out and then varnish the insides of the cabinets before they go in, tomorrow is the BTO/SOS Garden Birdwatch day conference and Sunday is getting the old tiles off and sealing any mdf., i.e. make a mess while the 'good lady' is away in Norfolk. Fingers crossed I'll be able to get the nets up sometime towards the end of next week if the weather holds fair ... and if we get the new kitchen finished.