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!

Just like 'buses

None. Then three come at once. New species ringed for the 1km square.      

1CY female

 On Saturday, the the meadow on the west side of the stream was mown. On Monday it was teddered. On Wednesday (yesterday) it was baled. I was able to get into the site before it was baled, this being the first time this year that I have been able to do so. [Firstly, the area was heavily flooded in April, it then remained very wet and, finally, the hay was so tall and thick I couldn't get my car on there].

Ringing site in middle ground, Rydon Hill in the background

I did get to do some ringing on Wednesday with a little success. This was pleasing as it was quite windy and I finished with 11 new birds and three re-traps, covering 10 species. When I went to bed, the sky was starlit, but when I got up, it was 8/8 cloud and the promised decrease in wind strength had not materialised. Nevertheless, I trogged off down the meadows and opened the nets, all 180' of them, in the small orchard and round the bend in the stream. After one hour, I had caught nothing and was thinking 'what a waste of effort'. But it turned out better than I had hoped; best catch all year down there with 21 new and 2 re-traps, covering 10 species. I also found a "crossing", where it is just possible to get from one side of the stream to the other, right where we put the nets. That will save a long (10+ minute) walk round! What a good dog 'Cerise' is to point me in the right direction!

Cerise - or Belsharose Cote D'Or (a BSD)

By the end of the two days, I had ringed 34 new birds and re-captured 5 of some 15 species. After far too long being unable to get in a really good session (considering the constraints of the site), I was really pleased with the result. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next two days will bring forth.  Visible migration is a bit stop-start at the moment. This depends to some extent here on the tides in the Bristol Channel as many birds feed up again as soon as they hit the shore-line and cliffs, if they have come over the water from Wales - as many do.

Today It started with a couple of Blackcap and a couple of Chiffs calling from the brambles; they had probably dropped with the front but they didn't hang about once it had warmed up a little. A few Chaffinches then appeared, followed by the first wave of Greenfinches. Some Swallows were on the wing by half-seven but a second wave moved through swiftly an hour later, followed by a very large insurgence around 10 o'clock (GMT +1) that hugged the newly cut floor of the field. Some moved on after 15 minutes feeding while others went and rested on the overhead electricity cables as the sun came out. Around 8 o'clock, a few Linnets and Pied Wagtails appeared. "Putting a tape on", I managed to seduce three Linnets into the nets. These became my "new" birds, bringing the total species ringed so far in the 1km square to 49. As usual, the Goldfinches moved from place to place, exploiting the thistles on a daily basis as they ripen. The Meadow Pipits were late this morning and in very poor numbers; none came to 'tape' although I thought one might have been interested at one point.

Pointed tail feathers of a 1CY (female) Linnet

1CY male Linnet

 The final bird turned out to be a "new for year" one, a juvenile Sedge Warbler. This particular bird, with a wing of 64mm, weighed 11.7 gms and was carrying some reasonable fat (ESF 30). We would have had more if only we had been able to access the site in July and August. One other bird of note was a fully grown adult male Blackbird that had lost half its tarsus and foot on the left side. No photo, I'm afraid, as I don't have three hands!

Juvenile Sedge Warbler

 The final tally over 2 days was:
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 - adult male in moult
Blue Tit 3 (1) - mix of ages
Great Tit (1) - adult female
Long-tailed Tit 4 (1)
Blackcap 4 - 50/50 sexes
Chiffchaff 1 (1)
Sedge Warbler 1 - NFY
Wren 1 - a very juvenile one
Blackbird 1
Song Thrush 1 - juv (6 ogc)
Robin 1 (1)
Chaffinch 4 - all PJ-ing with some fat; 50/50 M/F
Greenfinch 5 - from a spotty young female to a smart adult male
Goldfinch 3 - ??local birds, PJ-ing
Linnet 3 - today's jackpot

"Bring me sunshine..." but not too bright and with some broken cloud!

Autumn passage

This last week we have noticed that autumn passage seems to have got under way down here. This doesn't mean to say that some passage, especially of warblers, has not been going on for the last two months, but merely that some other species are now being heard, seen and caught. Newly trapped birds have been showing evidence of laying down fat for their onward migration, most likely across the English Channel (La Manche for you francophiles).        

Not a lot of ringing has been done this week but the birding has been interesting. There was an influx of Swallows on Saturday, with much feeding over the meadows. Fortunately, the other half of the hay meadow (across the stream) was cut and left in winrows on the same day. This must have exposed or disturbed much of the insect life that the hirundines then exploited. Where the birds went to roost is a mystery, but it may have been in an area of willow and tall Himalayan Balsam to the north of where we usually ring. The birds were certainly apparent early on when I set up for a session on Sunday.

Swallows 'resting' between feeding bouts on the HT overhead cables.

Early on Sunday morning (ca.7am) 54 CANGOs (les Bernaches du Canada) moved quietly south, presumably to Hawkridge, or even Durleigh, Reservoir. About one hour later, a noisy flock of 73 Canadas returned from that direction. Had they come across a shooting party? Another hour later and over 100 returned, split into six parties of approx 20 each, from the direction of Blue Anchor/ Dunster Beach. What was going on?

Including a few hours netting in the garden, the total for the week reached 14 new birds and 9 retraps of 10 species; not a lot, I know, but the result of a poorer than usual season. Trainee Lizzie was unable to come this weekend but has promised to turn up one day this coming week before I disappear to NW Norfolk for some incoming "Pinkies", etc..

Great Tit (2)
Coal Tit 2 (1)
Chiffchaff 1 (1) - with fat10
Blackcap 2 (1) - 2 males with fat10, female fat25 (ESF)
Blackbird (1)
Robin 1 (2) - new bird had fat10; migrant?
Dunnock 2 (1)
Meadow Pipit 1 - on migration, fat20
Chaffinch 4 - on migration, all fat10
Goldfinch 1


The Meadow Pipit photo clearly shows the pronounced 'tooth' on the (3) juvenile median coverts and the inner greater coverts with their 'indentation' compared to the outer ones that have a more diffuse margin.


One of the other migrants, a 1CY female Chaffinch.

The retrap Blackcap was originally ringed here on 10th July last year as a 3J male. All the other recaptures are, not surprisingly, of this years juveniles.

I am hoping that the hay will be baled today, [it was teddered - that means we can drive between the rows instead] so that I can attempt a ringing session in the 'orchard' and set a tape up for some more Mipits!

          
This is the second of these to be found moving across the lawn this month.