February starts green and gold.

The wintry weather since my last blog has not done much for the art of bird-catching. The enemy has been the strong winds and their friend, the rain.

I made use of this poor interlude to visit family in Bedfordshire and to meet up with Martin Garner and Tormd Amundsen on their UK tour. Not having been to a Beds Bird Club meeting for over two years now, it was inevitable that I would be teased by my many friends of times past, all in good humour. It has been less wet since returning home but, boy, has the wind been a problem combined with the low temperatures. 

The hundreds of thrushes have left the horse paddocks by the river, leaving the dozen or so Blackbirds in possesion and in peace. More recent notable sightings have included a Red Kite, a Green Woodpecker, the Magpies lining their nest (which they built a month ago), a silent Chiffchaff, the usual Egrets and the return of a Grey Heron working the river, now that the waters are receeding. The real "red letter" was a noisy Kingfisher, which, between us, we have only seen once since last April; the floods have created some suitable, if rather soft, banks for a possible nest. Perhaps they will return this spring and raise young again.

Nonetheless, I have been able to open a sheltered single 60', with the 1st and 3rd being the better catching days. Otherwise, it's been grab a couple of hours after sunrise or after lunch - and hope for the best.  During this period, I did manage a "first" for me; I controlled an adult male Siskin, albeit from Denise just 14km to the west under the edge of Exmoor. Previously, I have had just two recoveries, both long-distance, of the species many moons ago, so this was a real bonus. Perhaps there will be more.

Two species took overwhelming precedence, just two others were also ringed, plus a further five species "fell in" as retraps. All revealed now. (All different birds)

Blue Tit (1)

Blackcap (2) - the 'left-leg pair'; the 'right-leg' pair' also present

Blackbird (1)

Robin (2)

Dunnock 1 (2)

Chaffinch 2 - 'big' birds

Goldfinch 21 (3) - 50/50 on age; 20 male, 4 female (significant).

Siskin 21 (1) - 73% were 2CY; 12 males, 10 females

Bullfinch (2) the 2 adult females, both showing the beginnings of a brood patch

New = 45, recaptured = 13

2CY male

The ratio of Goldfinch males to females at this time of year falls in line with previous work I have done on the species in a different part of the country. Three of the four females were full adults. February seems to be Siskin catching time, while new Goldfinches should feature heavily until the end of April (mean egg laying date 27 April).

3CY Female

It turned a bit parky

The weather this week has stayed poor with temps around the zero mark. I still walk the dog down the lane past the meadows every morning and do a spot of birding. This week has turned up 6 Little Egrets, a Stonechat, a Red Kite and a Grey Wag. I have seen the thrush numbers go up and then go down with the snow cover. 

Fieldfare arrived in strength after the first snows - just 50 or so at first then 100, then 300, feeding in one of the paddocks. It remained like that for another day before dropping off  to 100 when we had the second snow and finally to just 15. Redwings, on the other hand, have been around in low numbers for quite a while, but built up gradually after the first snow to 50 in the one field before jumping to 60, then 100 then 150 during the second snow period. They are still in the same field. There were also 40 Lapwing, a scarce bird for me, in between the snows.

East paddock pre-snow (nice and soggy) and after the second snow (thawing, still soggy)

I catch about 50 House Sparrows every year, quite a few as 3J/3's, but seldom retrap any. The reason for this is that they feed two or three doors up from us and overfly at 'full speed' on their way to the "tip" and council yard. This week, however, I re-caught 5 of the little 'so-and-so's". I have also been fortunate to catch another new, wintering Blackcap, this one another 3CY/6 female. It soon found its way around the fedeers - and nets - and seemed happy playing chase around the ivy, too, that is beginning to ripen.

Last, but not least, a 2CY Redwing launched itself into the net as I was gauping out of the kitchen window.

Male House Sparrow (winter)

Immature Redwing (winter) - 6 ogc's

So, cutting to the chase, 18 new and 22 re-traps of 13 species over the last seven days.

Latest adult female, wintering Blackcap

Goldcrest (1) - resident adult female, maintaining weight

Blue Tit (2)

Great Tit (2)

Blackcap 1 - 6F (pic)

Wren 1 - tiny female with 8 ogc's

Blackbird 1 (2) - new 2CY male & 2 adult females, weights = 98-106 gm

Redwing 1 - decent cp suggested a male; good weight @ 68 gm

Robin (3) - all 2nd calendar years on upper mandible

Dunnock 1 (3) - oldest a 4M on 12-01-11

House Sparrow (5) - oldest a 4M on 01-03-11

Chaffinch 6 - star species of the week; 50/50 on sex, 4 adult birds

Goldfinch 5 (1) - 1 new male, the rest females

Bullfinch 2 (3) - 3 adult & 1 imm. female , plus adult male

The weatherman tells us that we are in for the best part of a week of rain. How satisfying! Will be away for three days next week, anyway, on family business, so don't expect too much next time. But you never know.