So far, so good

We are now into spring proper and heading for the breeding season of our summer migrants. Our resident birds are well and truly into their breeding season and I have already ringed a fledged (1J) Robin on the 12th.

This report deals with April to date. The garden is a picture, full of flowering primroses and polyanthus and other spring flowers. On the non-avian front, the slow-worms are basking under the tin sheets, the majority of the frog spawn hatched, giving us several hundred tadpoles, (signifying a stock of mince in the freezer), and the toads re-appeared. Bumble bees and other insects made hay with the Ribes blossom, Peacock and Small Tortoishell butterflies were on the wing and the plum trees blosomed and the Camellia flowers wilted. As yet, we await the Bluebells and the main apple and pear blossom season ... and the Redstarts.

All attention has had to be devoted to the garden as I am suffering with prepatella bursitis, or 'house-maids knee' for those of a non-medical persuasion. The local resident birds are mopping up the bird food as quick as I can put it out, both on the tables (3), in the feeders (6) and on the kitchen lawn. To this end, I have had to expend £180 to replenish stocks of SFH, suet pellets, finch seed and mealworms, totalling 65 kg. I will  pick up the millet when I go to Bedford on Sunday. Thank goodness the Wood Mice seem to have buzzed off for the summer.

The three pairs of Herring Gulls are assiduously guarding their nest sites from others and the Jackdaws. A few base sticks and fleshy bits have been put down but none are anywhere near complete. The Lesser Black-back pair have now returned; I don't as yet know where they intend to set up home. This should be their 'parenthood' year if things go to plan.

First Willow Warbler of 2015
(a whiter shade of pale)

Chiffchaff - with pollen horn

The first Swallow, a male with long streamers, appeared on the 6th, the same afternoon that an Osprey flew resolutely north. Yesterday, there were at least 3 Swallows and the first House Martin wheeling overhead. Three new species have been ringed this month - namely, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Rook and, of course, Willow Warbler. The first 'Willy' arrived on the 8th and sang "out front", and I caught a different male the following day. None of the males has been carrying much fat (0-1), whereas the more recently arrived females have all been heavy for their smaller size and fat 2-3.

The first fledgling to be ringed was a Robin that I found in the net on the evening of the 12th.

Fledgling Robin (1J) 12-04-15

All together, I ringed a further 74 birds of 19 species, plus handled 52 individual retraps. So far in 2015, I have ringed just 350 new birds, of which 127 are Goldfinches (36.3% of birds ringed this year to date). There have been 229 handlings of them all told, consisting of 200 'new for year' individual Goldfinches. Some of these have been new or returning migrant birds that drop in for a day or two to feed up before pushing off further north. Our local breeding birds are much leaner and don't just use the feeders but inspect all the plants in the garden and even try to get in the fruit cage. They also appreciate the fine, groomed hair from my Belgian Shepherd.

2CY female (5F) Gt. Spotted Woodpecker

2CY Pied Wagtail (yarrellii) with 4 old greater coverts

With just one 60' net, the list of new birds ringed, with other birds ringed previously in brackets, is:
Gt. Spot Woodpecker - 1
Rook - 1
Goldcrest - 1 (2)
Blue Tit - 2 (1)
Great Tit - 1 (2)
Long-tailed Tit - 1 (2)
Chiffchaff - 5; the only female on the 13th
Willow Warbler - 10; males first, females from the 12th
Blackcap - 6 (1); lingering male on 6th, new birds from the 9th
Wren - 3 (1)
Starling - 2; no unringed birds seen - 6 pairs known
Blackbird - 1 (4); all now feeding young in the nest
Robin - 3 (5);
Dunnock - (4); not as showy as last month
House Sparrow - 2 (6); a few are nesting, others are still thinking about it
Pied Wagtail - 1; minimum of 3 pairs present, poss 4 pairs.
Chaffinch - 4 (2) + 1 adult male (2x) with severe FPV
Greenfinch - 4 (11); 9 males + 6 females, 6 aged 5 (2CY)
Goldfinch - 26 (12); 8 of the retraps were 2CY, only 2 of the new birds were adults (3CY+)
       Finches still dominate in the catches, but Collared Dove (up to 7), Jackdaw (5), Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock and Pied Wagtail are most likely to be seen feeding in the garden at any time of day.

A 'normal' (yellow) spring Willow Warbler

Half Term

It is ten days since the last posting, during which time the children have been off school, Easter has come and gone, the wind has got up and we have had our first rain for two weeks. Goldfinch migration has slowed during this time, but, not with standing, some of the local birds are nesting with at least one pair feeding small young. The same must be true of the Siskins as well.

Euphorbia

Last year (2013), Willow Warblers dominated my ringing effort at this time. The cold weather brought the birds down to the ground looking for insects in the lawns and gathering what pollen there was. The first port of call was undoubtedly, the Euphorbia plants of which we have a good supply. The warblers were mostly caught in single panel nets placed an the lawns/mown grass; 74 in three weeks. As you can see from the table below, this year is different, the birds passing high overhead in the fine weather that has lasted for two weeks.

Species                                                    New birds                 Pulli         Retraps               Total

             Woodpigeon                                       0                       0                       3                       3

             Collared Dove                                     1                       0                       0                       1

             Goldcrest                                             3                       0                       7                     10          

             Blue Tit                                              11                       0                     10                     21

             Great Tit                                             5                       0                       3                       8

             Coal Tit                                               0                       0                       2                       2

             Long-tailed Tit                                    2                       0                       8                     10

             Chiffchaff                                          12                       0                       2                     14

             Willow Warbler                                   1                       0                       0                       1

             Blackcap                                              8                       0                       4                     12

             Wren                                                   4                       0                       3                       7

             Blackbird                                             7                       0                     22                     29

             Redwing                                              2                       0                       0                       2

             Robin                                                   6                       0                     23                     29

             Dunnock                                             7                       0                     27                     34

             House Sparrow                                 11                       0                       8                     19

             Pied/White Wagtail                             2                       0                       2                       4

             Chaffinch                                           25                       0                       3                     28

             Greenfinch                                         32                       0                       9                     41

             Goldfinch                                          301                       0                   155*                  456

                                                                                                       (* of which 74 are NFY birds)

             Siskin                                               128                       0                     31                    159

             Lesser Redpoll                                   3                       0                       0                       3

             Bullfinch                                               9                       0                       6                     15

                           Annual Total:                      580                       0                    328                   908

The period has also been taken up with the final, rigorous checking of the 2013 national database for errors and omissions that involved hunting through pages of data. The net configuration, meanwhile, was reduced to a lone 60' (18m) between the mature apple trees, where the trays and feeders are permanently kept. The start of this period also saw clear skies by day and night and the feeling is that many birds have passed over us and across the Bristol Channel, making landfall in south Wales, going by the latest reports coming from the ringers there.

The trickle that was left amounted to:
Goldcrest (2)
Blue Tit 1 (1)
Blackcap 3
Blackbird (1)
Robin (3)
House Sparrow 1 (1)
Chaffinch 1
Greenfinch 3 (3)
Goldfinch 21 (8)
Siskin 3
Total - 33 new birds, 19 recaptures of 10 species.
In a week's time, when migration will be almost over, our attentions will turn to the species that frequent the water meadows. Weather permitting.

Catch up

This brings things up to date. It covers a 12 day period, ending today. I was hoping to include something about the SW Ringers' Conference at Seaton that is on today, but the blessed shingles prevented me from going (more specifically, the pain and the pills). I apologise to those friends I was unable to meet up with; some other time, perhaps?

The first female Chiffchaff - 03/04/14

It has been a period of change. The Goldcrests and Siskins have become less apparent as they set about the task of breeding. The Pied Wagtails are also becoming less reliant on my mealworms now that the water in the stream has subsided. Blackcaps arrived on 24th but a few days passed before I caught one in the garden, by which time several were singing in the local hedgerows. It was noticeable how the Goldfinches, at last, are accumulating fat for onward migration. Chiffs appeared on 28th with a steady trickle of males until a female on the 3rd. Neighbour John was catching Willow Warblers on the 30th but none turned up on this side of the village here until 4th.
  

Male Willow Warbler - first of 2014 for me
(this bird weighed 10.7 grams)

The Robins are the most advanced nesters and must have small young by now. The Blackbirds are a close second but are still sitting. Some of the Dunnocks are still making up their minds while others have laid and the Greenfinches are currently busy nest building, in line with their "cousins", the Bullfinches. The Herring Gulls sit on the chimney stacks in their pairs, shouting at one another morning and evening. A pair of Lesser Black-backs were seen over the rooftops today for the first time.
To the chase. 18 species overall and 94 new birds plus 36 recaptures of previously ringed birds made the books over the 12 days. Escapees were Collared Dove and Rook (they don't stick in small mesh nets). Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Pied Wagtail were all new to this year's ringing list.

2CY male Blackcap (30/03/14)

Woodpigeon (1)
Goldcrest 3 (1) - possibly 2 local breeding pairs
Blue Tit 2 (1)
Great Tit (2) - scarce visitors - a pair
Chiffchaff 8 - all males except the last one
Willow Warbler 1 - male
Blackcap 2 - both males, adult and 2CY
Wren 1 (1) - a new male
Blackbird 1 (1) 
Robin 1 (4) - off duty birds coming to the bird table
Dunnock (2)
House Sparrow 4 (3) - 5 of these were males
Pied Wagtail 1 (2) - a new male and a pair
Chaffinch 5 (2) - 5 males & 3 females (incl. one released unringed)
Greenfinch 4 (1) 
Goldfinch 53 (11) - many birds on passage with good fat scores (F20-F45)
Siskin 8 (3) - mainly caught in their pairs, starting to nest
Bullfinch (1)

2CY male Goldfinch

The only other birding highlights have been a Red Kite over and the return of a pair of Lesser Black-backs. The next few days do not bode well for ringing as the forecast is for much windier conditions with some rain at times. We will just have to be patient.

TW3

Migration has certainly slowed down now. There are two reasons for thinking this. One, is the daily passage westwards of a flock of up to 100 Starlings shortly after dawn from their roost on The Levels to their daytime feeding areas, somewhere Minehead way. Two, there was a flurry of Redwings and Fieldfares on Monday, that built up to more impressive flocks on Tuesday and then waned on Wednesday. These latter birds were all moving north-east over the Quantocks in groups varying around the twenty mark, sometimes coalescing into flocks of c. 100. Up the lane, the owner has planted many berried trees and shrubs that attract them; it was quite impressive in the mornings, but tailing off before noon. Several thousand must have passed through.

John, who lives "the other side of the pylons", managed to catch a few of these thrushes recently, namely 12 Redwing and a single Fieldfare - plus loads of Blackbirds. I should add that the pylons skirt the north of the village and John lives in an area detached from the main village by an area known as 'Danesfield' where there was a battle with the Viking invaders, many, many, many moons ago. That also makes us twice as far from the coast as he is.

This week, I have again managed to catch 48 birds, as last week, but only 36 of them were new, all requiring BTO bling. As last week, the species tally was also 14. At long last, the painters have left and the scaffold has been taken away. Just leaves another week for the jobbing builders to come and do the 'snagging' and the unfinished jobs. Peace and quiet will then reign and perhaps the birds will deem to grace the feeders, etc. in the usual manner.

Top dog, sorry - bird, was the Tom Tit, followed by King Harrys, much the same as last week, with Blackie replacing the Golden-crested Wren. [These are the country-side names]. New Coal Tits are still coming through as are Blackcaps. Just the other day, I noticed a singing Chiffchaff that had taken up residence where there were two breeding territories in the summer.

The all important list:
Gt. Spot. Woodpecker (1) - ad. male first caught this Sept.
Goldcrest 1 (1)
Blue Tit 9 (3) - 5 of the new ones were 'adult'
Gt. Tit 1 (1)
Coal Tit 2 (1) - 
Long-tailed Tit (1) - from early Jan this year
Blackcap 1 - a female this time
Blackbird 6 (1) - more females than males
Robin 1 (1) - the new bird was still in PJ moult
Dunnock (1)
House Sparrow 2 (1) - all males
Chaffinch 3 - all females, 2 adult
Greenfinch 1 - a 3F
Goldfinch 8 (1) - no adult females

Male House Sparrow (1CY) November

Male Gt. Spotted Woodpecker (2CY) November

Female Blue Tit (adult) November

Female Blackbird (1CY - 4ogc) November; immigrant?

Male Blackbird (1CY - 4ogc) November; immigrant?

Female Goldcrest

  

For those of you young ones, TW3 (TWTWTW) was a satirical TV programme called "That was the week that was" with David Frost, John Cleese and many others of that genre .

Cor - In a Flap.

After our poor showing down at the Daffodil field the day the birds were halted at the south coast by a weather front, things took a turn for the better yesterday (3rd) in the garden. It seems that migration had resumed inland and I was able to capture 10 new birds in a couple of nets at the bottom of the garden before the sun came out.

First up, with the Blackbird and the Chiff, were a couple of Blackcaps. The "lady bird" was very heavy and I got the "have you made a mistake" message drop down as I entered the data. She weighed 24g and was carrying plenty of fat (ESF45/50). The other was a male but he could only scrape 19.5g and a fat score of ESF 20. These are the first real migrant Blackcaps that I have recorded in the garden/area this year. Whether my other two birds that have spent most of the winter here are still about remains to be seen.


Tuesday's round-up:
Chiffchaff 1 - a female, 1st of the year
Blackcap 2 - (see above)
Blackbird 1 - a new 6M; where do they keep coming from?
Robin (1) - a 2CY male that appeared in the New Year
Chaffinch 1 - a male
Greenfinch 1 - an 'overweight' 2CY male with 2 primaries replaced
Goldfinch 4 - both sexes, all with some fat

Today (Weds) was a different kettle of fish. The skies were leaden, it spitted light rain from time to time, the wind was in the north-east and freshening. Undeterred, I openned the orchard net early as it is somewhat sheltered from that wind direction - for a while, at least - and eventually bagged me a personal West Somerset ringing tick. Two Rooks ventured onto the bird table, after my sunflower hearts naturally, but when spooked, one rose over the net, which is some 25' (8m) away, but the other kept low and pocketed successfully in the bottom shelf.


I took all the usual measurements on the Rook, but forgot to sex the bird in my haste to take the above photo of it. Old age creeping on, that's what I say. A little later, a Jackdaw attacked the fat balls and, when it left off, it, too, hit the net but wriggled free from mid-net, which is quite usual for this chunky little corvid. It would have been the 2nd for the site if it had stuck. That was it before the long awaited rain set in. So this cold spell and an ill wind has blown me some good. Ha ha.

Back to normal?

After such a long time with night-time frosts and glorious, sunny days that were very warm for the time of year, we are now back to more normal weather. The temperatures are down to seasonal norms and there are clouds - or a blanket of cloud - in the sky. This should bode better for our hobby of bird-catching and bird-ringing. However, there are not many early migrants coming through as most have 'zipped' past at high altitude while the weather was in their favour.

Soon, the bulk of the warblers will be coming to us, most probably around or a little after Easter. Hopefully, the herb layer will be growing 'like mad' and the trees will be in full leave, enabling us to get some camouflage for the nets. We need some rain to liven things up.

Back to the recent past. My hand is healing (stitches out), if a little sore, and weeping slightly. Have, therefore, been confined to the garden - but it's all "regulars", as the totals will show. Many of the "locals" are also well aware of where I put the nets, even when I shift them about to try and improve the situation.

Since the one and only Willow Warbler that turned out to be a Norfolk bred bird (just like 'her indoors'), there has been little in the way of "new arrivals", just 9, in fact. This compares with 14 re-traps, which helped to bulk up the species total for the last few days to 13. This represents half of the weekly species that we are able to submit to the BTO's Garden Bird Watch.

(Unseasonal) male Blackbird (per Dave B)

Goldcrest (1) - the female of the pair
Blue Tit (1)
Great Tit 1 (1) - the garden pair, she with a good BP
Blackcap 2 (1) - all males
Wren 1
Blackbird (1)
Song Thrush (1)
Robin (1) - an eggy female
Dunnock (4) - that's 2 of the 3+ pairs!
House Sparrow (1) - a 2cY female without BP
Chaffinch (1) - 2CY female in egg
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 4 (1) - all pretty lean

Decided, unwisely as it happens, to see if there were any migrants grounded by the overnight, cloudy, conditions. Turned out to be a big NO. [Portland BO hogged them all - they ringed over 600 birds today. ] We did see 3 Swallows and 3 Smarties flying towards the Bristol Channel at full pelt around 8.30 and 3 Siskins passed through around 11.00. No Dippers, Kingfishers, Little Egberts, a Chiff singing in the tree-top above us, one Moorhen and two drake Mallard were our lot.

We caught a mere 7 birds for our pains:
Wren 1 (1)
Blackbird 1 (1)
Chaffinch 1
Bullfinch (2) - the pair originally caught in the garden.

Just to rub it in, I had a flat battery; fortunately it recovered with a quick trickle charge.

Going, going, . . . .!

Library picture of female Blackcap (51)

Today I recaught the female Blackcap (51) that has been with us since the New Year. She is now starting to lay down fat and was fat score ESF30 and 24.5 grams early on. She's obviously looking to move on.

I have just re-caught the male Blackcap (53) that also had a fat score of ESF30, two weeks ago. His weight (early doors) was 20.1 grams and he has stayed around, although avoiding capture. Today his fat level was down to ESF10, but his weight remains fairly stable at 20.5 grams. There is a lot of 'in-fighting' with the second male over who should feed first at the Camellia bird table.

The other male Blackcap (77) continues to evade capture; on the last day of February he weighed just 16.5 grams, first thing in the morning. I'll have to put a net up in a new position if I want to trap him before he, too, leaves. I wonder how much weight he's put on?

Library picture of male Blackcap (77)

How much longer will these birds stay around and feed off the soaked sultanas on the bird table? Days, I should imagine. I doubt if they will attempt to migrate all the while we are more or less fog-bound.

MP8

No, not a mis-print, MP3 = MP 13 last week. Did manage to get out early, even though the winds were a bit stronger than I would have liked. The sun also becomes a problem from 9am (currently) on a site without much cover and what there is is in the wrong direction for any 'shade'.

The week-end's ringing resulted in 28 birds of which 4 were re-traps. 11 species were caught, one of which was new for this sub-site. I have caught a Treecreeper in the garden at the end of winter last, but it was a pleasant surprise to get one working the willows and alders along the stream. Maybe there are more, who knows?


Things have certainly slowed up just recently and we are back to more 'resident fare' such as Dunnock, Robin and the tits.


Today's "Prunes" were the 25th/26th ringed in just a relatively small area here.

But for the moment, there are some late migrating Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs still to be caught, plus, with the help of a 'tape lure', the Meadow Pipits which are now well and truly on the move through here. I just love that cryptic head pattern from above. As for the 'luring', I suppose that I caught roughly 10% of the birds passing overhead; a bit of a guess, but I think about every other one that ventured near the net(s) did not feel the urge to get ringed but flew off after a couple of minutes to join the cavalcade south.


Rest of the week: for 'the meadows' excl. 21/09's birds
Blue Tit 1 (1)
Great Tit 1 (1)
Chiffchaff 1
Blackcap 2
Treecreeper 1
Wren 1 (1)
Blackbird 1
Robin 1 (1)
Dunnock 2
Meadow Pipit 11
Chaffinch 2

Total 24 (4), 11 spp.

It won't be long now before the thrushes descend upon us; I am hoping to 'harvest' a few before the clocks go back, as the meadows may well become a 'bit of a birding desert' over the winter, especially as far as small birds are concerned.

Congratulations to the newly wed Mr & Mrs L. Barber.

Scratchin'

I've had an increasingly severe itch that needed scratching over the last few rainy days! Today positively oozed better weather. I awoke early to overcast skies, little wind and NO rain; we've had well over 40mm lately. Gathering my skirts up, I proceeded down to the water meadows at first light - which is getting to a more reasonable hour, but we are still on BST.

I put a 60 in the balsam rack and another in the apple trees. With the assistance of a 'Chiff' tape, I caught a Blackcap in the Balsam. Wise thought - and switched the tape to Blackcap ... only to catch a Blackbird. I'd had enough of that by now so put it on to Mipit. Good timing as there had been about 14 birds pass over in the last half hour. Another 14 went over in the next half hour, too, but those that cared to stop, sat on the HT wires some 50' above the net, mainly for a rest, it turned out!

Decided to move the MP3 to the orchard net in frustration. No birds of any sort were moving through the veg.; they were just passing over at some height, even the local stuff like Dipper, Grey Wag and Green Sand! I was scratching to catch anything at all, to say the least. The wind was getting up and the nets were in full autumnal sun by now.

Bingo! A Mipit in the bottom corner! Run, run! Species 37 for the square. Yippee!
I did catch another one and a second Blackcap as well. Hard graft for 5 new birds.
One of the young Mipits (Meapi) had a wing of 85 and had moulted its median coverts, whereas the other had a shorter wing of 77 and had not moulted any of its flight feathers yet. After a couple of hours, I had counted 48 Mipits over, all heading SW for the Brendons, which is the easternmost part of Exmoor and generally around 200m ASL. This is the first noticeable movement of the autumn.


Meadow Pipit. Euring age 3 after PJ moult.

Other birds on site (not previously mentioned) were Green & Gt. Spot Woodpeckers, a couple of Pied Wags and c.18 Swallows on the move with 3 House Martins in tow. I did hear one Chiff; perhaps they have moved out, providing they weren't 'drowned out'. A couple of Chaffinches might be the vanguard of some finches from "oop nworth".

Black and Blue

Got in some "quickie" ringing over the weekend. First up, I was able to get down to the meadows and set just the one 60 foot. Caught 10 birds (before summoned back for breakfast) of which 8 were Blackcaps with zero or ESF30 fat plus a young Dunnock and a retrap juv Great Tit. Had to turn my attention to the garden whilst being 'civil' to our guest for the rest of the time. Resulted in 7 Blue Tits, a very young Wren and recapture of a Robin and a Dunnock. The monsoon season is upon us with 6mm last night and more as I write. The forecast is for much more to come. Just what we want to bugger up our autumn catches during southward migration.

Rain, rain, go away!

It has been a week of showers - and Wednesday and today, quite heavy, and almost continuous, showers. More tomorrow and the day after with the wind increasing, too. A better picture might emerge for Bank Holiday Monday. During the better weather days this week, it has been impractical for me to do any ringing as I needed to concentrate on the house and garden chores.

I have managed to catch bits and bobs in the garden when not otherwise occupied with workmen etc. and also have been able to set a net for a couple of hours at the water meadows, with one in the orchard and another couple on the bank directly opposite.


Robin - bird-of-the-year after completing PJ moult

At this quiet time of year, ringing wise, in the garden, I procured the following: 3 new birds and 4 retraps -
Great Tit (1)
Blackbird (1)
Robin 2 (1)
Dunnock (1)
Goldfinch 1

Down at the Doniford Stream, things have been a little better, as one would expect during autumn migration. Even considering that the early morning was 'cold' and I had to pack up by half-eight anyway, I managed just 17 birds. Just as well, really, because the rain crept up and then decided to stay for the day.

Chiffs predominated; all youngsters, one of which I first caught a month earlier.
Chiffchaff 7 (3)
Blackcap 2
Blackbird 3
Wren 1
Chaffinch 1


Chiffchaff - hatch year female having finished PJ moult

No idea when I will be able to make it down to the meadows again - visiting relatives from my and Jen's dad's birthplace descending on us next week.

For friends and family - our new gates (well, 2 new sets and 1 refurbed).
We are now, hopefully, terrier and, maybe, badger proof.

Bucking the trend!

Spent Friday and Saturday in the Aylesbury Vale (Buckinghamshire). Friday afternoon was all about Barn Owl boxes, while Saturday was mist netting the 'new wood'.

We visited a farmer whose land is down to grass at Long Crendon where we knew there would be chicks of a ringeable age. As we approached the box, we could see two chicks looking out with the parent bird looking over their shoulders. As the ladder went up, she took flight and left the field, crossed a neighbour's arable field and settled in a shelter belt where she could watch us. There were 6 chicks in this box, all were ringed.


Next we looked at another box where a lone bird had been seen roosting. This turned out to have 2 Stock Dove chicks in residence. Maybe the owl that had been seen was the male and father of the chicks we had just done.

Off to Waddesdon for a quick check on another box that had eggs the last time it was checked. Seven more chicks, 5 of which were ringed, the other two were 'runts', the youngest being quite small and likely to be "a picnic" for one of its older siblings.


Then to check on a box that was robbed of its eggs six weeks ago by some workmen on a huge building site. To our surprise it contained eight (8) youngsters, three of which were big enough to ring, three more looked healthy and could be ringed in a week or so, and two more that were only a few days old. The male had flown off when we entered but the female sat tight and we were able to ring her, too.

In the evening we went out and set and furled a line of five nets along a north-south ride in the wood some 12 miles away. Before dawn, we had those nets open and set about adding five more in favoured places. Our one disappointment was a "non-stick" adult male Sparrowhawk, but the wind had got up by then and it found its way out easily.


Adult Lesser Whitethroat in fresh plumage (mid-August)

After five hours on site, (the wind got up ahead of some squally weather putting paid to any more catches), we had had 12 species and 48 birds, of which 6 were recaptures.
Dave, trainee Keith and myself rated the LESWHs 'the deal of the day'.

Blue Tit 7
Great Tit 6
Marsh Tit (1)
Long-tailed Tit 6 (3)
Chiffchaff 6
Willow Warbler 4
Blackcap 2
Lesser Whitethroat 4
Wren 1
Dunnock 4
Goldfinch 1
Bullfinch 1 (2)


Post-juvenile male Blackcap (mid-August)

Next to this wood, they run sheep. At present, the closest field had tall grass in it and about forty fat lamb rams. Mid-morning we disturbed a group of birds feeding on something, a carcass perhaps, that we could not see. This group consisted of 2 Red Kites, several Magpies, a couple of Crows, an adult and a juvenile Buzzard and a Raven.

I am hoping to get back to the site in September for the late departing warblers and again in late October for the early winter thrush movement. There shouldn't be any accidents on the M5 by then as the summer visitors - human type - will have also departed, shortening my journey time!

Away day

Decided to forego ringing in favour of a day out. Took ourselves off to Brean Down with the dogs. The weather was dull at first, becoming hazy later during the morning.

By the time we left (about sidereal noon) the temperature had reached 20C.


That's "Weston-super-Mud" in the background!

There were plenty of summer migrants about; there must have been in excess of 100 male/singing Willow Warblers. Close behind on Number 2 was Whitethroat. Conditions have been favourable in the last couple of days for migrants to cross the Channel and they have pored in!

Common Whitethroat (c) Edward D Green

A fair few Chiffchaffs and plenty of Meadow Pipits were seen/heard and several pairs of Linnet gave Jen a year tick. All the while we walked the two kilometres along the lower (ha, ha) path, Herring and Lesser Black-back Gulls glided into the bay towards the River Axe, making full use of the updraughts. A year tick for me was one of my favourite birds, the House Martin, 'prritting' above the gulls.

The Bluebells were coming out and will be at their best next week-end (Easter) but the Cowslips (below) were in full bloom, often surrounded by violets.


After watching two Tree Pipits and three spanking male Stonechats, we arrived at the fort, which has an interesting history.


This was built in the middle of the 19th century, along with three others [Steep Holm, Flat Holm & one on the Welsh coast], to defend the Bristol Channel against invasion by the French. On the return walk, we only heard one of the three Grasshopper Warblers that we had picked up on the way out to the fort. As much as we stared at the vegetation (bramble, naturally)....


There was a secretive one in here, honest.

... we could not clap eyes on any of these little buggers, partly because of the steep terrain that made viewing low vegetation difficult.

Grasshopper Warbler (c) Edward D Green

We finished off our 2 hour walk with a nice mug of coffee and a lump of coffee and walnut cake at the National Trust cafe.

Some migrants

Rubbish pic of male Willow Warbler caught first thing on Sunday.

A bitty week when I have had other commitments. This didn't really affect the ringing as there was little movement of the "target species" - i.e. the birds that come through the garden. I don't think I've much chance of catching Linnet, Sand Martin, Meadow Pipit or Wheatear in the orchard, all of which are pushing through the area at the moment.


Another new species for the garden - 5M/2CY Bullfinch.

A second Willy followed soon after the first. A male Blackcap on passage was trapped on Tuesday and a new female on Sunday; the "winter resident" female was re=trapped on Friday. All of these migrants were in good condition (fat & muscle scores).

The 38 birds ringed this week (and 10 re-traps)were:
Great Tit 2 (1)
Chiffchaff 1
Willow Warbler 2
Blackcap 2 (1)
Wren (1)
Blackbird 3
Robin (1)
Dunnock (1)
House Sparrow 1 (2)
Chaffinch 1 + 1 new fem. with 'scaly leg' not ringed (2nd this year)
Brambling 3
Greenfinch 8 (3)
Goldfinch 14
Bullfinch 1

And for the railway buffs, a shot I took today of the oldest surviving GWR loco in private ownership [Cotswold Steam Group]. The Churchward designed 2-8-0 No.2807 emerged from the Swindon works in 1905 and had a working life of 58 years.