The first Swift has arrived

Although it is only two weeks since the last blog, several things have been noticeable, not least the sight of my first Swift of 2015 earlier this afternoon, flying over the garden.

We have not done a lot of ringing, mainly because I had to take to my bed with a temperature but also because Steve came to put the management's new, hand-built potting shed up. So, most of these records refer to the week before last. The last few days have been cold and temperatures below average for the time of year. The signs corroborated this with birds of all species ransacking the food I put out like there was no tomorrow. There was to be one, because I was putting out good quantities of the stuff (SFH, suet, mealworms & sultanas) three times a day!

On the other hand, we did get in a couple of early sessions down the meadows. Day 1 was warm with bright sunshine, Day 2 was dull, damp and cold. We managed to catch the local male Dipper (unringed) and both adults of a pair of Kingfishers nesting nearby. The treat was handling the 2CY female Blackcap bearing 'Paris7851989' on both occasions, even though we were using a different net set-up. With a 79.5 mm wing and weighing in at 21.5 grams the second time (up 1.5 g), she was a big girl with no signs of carrying much fat or of a brood patch.

Paris Blackcap

Female Kingfisher

1st Sedge Warbler of 2015 (24/04)

Other birds of note down there were a pair of Bullfinch, the first Sedge of the year, my first Swallows, just one of the Willow Warblers, a female, and a couple of territorial male Blackcaps that were 'lean and mean'. Most of the other birds were trapped in the garden orchard, before I went down with the lurgi. There was little point after the shed was up as the weather had changed for the worse.

Ninety birds of which 59 are new ringings. This includes the next lot of infant Robins, the first 3JJ Dunnocks and the first of the newly fledged Greenfinches (this Thursday 30th). Still no signs of any young Blackbirds coming to our lawns.  

Woodpigeon - 1; a small, underweight but feisty bird in active wing moult (3 centres), the first one to "stick" this year.

Kingfisher - 2; a pair

Blue Tit - (1)

Great Tit - 1 (4);

Swallow - 2; now back at the stables in good numbers

Chiffchaff - 1

Willow Warbler - 4; passage seems to have stopped about a week ago

Blackcap - 6 (2); even split on sex

Sedge Warbler - 1

Wren - 2 (2); one 'eggy' female

Starling - (1)

Dipper - 1; territorial male

Blackbird - 3 (2)

Robin - 6 (2)

Dunnock - 2; young bird on 25th

House Sparrow - (3)

Chaffinch - 2 (2); mixed ages/sexes, male from 2013,

Bullfinch - 2; an unexpected 2CY pair

Greenfinch - 6 (4); 50% adult males, 2 birds from 2012

Goldfinch - 16 (8); two-thirds males, still some passage going on, weights >18 g

Siskin - 1; breeding female on 18th (BP4)

One bird missing off this list is Redstart - a calling individual was heard for about 30 minutes in the tops of the Ash trees while we were putting the roof on the shed.

[406:31]

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

A big push north

For some time now, in fact from about the 28th of last month, the Goldfinches have been coming through in noticeable numbers. It becomes apparent when the unringed birds start to carry an "abnormal" fat load compared to birds which are with us for most of the year. The other noticeable effect is that one tends to trap them from midday onwards until a couple of hours before sunset. Birds that are re-trapped during their stay are putting on 0.7-0.8 grams a day. Conversely, immediately after dawn and prior to dusk are when the "locals" pop in for their SFH - and you won't catch them if it's a bright day!

Easily sexed Goldfinch - a female
(reduced red above & below the lores)

Having said that, the only other birds that one is likely to catch are returning juveniles, especially males. Caught as 3Js, perhaps more than once, and unsexed at the time (it's dodgy sexing juveniles; it's too easy to get 'caught out' later), I can only presume that they must have migrated some distance, if only to the south Devon or Cornish coast, to see out the coldest time of the year. The toughest time is right now, when any seeds are in short supply except weed seeds on tilled ground. But soon relief will come with the many dandelions currently flowering.

Nice turn-up - a male Lesser Redpoll

On the non-ringing front, the Robins, all three pairs, have young in the nest and are raiding the bird table like no tomorrow. One pair must be nearing "chucking out time"! The Blackbirds appear twice, sometimes three times, a day, indicating that they are still sitting. The Bullfinches must also be nesting as the females have been replaced by Joseph coated males. The Chiffchaff, whose "spring" is running down, is still parading ours and the other local (tall) hedgerows. It's a job to say what the Dunnocks are up to as there are so many individuals present here, but I suspect they have laid or are laying.

Weather wise, it was wet and breezy at the beginning of the week, then warmer and drier for the next three days, before reverting to cloudy with a cold wind. Today (Sat) the Swallows have been moving through, going west, plus a singleton House Martin. More Blackcaps have arrived but very few Willow Warblers. Ringing has been 'on-and-off', partly because of the need to get on with some gardening while the weather is in our favour. The lawns have suffered badly with the extremely wet weather we endured. 

Thieves at work - two Rooks helping themselves

The Sparrowhawk didn't just have this Collared Dove for lunch;
it also killed a Wood Pigeon the day before

Nevertheless, here's what did get caught in the last seven days (re-traps in brackets):

Goldcrest (3) - local (breeding) pair ... and a spare (male)
Blue Tit 1 - adult female with makings of a brood patch.

Chiffchaff (1) - territorial male

Blackcap 3 - all 2CY, 1 female

Robin (1) - no effort made to catch these as they are all feeding young

Dunnock (2)

Chaffinch 3 (1) - all 2CY, 1 female

Greenfinch 1 (1)

Goldfinch 34 (6)

Siskin (1) 

Lesser Redpoll 1 - 2CY male

Bullfinch 1 - 2CY male

More of these, please - male Barn Swallow

Holy Week ahead. Perhaps get down the meadow/stream if I'm in less agony. Even the owner wanted to know if it was on yet. Hey ho!
[Ed. SFH - sun-flower hearts, the preferred food of many species]

A sign of spring

What a difference a week makes. The warmth of last week has brought on the flowering shrubs and the primroses and a few bluebells. Consequently, the bumblebees made an appearance; Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butties were also on the wing. And then ... FOG. After a glorious weekend (too glorious for catching), on Monday and Tuesday we had heavy overcast and the following three days have seen dense FOG which has not cleared because of our proximity to the Bristol Channel. We are feeling cold and damp right now, whilst much of the country has had lovely sunshine. We're promised better things tomorrow, though - that'll mean wind!

Primroses (early March)

On Sunday morning (9th), I was walking my dog along the coast at Watchet and had stopped to chat to a local woman. I was facing the sea, or I might have missed it, when I noticed a  male SWALLOW coming in-off; it turns out that it was the first for the county this year. There were 30+ Turnstones and some Oystercatchers but no Dunlin or Purple Sands that I could find (1 reported) on the rocks at high tide.

The 1st Chiffchaff of 2014
(note the short primary projection)

On Thursday, I found the first Chiffchaff in the net late morning. Another one came today. Neither had prominent "pollen horns" or were carrying anything other than the barest amount of fat reserves. I wonder where they had come from; the far south-west or France perhaps, or even really local, surviving in a garden or marsh or on a cliff face that hadn't given way with all that record-breaking rain?

The Chiff's broad tail feathers may indicate that
this was a returning adult (male)

It turned out to be quite an eventful week:
Blue Tit - 2 (1) - retrap was a 2010 male

Long-tailed Tit - (2)
CHIFFCHAFF - 2, both males on size (NFY)
Wren - 1
Blackbird - (1)
Robin - 1 (4) - signs that laying was imminent 
Dunnock - (5) - a couple of males with pronounced 'protuberances' but no full brood patches seen so far or nest building (they can be sneaky)
House Sparrow - 1
Pied Wagtail - 1 (NFY)
Chaffinch - 4 - 3 of which were 'big' adults
Greenfinch - 1
Goldfinch - 15 (12) - probably a third or a quarter of what was around; oldest bird was from 2011

Immature Siskin - a few unmoulted median coverts
and a 'full set' of juvenile greater coverts

Siskin - 14 (5) - many passing through, plus a few "stayers" of recent origin
Bullfinch - 2 more males
That makes 44 birds ringed, 30 individuals recaptured; =74 of 14 species this week, 2 of which were new for the year (NFY)

Immature Bullfinch with 4 buff greater coverts

The ubiquitous Dunnock!

Everybody's favourite - the Bumbarrel
(Long-tailed Tit)

This unfortunate male Robin (from next door)
had lost its tail feathers a short while ago.

The Sparrowhawks have become very active around here this week, I notice.

Next week's plant will be Euphorbia - and I'll explain why then. 

You have to smile

If you didn't, you would cry. My computer's operating system decided to play up and wipe everything, including 99.5% of itself, one night doing a Windows Update. My days are now spent mostly re-building my system, my files and my databases.

However, when it first happened, I decided to take a trip to the meadows. The horses were corralled, and the grass is getting long, but I grabbed at the chance 'to get in the river' while it was low. I caught 14 birds in a 20' net, including two Dippers (one a youngster) and half a dozen Swallows (one a returning male). On the downside, I didn't take my camera.

Young Dipper - showing white margins to wing feathers

Since the last post, the garden has been full of birds coming to the various food sources. Almost all are feeding young either in the nest or close by after fledging. The demand for supplementary food is just as high at the moment as it is during a cold winter's day! I am catching some new, unringed adults looking for a food source (?) and a few juveniles as they try to fend for themselves. Catching, on the other hand, has been "frugal", with intermittent attempts during spells of better "ringing weather". It seems at times as if the only birds around are juvenile House Sparrows (they're just 'bombing about') and Greenfinches. One 'up beat' moment came when I caught my first young Blue Tit of the year.

I was quite surprised to total up my efforts over the fortnight and arrive at 77 (different) birds of 18 species. 19 of these were 'old friends' - or re-captures to be precise.

Woodpigeon 1 - yet another "middle aged fatty"

Collared Dove 1 - a late 2012 hatch bird

Blue Tit 1 - my first juv. of 2013

Great Tit (1) - a male of minimum age 4 years

Swallow 5 (1) - all breeding in local barns

Long-tailed Tit 2 - mother and 'daughter' (?)

Dipper 2 - and adult & a juv.

Blackbird 6 (4) - 7 adults (5 males) & 3 juv males; odd bias?

Song Thrush 1 - adult female with BP

Robin 1 (2) - much less activity at present - 2nd/3rd broods?

Dunnock 4 (5) - 2 new males & 2 juvs; just 1 female

House Sparrow 15 (4) - 14 youngsters & 1 new female/mum

Pied Wagtail 2 - an adult and then a youngster

Chaffinch 1 - a juv.

Greenfinch 11 (1) - 7 young females to 5 young males

Goldfinch 4 - all newly hatched

Siskin (1) - a re-trapped youngster (10 days)

Bullfinch 1 - a 2CY male

Whilst walking the dog along by the river, I saw a pair of Kingfishers. They are definitely back, as I'm not the only person to have spotted them lately. Are they breeding after last year's disaster?

Juvenile male Kingfisher
(caught on the same river meadow in 2011)

I must get out more often! I'll report back when I do. Cheers.

Summer's over

I walked the dog down the meadows yesterday and up to the stables, keeping my eye out as I went. It was no surprise to find the 6 family parties of Swallows from Lee's stables (ca. 36 birds) had departed south ahead of the cold front. Just one pair that have large young in the (inaccessible) nest remain on duty in John's garage. More Swallows, in twos and threes, leisurely ambled their way across the mown fields in the direction of the Equator.

The Green- and Chaffinches were more visible, as was a small (4-5 birds) flock of Long-tailed Tits with some Blue & Coal Tit hangers-on. I didn't hear a single Blackcap but the juvenile Chiffs were still 'hooeeting' in the hedgerows. 

For better or for worse?

Another week and four more sessions out of the way. Just the one was with any seriousness as the weather is still not very conducive for ringing down at the meadows. The garden remains dead in daylight hours, although some of the bird food is disappearing, albeit slowly. Just one highlight - a Nuthatch flew from front to back. The Tawny and Little Owls have started calling again, so winter's on its way.

On the 4th it was 6 new birds of 6 species, including a Swallow and a coal Tit. On Saturday the 8th, we had 220' of net up in good weather after a front had gone through. This was to be the best day with 10 new and 3 retraps. The following two mornings were on the windy side and ringing was curtailed after a couple of hours. Nevertheless, 5 new Chiffs plus 1 on the Sunday and 4 new birds of 4 species plus 1 already ringed entered the ringing book.

The 25 new birds and 5 recaptures (in brackets) were as follows:

Swallow 2

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit (2)

Coal Tit 1

Long-tailed Tit 1

Chiffchaff 5 (3)

Blackcap 6

Wren 1

Blackbird 3

Robin 2

Dunnock 2

Greenfinch 1

Twelve species is a good spread for this time of year.

Staring skywards during moments of inactivity or refreshment, bird-watching produced a Hobby, a Wood Sand, the following day 2 Common Sands and on the last two days a Green Sand that is likely to remain for two or three weeks. Sorely tempted to have a go for this one night, now that I've found a spot to set a net. There have been the usual family of not very shy Buzzards, two/three Grey Herons mooching about, a mini vis-mig of Chaffinches and the local 6-family pack of Swallows entertaining me/us as the sun shows over the hill.

To put this year's rotten conditions in context, I checked over the database for monthly totals. Last year in June I worked the site for just the last week and processed 22 (all new) birds, whereas this year, in a full month we only managed 17. July figures are 223 and 18 respectively, August 131 and 33, and already in September we have achieved 67 compared to a full month last year of 79. We might have to call a drought soon as we've only had 1mm of rain so far this month!!! Our only problem at the moment has been the stiff north-west wind that gets up far too often.

Female Chiffchaff completing PJ moult (Sept) 

Juvenile Swallow (Sept)

Juvenile female Blackbird prior to PJ moult (early Sept)

Next suitable day looks like Friday. Will report back again after next weekend. 

Damned wind and rain

It's been one of those weeks - certainly not summer, although there was the one day when we were able to get out and check the farm buildings for swallow nests. We have had 48mm of rain this week (that's just under 2 inches) and the wind has gusted at 35 mph. During the odd, relatively calm, early mornings I have opened the nets in the garden with a modicum of success. On a couple of mornings there has even been a grass frost! At this time of the year, nearly all of the new birds are recently hatched juveniles, that are either coming to easy pickings at the feeders or dispersing through the site.

Non juveniles ringed were a fat (male) Woodpigeon and the male Pied Wagtail of the pair nesting in the old mill race in a garden opposite; 'mum' was caught last week, also feeding on the lawn. On Tuesday, the best day of the week, we recce'ed the local farm outbuildings and managed to ring some Swallows. One brood, the offspring of the first pair to return back six and a half weeks ago, was in the process of fledging and beat us to it. 

Young Swallows on the point of fledging

The pair of Bullfinches that are nesting somewhere behind the bottom garden hedge are becoming regular visitors to the sunflower hearts' feeder as dawn breaks and are clearly visible from the kitchen window. 

Our efforts this week yielded the following 17 new and 10 re-traps:

Woodpigeon 2

Blue Tit 2 (1)

Great Tit 2

Swallow 5

Wren (2) - nesting pair

Blackbird 1 (2)

Robin 1 (1)

Dunnock (2)

House Sparrow 2

Pied Wagtail 1

Chaffinch 1

Goldfinch (1)

Bullfinch (1)

Adult male Barn Swallow

With three weeks of June now gone, our rainfall total so far this month is 5.25 inches or 134mm. This is two and a half times the norm for the whole month and quite a bit higher that we would expect in January, our wettest month. All this water is preventing us from accessing a woodland on the Levels which is situated on unexploited peat. Walking through this is almost as bad as going through a long established reed bed - hard work for old legs and very tiring. The forecast is for yet more of the wet stuff. 

Sixteen years ago ...

Sixteen years ago, well, actually, 16y 3d ago, was the last time I ringed any Swallows on my own rings. The last handling of the said species was three years ago, to the day, on the BTO Gibraltar Point ringing course in 2008. Trainers just assist with the extraction so I doubt if I got round to ringing any.

Before being dragged off to Morrisons for the weekly shop, I shot down to the newly cut and baled meadows and put up four single panel nets. The day was much sunnier and a lot less windier than yesterday, when the hirundines were flying very low and reaping the benefit of the recently disturbed insects. I waited until I heard a Swallow calling over the garden as they are generally late risers hereabouts and then spend the post dawn period at some height, catching arial insects.


However, I persevered for about an hour from 8 o'clock. Typically, two of the four nets, Jap of course, now need repairing as one or other of the strings has come adrift. Out with the 'superglue' some other time! One bird did get caught but, as it was travelling down-wind, it made the effort as I approached closely and flitted. Ten minutes later, an adult male flew into the wind - and the net - and became the 36th species ringed at the site.


So, there you have it! Craving satisfied!