Wind stopped play

Yeah! Got the message when a strong gust took the top of the net into the apple tree. The wind tugged the net so hard, one of the guys slipped (only a couple of inches) and the net was free to fly. Out with the ladder! After that the wind got worse and stayed that way for a few days. Still bad. Doah.

We had a Community Speed-Watch session today by the school which is on the village outskirts. Despite the temperature being above freezing, the wind coming across the site meant we left gladly after an hour, the morning rush being over. Just the two miscreants from over two hundred motorists, one of them well over the 30 limit (40+ mph). That's despite four stationary bods in high-vis jackets (one a PCSO) - he needs to go to Specsavers! There were a few "front-end dippers" coming out of the 40 zone once they twigged us. Job done. Several 'thumbs-up' from drivers.

During this period since my last blog, there has been no rain, just a smidgin of dry snow. The ground is beginning to firm up at long last after all that rain from April to January (2012 was up 38.6% on the 1981-2010 local average). The Egrets are not so wedded to the local horse paddocks any more and I have spotted them elsewhere up and down the local streams. Other people have reported lots of Siskins in their gardens, but here they seem to have mainly departed and we are more likely to pick them up in the tops of the stream-side Alders, now that the cones have dried out again. What is noticeable is the build up of Blackbirds and the return of the Mistle and Song Thrushes. [Haven't a clue why the latter vacate this vicinity in winter]

The Buzzard kettles have now become courting pairs, displaying some distance from their preferred nesting site on occassions. The Moorhens are also back on territory but there has been no further sightings of the Kingfishers or Dippers. Several ringers have been shouting about the huge numbers of Redpolls that they have caught, but they are infrequent hereabouts. However, we might be lucky in the next few weeks to obtain a specimen or two during their northward passage.

From the catching and watching it has been apparent that there are quite a few more Blue Tits around. I suspect they are wanting to get into full breeding nick, hence their visits to the feeders (and the nets). As usual, they soon learn how to circumvent those (almost) invisible obstacles! Here's the running order since last we were here.



Collared Dove 1

Blue Tit 1 (8) - seems to be older males and younger females

Great Tit 1 (4)

Long-tailed Tit (2) - possible pair

Blackcap (1) - the unlucky one; the rest (4+) are busy to-and-froing to the sultanas on the bird tables. I will move the nets later.

Wren (2) - potential pair

Blackbird 2 (2) - the new ones were "non-standard"

Robin (2)

Dunnock (6) - there must be 10 (ringed) knocking about

House Sparrow 1

Chaffinch 2 - both young females

Greenfinch 1 (1)

Goldfinch 5 (2)

Siskin 3 - all virgin males (2CY)

Totals - 17 new birds (30 recaptured)

Finch fest

The weather has been awful. 44.5 mm of rain so far this month after 139 mm in January. Everywhere locally is sodden. A couple of days without rain saw the river go down and almost lose its colour. So it was a pleasant surprise to find a Dipper sitting on the bank by the old weir, singing. This is my first sighting hereabouts since the end of April last, when four chicks sat on my neighbour's wall, waiting to be fed by the parents. Next day we had THAT RAIN. And that was that!

Six (6) Little Egrets have been working the meadows and the horse paddocks for a while now. Occasionally, they are all together but they are more likely to be scattered over the site, which is extensive, and are often "invisible" to me from the lane/footpath. The problem is that when the meadows dry up, they will all be accessible again on foot but less inviting for the Egrets. Three of them have hung around in previous summers, so there is always the chance that they may decide to breed here. Four of the six now have nice plumes, so here's hoping!

6 Little Egrets @ Highbridge

Here's what I been up to, ringing-wise, since this time last week:
Collared Dove 1
Goldcrest (1)
Blackcap 1 (2) - all ladies
Wren (1)
Robin (2)
Dunnock (2)
Pied Wagtail (1) - the club-footed male
Chaffinch 2 (1)
Brambling 1
Greenfinch 10
Goldfinch 16 (1)
Siskin 20
Total 51 ringed (12 recaptures)

Adult male Brambling 

Today has been a pleasant day, if with a cold wind. The forecasters predict another three or four more of bright conditions which may not be all that helpful as there is yet no background of green foliage from the apple trees to hide the net! We shall see.

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.

Slow, slow, stop!

Not much of a week as it turned from "bland & cold" to "wintery & colder". On Friday, we copped the snow and it dumped between 3-4 cm of the wet stuff over the village during daylight. This turned into 14 mm of 'precipitation' in the rain guage. Everywhere is well and truly sodden at the moment and the grass turns to mud as you walk on it.

View from study (winter ringing room) am, Fri 18-01-13

I kept a couple of nets open - when I could attend to them - and finally ended up with 10 species, comprising 16 new and 14 'previous' for the 7-day slot. Fortunately, there was very little wind, although the coming days promise something different (stiff and cold easterlies).

Woodpigeon 1 - a big, fat (>600 gm) male

Great Tit (2)

Blackcap (2) - 1 of the males & 1 of the females of those 5 present daily

Blackbird 1 (2) - incl. a female not seen since last spring

Dunnock 1 (2) - another pair avoids the netting area

Chaffinch 3 (1) - at least 3 other unringed birds present

Greenfinch 2 (1)

Goldfinch 6 (2) - still they come!

Siskin 2 (1) 

Bullfinch (2) - and friends; probably eating the buds on our apple trees

As well as the above, the garden played host to the local pair of Herring Gulls (already tarting up their nest), a lone Black-headed Gull, two pairs of Collared Dove and their off-spring, a pair of Goldcrests, Blue Tits, Wrens, a Fieldfare in the snow and two pairs of Robin. Walking down to the meadows there was very little on show, but a couple of Fieldfare made a vanguard appearance. I also noted 6 Little Egrets feeding together in one of the sodden paddocks.

Looks like we'll be getting a different flood next week - of thrushes avoiding the forecast snow up country.