A cold start to the day. We started by setting some nets for snipe (pre-dawn) before we turned our attention to the feeders.
|
Species Name
|
Ringed
|
Recaptured
|
Total
|
|
Blackbird
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Blue Tit
|
11
|
46
|
57
|
|
Chaffinch
|
19
|
4
|
23
|
|
Dunnock
|
|
6
|
6
|
|
Goldfinch
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Great Spotted Woodpecker
|
|
2
|
2
|
|
Great Tit
|
3
|
9
|
12
|
|
Greenfinch
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
Jack Snipe
|
2
|
|
2
|
|
Reed Bunting
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
Robin
|
|
2
|
2
|
|
Siskin
|
16
|
12
|
28
|
|
Wren
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
Grand Total
|
56
|
84
|
140
|
The highlights of the session were:
- A female great spotted woodpecker initially ringed as a first winter in November 2013, and now in its seventh calendar year. The bird has been captured 25 times to date. All of these captures have been between April and July (allowing some excellent data on brood patch development to be collected) and November and February.
- Two jack snipe. These birds take us to four for the year. All regularly-attending trainees have now ringed jack snipe; we have captured 38 individuals over the past few years, recovering two birds between winters and a third within a winter.
- A noticeable influx of chaffinches. These were mainly adult birds, with relatively fresh wing and tail feathers. They included a few recaptures from the past few years.
- A good day total of 57 blue tits. These included a bird ringed in 2015.
The only slight frustrations were that a group of common snipe flushed and flew straight over our nets, and we didn’t manage a brambling, despite the chaffinch influx.
 |
| Jack snipe squatting characteristically on release (Richard Dann) |
Thanks to all who made it along to the session.
Owain Gabb
04/02/2019
