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. 

Another week of green 'n yellow!

Immature male Siskin with a few un-moulted greater coverts
(those fainter feather tips at the front of the wing bar)

A week strong on Siskins, 37 to be precise - plus a few other finches, mainly of the King Harry type, which came in second best at 32. Greenfinches made a better showing with 6 individuals. This all goes to show that there must be a bit of spring passage going on over our heads. 

Immature male Goldfinch
(moult limit not easily discernible)

Immature female Greenfinch
(with quite a few old (paler) greater coverts

These numbers have been accumulated over five early morning sessions. Ringing, or rather catching, drops off fairly smartish after the first two waves of hungry visitors. The wind picking up doesn't help much either, especially from the south.  Although we have a large garden, it is surrounded on two sides by light industry and its subsequent noise and motion pollution during work hours and causal lack of green vegetation apart from the odd conifer.

This week - 58 new plus 19 re-captures & 2 from elsewhere (local ringers' birds):

Adult male Blue Tit
(we haven't seen many of these around this year)

Blue Tit 1

Dunnock (1)

Chaffinch 1

Greenfinch 5 (+1C)

Goldfinch 17 (15)

Siskin 33 (3, +1C)

Bullfinch 1

I have checked the meadows out just recently, now that the water levels have receded and the ground is firmer underfoot. There is need of a fair bit of work in order that we may start catching there again with any success. The only birds of any note were a pair of Buzzards (on the deck) and a pair of displaying Kingfishers. The water, although clearing slightly, is still too deep and fast for the Dippers and Sandpipers.

Adult male Bullfinch, ready for another breeding season
(this bird has no juvenile feathers left - 
and has no green or yellow in its plumage!)

The weekend promises to be fine if a tad windy; perhaps next week will see some new visitors. Here's hoping!