One hour, starting from half-light, produced 44 birds of 12 species in my 100' x 30' garden, close to the edge of town.
Wood Pigeon 1
Collared Dove 4
Dunnock 3
Robin 1
Blackbird 5
Song Thrush 1
LT Tit 3
Blue Tit 2
Starling 2
House Sparrow 9
Chaffinch 1
Goldfinch 12
The RSPB intend to publish the final results on their website in about 8 weeks time .
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
NW Norfolk
Jen's mum was taken unconscious to the QE2 last Saturday, the 25th. In three weeks time she will be 95 and has spent the last five years in a nursing home, following a severe stroke. Naturally, after Jen rang me, I packed a bag and left for King's Lynn to give her a little bit of support. The prognosis does not look good for her mum.
As well as just being there, I obviously did not want to.be under her feet, so it was another opportunity to catch a few more birds. It turned out to be a steady day, but, alas, no Siskins, Bramblings or Greenfinches yet. Three more new Blackbirds were some compensation. They were all 2CY males, two I suspect were 'foreigners' and a UK bird with 4 ogc; all were carrying good amounts of fat.
Dunnock 1
Blackbird 3
Blue Tit 3 (11)
Gt. Tit 2 (2)
Coal Tit 3 (3)
Chaffinch 2
Best ages were two Coal Tits ringed as young birds in June 2007 and the following October, both fairly faithful attendees at the feeders.
As well as just being there, I obviously did not want to.be under her feet, so it was another opportunity to catch a few more birds. It turned out to be a steady day, but, alas, no Siskins, Bramblings or Greenfinches yet. Three more new Blackbirds were some compensation. They were all 2CY males, two I suspect were 'foreigners' and a UK bird with 4 ogc; all were carrying good amounts of fat.
Dunnock 1
Blackbird 3
Blue Tit 3 (11)
Gt. Tit 2 (2)
Coal Tit 3 (3)
Chaffinch 2
Best ages were two Coal Tits ringed as young birds in June 2007 and the following October, both fairly faithful attendees at the feeders.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A better day was had by all
The penicillin capsules are starting to have an effect. The cough is drying up and so is the mucus.
The weather has been "quiet", some would say, grey skies, light winds but low temps. This is ideal in some ways for catching birds.
Today, they took another catch at the Blunham trap and caught a lot of new Gadwall. Later in the day, I went over to Chris Z's and loaded IPMR on his computer and set it all up. We then put in the last two catches.
In the garden, it was painfully slow. A new female Great Tit, a species not seen for the best part of three months, a 5F Blackbird that sneaks in down the side passage but doesn't go beyond the Apple tree (i.e. as far as a net) and a 5M Goldfinch. However, a fresh party of Lottis, numbering six, appeared at the top of the garden, on their way to next door's feeders in a small but thickly branched Field Maple. Nine new birds for the day.
A call from the park to say that Danny had picked up a male Pochard with a ring on. It was a Blunham bird (can't tell you when it was ringed because we're only just inputting the records, backwards historically). It was a big bird (wing of 222) but was drastically underweight (at 690 gms) after the recent bad weather of prolonged ice-over and snow cover. While in the park, I made the bi-daily Bird Aid drop off in the Rough.
Yesterday, Lee Evans (UK400Club) read somecolour rings of the Barnacle Geese at Willington. These turned out to be birds that are faithful to this area and have not been seen "wandering around the countryside". LGRE manged to read 20 out of 33 he noticed. At the end of last October, another bird-watcher managed to read 13 c-r, none of which Lee recorded this week.Just two of these had been involved in a "local wander".
The weather has been "quiet", some would say, grey skies, light winds but low temps. This is ideal in some ways for catching birds.
Today, they took another catch at the Blunham trap and caught a lot of new Gadwall. Later in the day, I went over to Chris Z's and loaded IPMR on his computer and set it all up. We then put in the last two catches.
In the garden, it was painfully slow. A new female Great Tit, a species not seen for the best part of three months, a 5F Blackbird that sneaks in down the side passage but doesn't go beyond the Apple tree (i.e. as far as a net) and a 5M Goldfinch. However, a fresh party of Lottis, numbering six, appeared at the top of the garden, on their way to next door's feeders in a small but thickly branched Field Maple. Nine new birds for the day.
A call from the park to say that Danny had picked up a male Pochard with a ring on. It was a Blunham bird (can't tell you when it was ringed because we're only just inputting the records, backwards historically). It was a big bird (wing of 222) but was drastically underweight (at 690 gms) after the recent bad weather of prolonged ice-over and snow cover. While in the park, I made the bi-daily Bird Aid drop off in the Rough.
Yesterday, Lee Evans (UK400Club) read somecolour rings of the Barnacle Geese at Willington. These turned out to be birds that are faithful to this area and have not been seen "wandering around the countryside". LGRE manged to read 20 out of 33 he noticed. At the end of last October, another bird-watcher managed to read 13 c-r, none of which Lee recorded this week.Just two of these had been involved in a "local wander".
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
False dawn
I did think my cold was on the wain; it was. However, it was replaced (as is often the case during late winter) with acute sinusitis. That put paid to very much everything, going to town, visiting, long walks in the snow, etc.
By the 16th, I had manged to drive to Lynn. The disturbed sleep continued. The thaw generated by the rain continued. On the Saturday, the light but persistent rain softened the soil and grass sufficiently for J's garden to become a haven for feeding birds. It was almost non-stop toing and froing from the woodland edge to the feeders or beneath the feeders. As I sat there sipping hot drinks, I counted 7 unringed Blackbirds popping in and out of the shrubs.
Blackbird takes it supplements!
The rain eased as dusk approached, so I erected a net and set it lower than usual, ready for the morning. At 8am, the first Blackbird; adult 6 male, 137 wing, 111.5 grams. That's what I would expect at this time of year, enough weight (fat reserves) to get it through several days of bad weather. Not so heavy as not to be able to get away from a Sparrowhawk.
Half an hour later, number 2, a young female with a wing of 131 weighing in at 113g. Another wait, then a young male, wing length 139 and weighing a little more at 116.5g. Then another, making four of the seven. This was a male with a wing of 133 and maybe of more 'local' origins; it was a tough one to call but I decided on 6M after much study, based on the shape of the outer tail feathers. (It looked as though it had not done a 100% PB moult, maybe just a late 95% one; remember Sept/Oct were very dry).
2CY female Blackbird - "continental type"
There after, I caught more usual fare. One new and one retrap of each of the Great, Blue and Coal Tits. The number of birds in and around the garden this morning was much, much lower than yesterday. Then at midday, I caught two more of these unringed Blackbirds. Both were young birds; the female measured 133 and weighed 114.5g but the male, with 5 ogc and a wing of 135, weighed an enormous (for here) 136.5g. It was carrying so much fat, it even showed as a bare (brood) patch without much 'wind assistance' from me.
The 'big' 2CY male "continental" Blackbird
Finally, it was another Coal Tit, a new 6F, and a retrap 6M Blue Tit. Fourteen birds in five hours meant that I had kept warm most of the time and shifted some of that nasty, sluggish infection. I was really pleased with catching 6 of 'the magnificent 7'. I do like thrushes!
Typical tail feather shapes of a 1st winter Blackbird in Norfolk;
resident, inland UK birds of the same age often have narrower feathers than this.
By the 16th, I had manged to drive to Lynn. The disturbed sleep continued. The thaw generated by the rain continued. On the Saturday, the light but persistent rain softened the soil and grass sufficiently for J's garden to become a haven for feeding birds. It was almost non-stop toing and froing from the woodland edge to the feeders or beneath the feeders. As I sat there sipping hot drinks, I counted 7 unringed Blackbirds popping in and out of the shrubs.
Blackbird takes it supplements!
The rain eased as dusk approached, so I erected a net and set it lower than usual, ready for the morning. At 8am, the first Blackbird; adult 6 male, 137 wing, 111.5 grams. That's what I would expect at this time of year, enough weight (fat reserves) to get it through several days of bad weather. Not so heavy as not to be able to get away from a Sparrowhawk.
Half an hour later, number 2, a young female with a wing of 131 weighing in at 113g. Another wait, then a young male, wing length 139 and weighing a little more at 116.5g. Then another, making four of the seven. This was a male with a wing of 133 and maybe of more 'local' origins; it was a tough one to call but I decided on 6M after much study, based on the shape of the outer tail feathers. (It looked as though it had not done a 100% PB moult, maybe just a late 95% one; remember Sept/Oct were very dry).
2CY female Blackbird - "continental type"
There after, I caught more usual fare. One new and one retrap of each of the Great, Blue and Coal Tits. The number of birds in and around the garden this morning was much, much lower than yesterday. Then at midday, I caught two more of these unringed Blackbirds. Both were young birds; the female measured 133 and weighed 114.5g but the male, with 5 ogc and a wing of 135, weighed an enormous (for here) 136.5g. It was carrying so much fat, it even showed as a bare (brood) patch without much 'wind assistance' from me.
Finally, it was another Coal Tit, a new 6F, and a retrap 6M Blue Tit. Fourteen birds in five hours meant that I had kept warm most of the time and shifted some of that nasty, sluggish infection. I was really pleased with catching 6 of 'the magnificent 7'. I do like thrushes!
Typical tail feather shapes of a 1st winter Blackbird in Norfolk;
resident, inland UK birds of the same age often have narrower feathers than this.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Minus 6C
As the sun was shining the last two days, put a 20 foot up across the garden during the warmer part of the day. My rotten cold was improving, and I felt I could cope.
Yesterday was the poorer of the two days. Two 2CY Blue Tits, of opposite sexes, one a re-trap. Also, two Blackbirds, one a male born locally in 2007 and a new '6' female that was in the process of regrowing all of the feathers on the right side of its tail. The male weighed 124g and the female 126g; that's 30-40% heavier than in the breeding season.
Today was more eventful. To start and finish, new, unringed, female House Sparrows; the main period for catching this species is May-June-July when they are nesting/fledging. Next, my favourite, an adult male Goldfinch, this one with a wing of 85mm and weighing 18g (fat2) at half-past ten! Then a cheeky juvenile Wren, sexed as a female on size, a retrap from November, with 3 ogc.
The the surprise, a Redwing - the first to be ringed in the garden in 13 years. It was a '5' (2CY), with 5 ogc and it was regrowing its inner tertials. A good weight at 63.5g (We've caught then in the Fens with starvation weights of 48-50 gms). We often see them passing over as they leave the fields just to the north of us in the early mornings. I think I'm right in saying that this is only the third time that they have entered the garden, the same as Fieldfare, and always in hard weather.
The afternoon was quiet with just a re-trap 2CY female Blackbird and the second, new Song Thrush of the week; these have been healthy, too, with weights of 82g and 79g. Today's bird had just 2ogc, which were very ginger in colour compared to the rest of the bird. I would have liked to photograph it but the light was going fast.
Yesterday was the poorer of the two days. Two 2CY Blue Tits, of opposite sexes, one a re-trap. Also, two Blackbirds, one a male born locally in 2007 and a new '6' female that was in the process of regrowing all of the feathers on the right side of its tail. The male weighed 124g and the female 126g; that's 30-40% heavier than in the breeding season.
Today was more eventful. To start and finish, new, unringed, female House Sparrows; the main period for catching this species is May-June-July when they are nesting/fledging. Next, my favourite, an adult male Goldfinch, this one with a wing of 85mm and weighing 18g (fat2) at half-past ten! Then a cheeky juvenile Wren, sexed as a female on size, a retrap from November, with 3 ogc.
The the surprise, a Redwing - the first to be ringed in the garden in 13 years. It was a '5' (2CY), with 5 ogc and it was regrowing its inner tertials. A good weight at 63.5g (We've caught then in the Fens with starvation weights of 48-50 gms). We often see them passing over as they leave the fields just to the north of us in the early mornings. I think I'm right in saying that this is only the third time that they have entered the garden, the same as Fieldfare, and always in hard weather.
The afternoon was quiet with just a re-trap 2CY female Blackbird and the second, new Song Thrush of the week; these have been healthy, too, with weights of 82g and 79g. Today's bird had just 2ogc, which were very ginger in colour compared to the rest of the bird. I would have liked to photograph it but the light was going fast.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Snow joke
Our second snowfall of the winter, just 2-3 cm so far, although it's trying to snow again. Traffic reduced to a trickle outside (on the unofficial northern by-pass). We have been lucky so far - the situation is far worse in other parts of the UK.
Did manage to ring some birds in the garden yesterday before the snow came. It was warmer than the day before (Monday, when I ringed the feeding station in the Rough) with only a slight breeze. It was a pleasure to catch the Song Thrush, which had a healthy weight of 84 gm. Then there were 8 Long-tailed Tits, a mum, a dad & an auntie, plus 2 sons and 3 daughters. There were nine not long ago, so one must've "copped it". The rest consisted of a retrap Blue Tit and a retrap Spuggie with a new adult male Starling and a 2CY male Greenfinch.
Today, I scaped away some snow along the shrubbery in the half-light and then put down a mix of sunflower hearts, mixed millet seeds, black sunflower, maize, wheat and sultanas. The first bird to arrive just after 8 o'clock was the Song Thrush, followed by a male Blackbird, a Robin, two Dunnocks, a female Chaffinch, a Blue Tit, a Goldfinch, two House Sparrows, a Greenfinch and finally 3 Collared Doves. By now it was close to 9 o'clock. More birds joined later in the morning, and, having bought some apples, I sliced them in half and put them out as well.
Later this morning, I had to go and fill the feeders in the rough and put some seed down on the deck, a job that needs doing very two days.
As I write this at midday - it's starting to snow again!
Did manage to ring some birds in the garden yesterday before the snow came. It was warmer than the day before (Monday, when I ringed the feeding station in the Rough) with only a slight breeze. It was a pleasure to catch the Song Thrush, which had a healthy weight of 84 gm. Then there were 8 Long-tailed Tits, a mum, a dad & an auntie, plus 2 sons and 3 daughters. There were nine not long ago, so one must've "copped it". The rest consisted of a retrap Blue Tit and a retrap Spuggie with a new adult male Starling and a 2CY male Greenfinch.
The light was still poor at 09:00
Today, I scaped away some snow along the shrubbery in the half-light and then put down a mix of sunflower hearts, mixed millet seeds, black sunflower, maize, wheat and sultanas. The first bird to arrive just after 8 o'clock was the Song Thrush, followed by a male Blackbird, a Robin, two Dunnocks, a female Chaffinch, a Blue Tit, a Goldfinch, two House Sparrows, a Greenfinch and finally 3 Collared Doves. By now it was close to 9 o'clock. More birds joined later in the morning, and, having bought some apples, I sliced them in half and put them out as well.
Passing the Rough (Priory CP)
Later this morning, I had to go and fill the feeders in the rough and put some seed down on the deck, a job that needs doing very two days.
As I write this at midday - it's starting to snow again!
How long will the buses keep running today?
Friday, January 1, 2010
First blood!
A Happy New Year to one and all!
After leading a guided walk down at Priory CP this morning (see here), just had to start off the new year with a pair of pliers in my hand! What did I get first of all? The ringer's nightmare - 'flying shit'. This young woman was very gobby, too. Ah, well. Can't be helped.
(Starling, age 5F, wing 126mm, weight 77g)
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