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

Lovebirds and Fisticuffs

Here we are again and things have moved on somewhat from my last post. 

Our Robins are now paired up, with the males watching their mates as they feed up or collect nesting material around the garden. The males are looking very cocky. I think we have three pairs but I have only been able to re-trap the ones around the back during the last three weeks; the pair at the front have a different routine.

Our Blackbirds, too are well advanced with the females showing a well defined brood patch. They come separately in their pairs to the meal-worms and suet pellets on the lawn but occasionally they arrive at the same time. This is when the males have a 'set to' and fight like Moorhens, with their feet in the air, clawing at each other. There are four pairings that we can identify by ages and plumage, plus some "stray" virgin (2CY) females that may be 'on passage'.

The main tally of new birds consisted almost entirely of finches. I did spook an adult Redwing from the ivy berries in the side hedge yesterday which ended up in the net.  It will be a couple of weeks yet before the main exodus of our winter visitors will take place. It normally occurs about the same time as the influx of Chiffchaffs and the first Willow Warblers arrive.

How the Redwing gets its name

The Blackcaps are winding themselves up for the up-coming breeding season - the males are getting quite tuneful. I also caught a new male with "fat 4", which is where the fat deposits bulge and reach the end of the clavicles (the bird's collar-bone) and there is a clearly bulging pad of fat on the abdomen. This build up will enable a night flight to the near continent, assuming that it will make towards the direction of Hungary or some other spot in central Europe. I expect our wintering population to leave us in the next week.

First winter (continental) female Blackcap

There are still plenty of Goldfinches attending the SFH feeders. One male, that was hatched locally and who has been through one breeding season, showed a well defined cloacal protuberance, a sign that he is already thinking of another family. It will be a further three weeks before his mate will begin to lay eggs, but a nest site and constructing a nest will be his current priority - and keeping his mate well fed! 

 
 Some Goldfinch tails to ponder over

Although we get Rooks in the garden throughout the year, it is only now, when they are nesting, that they (a few regulars) actively seek out the bird food, especially any suet/fat based products and the meal-worms tossed onto the kitchen lawn. Late May into June sees the best time to catch and ring any in the garden; I don't have any traps large enough for one so rely on netting them then. We also get Jackdaws, one of which is "pied"

Jackdaws thieving the suet pellets

I've started to open up the net rides down the meadows in anticipation of being able to ring some north-bound migrants. Right now it's out of the question, since it's cold and wet outside and the stream is 'brown' and in full spate. I'll have to hurry up if I want to catch some Meadow Pipits should the weather change to "favourable"! 

Here are the 59 new birds that have been trapped over the last three weeks, together with the number of different individuals re-trapped.
Collared Dove - 1
Blue Tit - 1; just seen 2 pass the window unringed!
Coal Tit - 1
Long-tailed Tit - (1)
Blackcap - 2 (1)
Blackbird - 2 (4)
Redwing - 1
Robin - (4)
Dunnock - 2 (1)
House Sparrow - (1)
Chaffinch - 16; 13 females, only 4 adults
Greenfinch - 12 (1); 9 females, just 2 adult females
Goldfinch - 19 (18); 24 of these were males (14=2CY), 2 unsexed
Siskin - 2 (1)

Well, that's filled up a cold and rainy day. 'til next time, "take care".