17/03 Bagnor Feeder

Location: Bagnor Feeder

Session: 17-Mar-2020, 07:45 to 11:30hrs

Notes: Quite a good session, but the first round there were no birds in the nets; birds didn’t start arriving until after 08:30hrs. The first captures were all Great Tits. The next round included a few Blue Tits and for the rest of the session it was mostly this species. A 2015 (6 years) pulli Blue Tit that was ringed at a Boxford Common nest box is a good record and we haven’t re-captured it since 2016. A much better session than last winters matching visit although it would have been nice to catch a few Siskins this winter. This is the final ringing session for the winter here, the feeders will now be allowed to run down. Ian tells me that they have two big feeders at Jannaways, just across the road, so they won’t have far to go for  food.

Weather: Overcast, some bright periods, light breeze early stronger later, cool

Present: JL,IW

Nets: 12metres in 2 net rides, one 6 metre net each side of feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lure (Feeder): Peanut, Black Sunflower, Niger,

Capture (New/Recapture) 40(29/11) 4 Species	Matching Visit: 19/03/2019 09(09/00) 3 Species
Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ BLUTI 14 9 20 3 COATI 1 1 GOLDF 3 3 GRETI 11 2 12 1	Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ BLUTI 2 2 GRETI 3 3 SISKI 4 4

Recaptures: (11), recent except
BLUTI      ringed: 16/02/2018
                pulli ringed: 25/05/2015 box F2, 09/05/2019 box C02, 10/05/2019 box WH27
GRETI     ringed 16/11/2018
Sightings 30 Species: Chiffchaffs first heard singing yesterday here, also a Treecreeper appears to have made territory in the tall trees. The first substantial flock of Fieldfares I have seen here in the second winter period and they were probably on return migration north even though they flew south this morning.

Red-legged Partridge (1)   Pheasant (9)            Canada Goose (4)  Mallard (4)    Woodpigeon (52)    Moorhen (2) Red Kite (1)  Buzzard (2)  Great Spotted Woodpecker (3)    Green Woodpecker (2)      Jay (2)           Magpie (4)    Jackdaw (24)           Rook (4)        Carrion Crow (6)

Coal Tit (2)   Marsh Tit (2) Blue Tit (27) Great Tit (15)           Skylark (2)    Chiffchaff (3)            Wren (4)       Treecreeper (1)       Blackbird (3) Fieldfare (45)           Song Thrush (2)      Robin (4)      Dunnock (1) Chaffinch (4)            Goldfinch (5)

15/03 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Feeder

Session: 15-Mar-2020, 07:45 to 11:30hrs

Notes: Conditions very far from ideal for ringing today due to the strong gusting breeze. I wanted to be sure of getting a session in by the end of the month for various reasons, hence we persevered. Several times we came close to abandoning due to the blustery conditions and drizzle but in the end manage to sustain until 11:00hrs. Great Tits dominated the capture and there was not much species variety. Due to the conditions we expected to not complete the session and decided not to erect any scrub nets. This session’s 19 total compares well with last winters matching visit; even more so when just a Great Tit and Greenfinch of the total of seven came from feeder nets. The others came from scrub nets. Today’s session was the final schedule visit (10 of 10) for this winter at the Greenham Feeder; surprisingly given the wet and windy second winter period we manage to get all 10 done. The weather looks to be breaking, and the strong winds and incessant rain may be replaced by calmer sunny weather for a while, so I am expecting us septuagenarians will be confined.

Weather: Overcast, some bright periods, strong breeze gusting occasional, light drizzle later, cool

Present: JL,IW,RJC JA,JPM

Nets: 12metres in 2 net rides, one 6 metre net each side of feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lure (Feeder): Niger, Peanut, Black Sunflower,

Capture (New/Recapture) 19(13/06) 3 Species	Matching Visit: 18/03/2019 7(03/04) 5 Species
Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ BLUTI 1 1 COATI 1 1 GRETI 11 6 13 4	Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ GOLDC 1 1 1 1 GRETI 1 1 GREFI 1 1 LOTTI 2 indeterminate SONTH 1 1

Recaptures: (09), recent except
GRETI             15/10/2017, 24/01/2019x2
Sightings 26 Species: Chiffchaffs have been singing on the common since at least the 9th March. The Mute Swan was on the lake west of Estovers, still some Redwings about.

Mute Swan (1)         Stock Dove (5)         Woodpigeon (10)    Collared Dove (2)    Grey Heron (1)        Red Kite (1)  Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)    Magpie (4)    Jackdaw (8) Carrion Crow (4)     Coal Tit (2)   Blue Tit (10) Great Tit (20)

Chiffchaff (2)            Goldcrest (1)            Wren (2)       Blackbird (4) Redwing (9) Song Thrush (2)      Robin (4)      Dunnock (5) Pied Wagtail (2)       Chaffinch (2)            Bullfinch (2) Greenfinch (7)         Goldfinch (2)

08/03 Snelsmore Common

Location: Snelsmore Feeder

Session: 08-Mar-2020, 07:30 to 11:20hrs

Notes: Quite a good session today in comparison with last winter matching visit and a clear indication of the better tit survival of this winter. Goldfinch are unusual at this feeder. The weather forecast was pretty accurate this morning it was raining at 07:00 and stopped about 07:30. It cleared to sunny periods and stayed that way until I got home about 11:40, when it rained; more or less as forecast.

One session left for this winter at each of the feeders.

Weather: Bright sunny, breezy, cool

Present: JL,IW,DL,JA

Nets: 12metres in 2 net rides, one 6 metre net each side of feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lure (Feeder): Fat Balls, Black Sunflower, Niger, Peanut

Capture (New/Recapture) 39(26/13) 6 Species	Matching Visit: 10/03/2019 14(11/03) 6 Species
Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ BLUTI 12 8 18 2 COATI 3 2 4 1 GOLDF 2 1 1 GRETI 8 2 9 1 LOTTI 1 indeterminate ROBIN 1 1	Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ BLUTI 3 2 2 3 COATI 2 2 GRETI 3 1 4 LOTTI 1 indeterminate MARTI 1 1 SISKI 1 1

Recaptures: (13), recent except
BLUTI             ringed: 11/02/17
.                       pulli ringed 10/05/19 box CP24, 20/05/19 box CP25
GRETI            pulli ringed: 06/05/19 box WH13, 17/05/19 box CP17
LOTTI             ringed12/11/17
Sightings 19 Species: Apart from the feeder not much avian activity at all today.

Pheasant (1)            Mallard (3)    Woodpigeon (2)      Buzzard (1)  Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)    Jay (1)           Jackdaw (4) Carrion Crow (2)     Coal Tit (8)   Blue Tit (25)

Great Tit (12)           Long-tailed Tit (1)    Wren (1)       Nuthatch (1) Blackbird (1) Song Thrush (1)      Robin (1)      Chaffinch (2)            Goldfinch (2)