04/11 Greenham Common Estovers (616) Feeder

Location: Greenham Common Estovers (616) Feeder

Session: 04-Dec-2016 07:30 to 11:15hrs

Headlines: A good morning for capturing Redwing and another disappointing capture from the feeder nets. Of the few Blue & Great Tits captured 66% were adults; usually it is around 80% 1st CY. The 5+ year old Great Spotted Woodpecker, ringed as a juvenile Jul 2011 has been captured every year since except 2013 and all captures around the turn of the year. The late Nov 2011 ringed Blue Tit, then a 1st winter,  had been recaptured Feb 2013 and now today. The other two Blue Tit, both ringed mid Oct 2015, were also 1st winter birds when ringed. 2015 poor weather conditions from late November to mid December means that we have no matching visit from 2015.  

Weather: Sunny, cold, calm

Present: JL, IW, DL, RJC, GB, SC

Nets: 78 metres in six rides of : 12M, 12M, 12M around the feeders and 12M, 12M,18M in the scrub and gorse, up from 0:800 to 11:00hrs

Lure (Feeder): Niger, Black Sunflower, Niger, Black Sunflower, Peanuts, Black Sunflower
(Audio): Redwing, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Redpoll intermittently

Capture (New/Recapture) 25(16/9):

Species code New Retrap 1stCY Adult BLUTI 1 5 2 4 BULLF 1   1   DUNNO 1     1 GREFI 3   2 1 GRETI 1 2 1 2 GRSWO 1 1 1 1 REDWI 7   4 3 ROBIN 1 1 2

No matching December 2015 1st half session due to unsuitable weather (heavy rain etc)

Recaptures: (9) Blue Tit 5y 48d, 2 both 1y 33d Great Spotted Woodpecker 5y 137d
others recent

Sightings 27. Species: Maybe missed a few but not much activity apart from the Redwing flock that flew over many responding to the Latvian song audio. Numbers for most other species are down. Up to five Red-legged Partridge visiting the feeder most days, shame we can't ring them. A flyover Snipe probably the best bird.