11/12 Greenham Common Estovers Feeder

Location: Greenham Common Estovers Feeder
Session: 11-Dec-2016 07:30 to 11:20hrs

Headlines: Today’s visit was a bit of an experiment to see if a different net layout would improve the capture. We put the nets at roughly at 90degrees to normal. There was no improvement, in fact nine captures from the feeder nets is the lowest here so far this winter. As with the last visit had it not been for Duncan’s “Redwing” net in the scrub it would have been an even longer session than it seemed. The conclusion is that probably a net each side and parallel to the feeder is just as good if not better. Also the number of birds visiting is well down on previous winters. Just have to wait and hope that the Redpoll and Siskin that usually start coming to the feeder around the turn of the year do so in numbers again this winter.

Weather: Clear, Sunny, calm, warm for the time of year.
Present: JL, IW, DL, RGS
Nets: 54metres in four nets rides 10M, 12M, 12M around feeder 18M in scrub, up from 08:15 to 11:00hrs
Lure ( Feeder): Niger, Black Sunflower, Black Sunflower, Peanuts, Black Sunflower
         ( Audio):   Redwing, Fieldfare
Capture (New/Recapture) 15(11/4):

Species code New Bird Retrap 1stCY Adult BLABI 1   1   BLUTI 1 2 2 1 DUNNO 1   1   GRETI 3 1 3 1 REDWI 5   3 2 ROBIN   1 1

Recaptures:  (4) Great Tit 266days, others recent

Sightings 34 Species: Fairly quiet today, just the usual Redwing and Fieldfare flocks flying about. A flock of 50+ Golden Plover over early probably the most interesting as very few have been seen since they arrived in October. As you can see low numbers for the species that usually visit the feeders, even the fly through Sparrowhawk did not linger around the feeder this visit. Thanks to Ian for the list.