19/02 Snelsmore Common Feeder

Location: Snelsmore Common Feeder
Session: 19-Feb-2016 07:45 to 11:15hrs

Headlines: We were not expecting too much after the blank session at Greenham on Friday. As it turned out we did better than expected with a good variety of species. Much of the capture was down to the extra net placed about 10metres from the feeder on the woodland edge. Marsh Tit once regular at this feeder are scarce now. The difference in age ratio of Blue Tit in comparison to last winter’s matching visit is very apparent as is the ratio for Great Tit. There are very few Siskins in the area and none coming to feeders yet. The niger feeder here has not dropped at all since I put it up in anticipation early December. I usually need to provide a bigger feeder to keep up with the rate of take between top-up visits; not this year though. Matt Prior ringing in the Swindon area tells me they are experiencing the same with winter finches.

Weather: chilly, overcast, calm

Present: JL, RJC, DL, IW, GB, SC
Nets: 24metres, a 6m net each side of feeder and a 12m nets set behind up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lure (feeder): Fat Balls, Black Sunflower, Niger, Peanuts.
Capture (New/Recapture)

43(23/20)	54(37/17) matching 19-Feb-2016 visit o
Species New Rtp 1st CY 2nd+CY BLABI 1 1 BLUTI 3 8 5 6 CHAFF 5 5 COATI 3 3 6 DUNNO 1 1 GRETI 1 7 4 4 LOTTI 6 Indeterminate MARTI 1 1 NUTHA 1 Indeterminate ROBIN 1 1 1 1 WREN 1 1	Species New Rtp 1st CY 2nd+CY BLUTI 9 5 13 1 COATI 3 4 6 1 GRETI 6 3 8 1 GRSWO 1 1 LOTTI 1 3 Indeterminate MARTI 1 1 SISKI 17 1 12 6

Recaptures: 20 Blue Tit 1y 103d, 1y 0d, 325d, 263d pulli from box CP22, 263d pulli from Box WH25 also one ringed at the Bagnor feeder 44days ago. Robin 3y 9d

Sightings 30 Species: The Ravens flew over cronking early and two Mistle Thrushes and a Song Thrush were singing, apart from these nothing of note.