22/10 Snelsmore Common

Location: Snelsmore Common Feeder

Session: 22-Oct-2017 07:45 to 10:45hrs

Headlines: The weather forecast for today said very windy so I was not expecting to ring and went to clean the rides at the Snelsmore Feeder instead. This didn’t take long and as it was surprisingly calm there for such a blustery day I decided to put up the feeder nets for a while. Things didn’t go quite as intended, first one of the nets was tangled next I broke the bottom of a pole. By this time Ian had joined me and cleared some of the outer rides while I finished putting the nets up. Birds were going in as I put up the nets; I didn’t get the opportunity to drop the feeders down for the whole session. The first round produced 15 birds and it was then I realised that I had left my field logbook at home, Ian save the day by going and getting a field sheet from home.  The next round was of 22 and included some ringed pulli. Birds were pouring in so we decided after taking out the next 21 that as it was 10:00 we would take the nets down. We had the nets up for less than two hours so it was a good capture with some pulli from 2016 and 2017 nest boxes. I also mislaid a gold ring that we didn’t find despite a good search when I first missed it and again after the session was over. It is the second time I have mislaid it at Snelsmore since it became loose following weight loss. This time I thought I had lost it for good, fortunately when I got home I found it in my bird bags. I will have to get it reduced which is a bit of a turn round as a few years ago it became very tight, had to be cut off and enlarged.
Unlike last year the food is going fast at all three feeders so it is looking good for the coming winter period

Weather: Cloudy, blustery but surprisingly calm at the feeder, cool.

Present: JL, IW

Nets: 12metres, a 6M net each side of the feeders up from 08:30 to 10:15hrs

Lure (feeder): fat balls, black sunflower, peanuts

Capture (New/Recapture)

57(49/08)	No matching visit
Species New Rtp 1stCY 2ndCY+ BLUTI 22 3 25 COATI 19 1 19 1 GRETI 5 3 7 1 MARTI 3 3 NUTHA 1 1

Recaptures: (8) Blue Tit 161d pulli from CP36, 164d pulli one from CP08 and one from CP21 Coal Tit 320d Great Tit 168d two pulli both from CP09 Nuthatch 173d pulli from CP07

Sightings 21 Species: Ian’s list, probably missed a few as we were so busy. Ravens were quietly croaking over the road. Something very exotic sounding flew unseen the other side of the trees early, otherwise much as expected.

Buzzard 3 Woodpigeon 5 Green Woodpecker 1 Magpie 2 Jay 1 Jackdaw 6 Carrion Crow 3 Raven 1 Goldcrest 1 Blue Tit 27 Great Tit 10

Coal Tit 23 Marsh Tit 3 Nuthatch 3 Treecreeper 1 Wren 1 Blackbird 1 Robin 4 Dunnock 2 Chaffinch 5 Lesser Redpoll 1