Session: 19-Dec-2017 07:45 to
11:30hrs
Headlines: It was quite frosty
at Bagnor this morning when we arrived. First we had to release the frozen combination
lock on the field gate. On reaching the feeder it took just a few minutes to erect
the nets, something we have done over the winter period for 32 years; a long
time to keep a project going. A reasonable capture of 46 is mid-range for the
late December visit 4 of 10 over the period. We have missed visit 4 just three
times over the years in winters 1993/94, 2010/11 and 2012/13. The lowest
capture is 11 in both 1995/96 and 2004/05, highest is 128 1990/91. As the
winter progresses the number of recaptures increases and exceeds new ringings
as is the case for today’s capture.
We had some good recaptures of nest box ringed birds. One, a Blue Tit was ringed 3 years 218 days ago in a nest box less than a kilometre away and captured today for the first time since. Also notable, the number of adult birds including an almost 4 year old Blue Tit also not recaptured in the interim. Every other day I fill a feeder with five fat balls that are usually reduced to a few remnants by the following visit. Today’s Long-tailed Tits are some of the customers but probably Great Spotted Woodpeckers are the main consumer. A ring-able Chaffinch with no sign of papilloma infected claws is a good sign; recent Chaffinch captures here are mostly released un-ringed due to having this unsightly infection, they look as if they are wearing Ugg boots. Sadly their claws become decrepit, eventually falling off and they stave; not a nice way to died. Goldfinches have found the Niger feeder and numbers are beginning to build to the point where I will have to provide a bigger feeder to avoid running out between top-ups. A good session mostly due to higher numbers of Blue Tits (25), a sign of good survival so far and much better than last winter total of 29 that included 13 Blue Tits.
We had some good recaptures of nest box ringed birds. One, a Blue Tit was ringed 3 years 218 days ago in a nest box less than a kilometre away and captured today for the first time since. Also notable, the number of adult birds including an almost 4 year old Blue Tit also not recaptured in the interim. Every other day I fill a feeder with five fat balls that are usually reduced to a few remnants by the following visit. Today’s Long-tailed Tits are some of the customers but probably Great Spotted Woodpeckers are the main consumer. A ring-able Chaffinch with no sign of papilloma infected claws is a good sign; recent Chaffinch captures here are mostly released un-ringed due to having this unsightly infection, they look as if they are wearing Ugg boots. Sadly their claws become decrepit, eventually falling off and they stave; not a nice way to died. Goldfinches have found the Niger feeder and numbers are beginning to build to the point where I will have to provide a bigger feeder to avoid running out between top-ups. A good session mostly due to higher numbers of Blue Tits (25), a sign of good survival so far and much better than last winter total of 29 that included 13 Blue Tits.
Weather: calm, cold, ground frost,
warming as the sun came over the tree line.
Present: JL, IW
Nets: 12metres a 6 metre
net each side of the feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lure (feeder): peanut, black
sunflower, fat balls, niger
Capture (New/Recapture)
46(20/26) visit 4 of 10
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29(18/11) 2016 visit 4 of 10 (27-Dec)
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Totals for visit 04
of 10 for the last 10 winter periods
2008/09
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2009/10
|
2010/11
|
2011/12
|
2012/13
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
2017/18
|
16
|
72
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NC
|
18
|
NC
|
25
|
44
|
19
|
29
|
46
|
Recaptures: (26) recent except:
Blue Tit pulli box C04 3y 218d, box C01 1y 207d, box WH28 225d, box AMT1 224d, box WH16 219d: full grown 3y 332d, 2y 342d from Snelsmore Feeder, 1y 291d, 1y 24d
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1y 311d
Great Tit pulli box A03 222d
Long-tailed Tit 2y 37d x2, 1y 332d, 357d,
Blue Tit pulli box C04 3y 218d, box C01 1y 207d, box WH28 225d, box AMT1 224d, box WH16 219d: full grown 3y 332d, 2y 342d from Snelsmore Feeder, 1y 291d, 1y 24d
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1y 311d
Great Tit pulli box A03 222d
Long-tailed Tit 2y 37d x2, 1y 332d, 357d,
Sightings 34 Species: Ian's list, a good movement of gulls almost all Lesser Black-backs, flying west from roosting probably at Theale GPs and headed toward the Boxford pig units. Three Ravens over the best birds.
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