17/12 Snelsmore Feeder

Location: Snelsmore Common Feeder, Winter CES 2023/24.04
Session: 17/12/2023  07:40 to 11:15hrs
Notes: Not quite as busy this visit 4 compared to visit 3 and not much variety again, Blue Tits dominated. As to be expected halfway through the season the proportion of re-traps is increasing, however 2nd Winter birds are scarce here. Great Tit numbers continue to be a bit lower than usual. This feeder unlike the others is relatively good for Coal Tits, we usually ring a few each session. I hadn’t realised that we had missed this visit over the last three winters, I suppose it is to be expected this time of year when the weather is at its most volatile.

Present: JL,IW,JHW,DL,RAD
Weather: Mostly overcast, cool, calm.
Nets: 12M of nets, 6M each side of the feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.
Lures: Feeders with Fat Balls, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(29) note box prefixes CP and WH Snelsmore Common, others Bagnor Est Mount Hill

Blue Tit                ringed: 21/11/2021, 06/11/2022, 05/11/2023, 19/11/2023x6, 10/12/2023x6

                            pulli ringed: 24/05/2023 nest box CP03, 27/05/2023 box CP05

Coal Tit                ringed: 20/11/2022, 05/02/2023, 05/11/2023, 19/11/2023, 10/11/2023x3

Great Tt               ringed: 10/12/2023

pulli ringed: 27/05/2023 nest box CP11

Sighting: Ravens quiet this visit, none detected. There was a very high NW flying Magpie early in the session and later a Sparrowhawk, probably a male, soared equally as high. Otherwise not much of note except a few winter thrushes and finches flying about.