24/12 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Common Feeder.
Session: 24/12/2023  07:40 to 10:30hrs

We ringed and/or re-trapped 1510 Blue Tits in 2023 

(40% of the year total of the 3791 of 43 species)

Notes: The weather most days has been windy and/or wet in the second half of December. The only days of suitable weather being when I had other commitments. We ringed today in conditions when the wind was well over the 15mph maximum we normally apply for mist netting. We did quite well under the conditions but were eventually forced to stop around 10:00hrs when the wind increased to the  point where our ringing scales, pliers etc were being blown off the table. Glad we persevered though as we ringed a few of the finches that are attracted to this feeder. It is nice to ring a few Greenfinches, these were once ringed in considerable numbers at our feeders before the trichomonas epidemic devastated the population and whose recovery is notably slow. We even had a Greenfinch re-trap from the 2nd half of last winter. Goldfinches are also returning in increasing number to the feeders probably due to feeding sunflower hearts instead of black sunflower seeds. The latter being more expensive since the Ukraine war. I presume the cheaper hearts are from another strain of sunflower, maybe home grown. Otherwise, Blue Tits as usual dominated, they seemed particularly aggressive in the hand today. 

 Happy New Year.

Present: JL,IW,JHW,DL,IQ

Weather: Overcast, cool, very windy getting stronger until it was impossible to continue.

Nets: 12M of nets, 6M each side of the feeders up from 08:00 to 10:00hrs.

Lures: Feeders with Sunflower Hearts, Niger, Peanuts.

Recaptures:(10) 

Blue Tit                ringed: 12/02/2023x2, 22/10/2023x3, 29/10/2023x3

Greenfinch          ringed: 26/02/2023

Sighting: Windy conditions made counting difficult. The Kestel flew low through nearby trees and perched on a light standard, then dropped down pouncing on something in the grass, stayed there for a few moments but it flew off without any prey in its talons. Otherwise count mostly of the expected species for the time of year.