26/11 Bagnor Feeder

Location: Bagnor Feeder CES2024/25.02

Session: 26/11/2024 07:45 to 11:30hrs

Leucistic Blue Tit

Notes: Finally manage to get some ringing in following days of rain or the temperature being too low for birds safety when ringing. Mostly Blue Tits again with a few Great Tits and a sprinkling  of other species. The “partial albino” Blue Tit is unique and unexpected, never seen or heard of a leucistic of this species before. Seen Blackbirds, Sparrows, Starlings, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and I think Reed or Sedge Warbler, can’t recall hearing of it occurring in the tit family though. This winter there seems to be a better adult (birds at least a year old) survival than usual. There is comment on web forums from ringers on this and it should as the season progresses be possible to provide statical analysis to confirm. Might try myself when I have time.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: bright, clear, sunny, calm, cold.

Nets: 2x6M nets, 1  each side of feeder up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lures (Feeder): Peanuts, Sunflower Hearts, Fat Balls.

Recaptures: (23)

Blue  Tit    ringed: 10/02/2023, 21/02/2023, 07/11/2023,12/01/2024x2, 20/02/2024, 06/11/2024x6, 17/11/2024 (Snelsmore Feeder).

                 pulli ringed: 10/05/2024 box A01, 13/05/2024 boxA05,  24/05/2023 box WH11.

Great Tit   ringed: 06/11/2024x4.

                 pulli ringed: 17/05/2024 box D11

Sighting: Compared to a few years ago Bagnor Cress Beds seems very quiet bird-wise. The Cress Beds have all but gone overtaken by scrub. The restoration work once carried out every winter by the estate stopped some years ago. Even the gate and area where we once park is overgrown with metres high scrub. Almost all of the surrounding farmland is arable, currently bare earth planted or prepared ready for planting. Apart from the gardens spreading out from the village the field where the feeder is situated is the only nearby area of meadowland kept so by an enlighten owner. Fortunately, the hedgerows along the margins of the fields roads and tracks towards nearby Snelsmore and Boxford Commons are mostly intact, allowing birds cover as they search for food and find our feeder and feeders in village gardens.

Since shooting stopped locally gamebirds are scare in the area though one or two refugees from shoots have turn up recently. They have yet to find the feeder though; up to last winter around six sometimes more were present spending most of the time under or around our feeder.

Many of the 1+ numbers in our lists refer to species heard but not seen.