03/12 Bagnor Feeder

Location: Bagnor Feeder CES2024/25.03

Session: 03/12/2024 07:45 to 11:30hrs

The Bagnor Feeder

Notes:  We made a late visit to the western enclosure last Friday 29th Nov and in 2-5 hours netted zero birds the  first time I can recall not catching any birds there. Sunday the 1st Dec the scheduled Snelsmore Feeder visit was rained off. So it was good to do some ringing today even though it was another Blue Tit day. Compared with last year’s matching visit there are fewer 1st winter birds than expected suggesting a poor breeding outcome. Many of the nest boxes on Mount Hill were predated by weasel in 2024 which may account for some of the shortfall. The first net round produced the most birds, after it tailed off to relatively low numbers. Would be nice to get a bit more species variety, some finches etc. There are a few around but not in the number that once visited this feeder. On one of the net round a Sparrowhawk, making a hunting run at the feeder, skimmed the top of my head then hit the net just above before freeing itself and flying off.

Present: JL,IW.

Weather: cloudy, sunny periods, 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: (34)  (box ref A,B,C,D,F = Mount Hill Bagnor, ref CP,WH = Snelsmore Common)

Blue  Tit  ringed: 09/11/2022, 07/11/2023, 21/11/2023x2, 15/12/2023, 12/01/2024x2, 26/01/2024x2, 20/02/2024, 06/11/2024x3, 26/11/2024x3.

                pulli ringed: 16/05/2022 box CP03, 24/05/2023 box WH19, 26/05/2023x2 box C03,

26/05/2023 box A03, 13/05/2024 box A05.

Great Tit ringed: 07/11/2023. 12/01/2024, 02/02/2024, 06/11/2024x3, 26/11/2024x2

                 pulli ringed: 23/05/2023 box D08, 17/05/2024 box D11.

Sighting: Not much on the move, the scrub is so thick it is difficult to see the cress beds from the field, the tree canopy is closed over or there is scrub growth on the beds and is probably too enclosed for the waterfowl, heron and egrets that once were regular as sometimes were snipe, woodcock and green sandpiper. The was a Little Egret sat in a tree at the western end of the village green when we left site.