21/03 Bagnor Feeder

Location: Bagnor Feeder
Session: 21/03/2023 07:45 to 11:40hrs
Notes: Just Blue and Great Tits again today including some pulli Great Tits, one from a Snelsmore Common nest box and the others from just up the hill from the feeder in the copse on Mount Hill. It was a bit busier than expected especially towards the end of the session.
Present: JL,IW
Weather: overcast with some sunny periods, light breeze, cool
Nets: 12Metres, 2 rides 6M each side of feeder  up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lures: Feeders – Peanuts, Black Sunflower Seed, Niger, Fat Balls

Recaptures:(21)

Blue Tit  ringed: 29/05/2021, 09/11/2021x2, 05/01/2022, 09/11/2022x4, 22/11/2022, 10/02/2023x2, 21/02/2023

Great Tit  ringed: 09/11/2022, 22/11/2022,10/02/2023. 21/02/2023

                 pulli ringed: 15/05/2022 nest box B06, 20/05/2022 box A01, 22/05/2022 box CP27

Sightings: Chiffchaff have arrived this week also a Goldcrest singing there are few of these here

this winter unlike past years when two or three were regular. Most residents in song and the kites

and buzzards were soaring in display over the fields to the north and east. Winter thrushes

including Fieldfare have been scarce this winter so six over east today were probably on their way

back to northern Europe.

19/03 Snelsmore Common

Location: Snelsmore Common Feeder
Session: 19/03/2023 07:45 to 11:20hrs
Notes: Birds not coming to the feeder as much, spending more time on territory as their breeding season begins. The food uptake is slowing down and will drop away to a few local birds only and feeding will stop at the end of this month.
Present: JL,IW,DL,IQ,JHW
Weather: sunny periods, cool, calm
Nets: 12Metres, 2 rides 6M each side of feeder  up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lures: Feeders – Fat Balls, Black Sunflower Seed, Peanuts

Recaptures:(17)

Blue Tit ringed: 24/10/2021, 21/11/2021, 02/01/2022x2, 30/01/2022, 13/03/2022, 05/02/2023,

                         19/02/2023, 05/03/2023

Coal Tit  ringed: 23/03/2021, 06/11/2022

Great Tit  ringed: 21/12/2021, 06/11/2022, 15/01/2023, 05/02/2023

                pulli ringed: 17/05/2019 nest box CP17

Marsh Tit ringed: 06/11/2022 

Sightings: A few birds singing and displaying, no winter or summer migrants detected.

12/03 Greenham Common Feeder

Location: Greenham Common Feeder
Session: 12/03/2023 07:45 to 11:20hrs

Notes: The finches in the area seem to be ignoring the feeder area this winter preferring to feed in the tree tops. Few birds came to the feeder this session. After the cold weather of the last few days the warmth of today probably tempting their territorial instincts. A five year old 2018 Blue Tit probably the best of the session. Last winter’s matching visit (date a bit out of sync) had a better variety of species, something lacking at all our feeders this winter

Present: JL,IW,NC
Weather: overcast early sunny periods later, light breeze, cool
Nets: 12Metres, 2 rides 6M each side of feeder  up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lures: Feeders – Black Sunflower Seed, Peanuts, Niger

Recaptures:(11)

Blue Tit  ringed: 14/01/2018, 06/03/2022, 20/03/2022, 12/02/2023x2, 26/02/2023x3

Great Tit  ringed: 13/11/2022, 12/02/2023

Just to show there are  a few about here are photos of adult male and female Siskins ringed in my garden yesterday

Sightings: The best species total here for a while, Stonechat spotted along the Estovers perimeter fence to the south and a Chiffchaff started singing as we took the nets down.

Long Distance Recoveries

 

Long Distant Recoveries to/from West Berkshire (including historical records from BTO)

The longest distance for species usually over 1000kMs + a few interesting other records

07/03 Greenham

 Was going to ring the Bagnor Feeder today 7th March 2023, but cancelled yesterday as the weather forecast was for rain and sleet, cold and windy. Needless to say the weather was overcast cool and calm. Instead I put a 10metre net up in my garden near sunflower heart feeders and caught a Dunnock, four Goldfinch and a Robin between 09:00 and 11:30hrs. One of the Goldfinches was a re-trap that had been ringed as an adult just over the road at the  Western Enclosure, Greenham Common on the 16/06/2021. The Robin was a re-trap and had been ringed in the garden 09/01/2021.

Goldfinch Female - red does not extend passed the eye and white bristles at the base of the top mandable. It is a first callender year bird.