Location: Greenham Common 616 Feeder

Session: 14-Dec-2014 07:30 to 11:20hrs
Weather: freezing at first (very cold), warmed up later, Cold when clear warmer when cloudy, breezy
Present: JL,IW,JHW,RJC
Nets: 4 net rides open 100+40’ 40’ 30’ 40’ up from 08:00 to 11:00 hrs
Lure: Feeders; Nyger, Fat Balls, Black Sunflower, Peanuts, Mixed Seed
Capture: 34 Blue Tit 9&9, Bullfinch 2, Chaffinch 1, Coal Tit 0&1, Goldfinch 2&2, Great Tit 2&4, Greenfinch 1&1
Recaptures: Blue Tit 1y 305days, 1y 27days(2); Great tit 3y 10days, Goldfinch 1y 108days, Greenfinch 259day Others recent
Age Range: Adults Blue Tit 39%, Great Tit 33%, Goldfinch 1, Greenfinch 1

Notes: Unlike the forecast there was a ground frost on arrival. We seemed to be along the line of a weather front and the air got colder depending on if we were on the sunny or cloudy side; this alternated several times. On occasions it got very cold and we considered abandoning at around 09:15 when we felt really cold, then it suddenly warmed up. Feeder activity was low with the first birds not capture until 08:45, thereafter a steady flow to the 11:00 finish. We don’t get many recaptures of Goldfinch so one from Aug 2013 was good, two nice Bullfinches also. No photos as the birds were quickly processed and released. Many waited for us to take the nets down before activity increased considerably.

Sightings: 31 Species seen, quiet sighing-wise with few birds moving.

Blackbird 6 Black-headed Gull 5 Blue Tit 25+ Carrion Crow 7 Chaffinch 12 Coal Tit 1 Collared Dove 2 Dunnock 2 Feral Pigeon 2 Goldcrest 2 Golden Plover 68 Goldfinch 7+ Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Great Tit 8 Greenfinch 15 Jackdaw 10+

Jay 2 Lesser black-backed Gull 7 Linnet 2 Long-tailed Tit 5+ Magpie 4 Marsh Tit 1 Mute Swan 6 Pheasant 2 Pied Wagtail 4 Redwing 27 Robin 4 Siskin 4 Song Thrush 2 Woodpigeon 10+ Wren 2+