23/02 Greenham Common Feeder

Location: Greenham Common Feeder
Session: 23-Feb-2016 07:45 to 12:30hrs
Headlines: Started very slowly and few birds captured. The finch flock seemed more interested in singing and flying about, sometimes disappearing for a while. Got quite bored hence had time to photo the lesser redpoll below. The net round at about 09:45 produced 16 captures and I extracted watched by two CTs and Kay (the household authority) who was walking on the common. Once these were process a capture of 20 followed. Processing these took until after 11:00hrs. On the following round as a net was emptied I took it down. At the last net I ran out of bags with three extractions to make. So after processing and releasing five I returned extract the birds left, took the net down. The last round consisted of 27 captures. After processing these I returned to gather up the nets etc., that I had left laying on the ground. Many of the captures were siskin including a control. An interesting increase in great tit; more birds than blue tit is unusual. Most were female so perhaps a pre-breeding movement of the local birds. Yesterday afternoon at least 40 chaffinch present no sign of such number while I was there today. As is implied by the increase in captures late in the session birds come to feed later in the day. When I left more birds were arriving. Now have at last one good session in the second half of February done at all three feeders so will be able to cruise for the rest of the month. before it all starts again for Marsh. Days like today make all the effort in hostile weather worthwhile.
Will be demonstrating ringing to 10+ BBOWT persons Thursday (23rd) and the weather looks promising for a change; perhaps a bit cold though!
Weather: bright, sunny, calm, warm for the season.
Present: JL
Nets: 40m in 4 rides up from 08:00 to 11:15hrs
Lure (feeder): nygerx4, black sunflowerx2, peanuts
Capture (New/Recapture) 71 (43/28): Blackbird 1/0, Blue Tit 3/5, Chaffinch 2/0, Coal Tit 0/1, Dunnock 1/1, Goldfinch 5/2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1/0, Great Tit 7/6, Greenfinch 2/0, Lesser Redpoll 4/4, Robin 0/1, Siskin 17/8
Recaptures: 28; Blue Tit 3y 195d, 1y 127d, 1y 106d, 114d; Great Tit 3y 6d, 114dx2 Goldfinch 114d; Siskin 1 ringed by others somewhere.
All others less than 100days
Age Range:  all 1st winter except: Adults Blackbird 1, Blue Tit 3, Chaffinch 1, Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 2, Great Tit 3, Lesser Redpoll 1, Siskin 3

1st Winter Male Lesser Redpoll

Sightings 26 Species: probably missed a few birds, two buzzards flew NNW very high and straight, probably migrants, redwings calling, the first I have heard here for a while, to busy to check how many though. Several species in song.

Blackbird 5 Blue Tit 15 Bullfinch 2 Buzzard 2 Carrion Crow 1 Chaffinch 5 Coal Tit 1 Dunnock 4 Goldfinch 35 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Great Tit 20 Green Woodpecker 1 Greenfinch 15

Jackdaw 2 Jay 2 Lesser Redpoll 10 Mistle Thrush 1 Pied Wagtail 1 Red Kite 1 Redwing 1+ Robin 4 Siskin 30 Song Thrush 2 Woodlark 2 Woodpigeon 8 Wren 2