28/02 Snelsmore Common Feeder

Location: Snelsmore Common Feeder
Session: 28-Feb-2016 07:40 to 11:10hrs
Headlines: Another good Siskin dominated session but where are all the tits? The first Lesser Redpoll here this winter and we have captured three before one March 2012, two February and March 2014. The first Siskin capture soon after set-up and for the next two rounds before the flock flew off, probably to drink. They or others returned 30+ minutes later when more captured. The flock flew off once more and came back when the final big capture took place that included the bulk of the tits for the session. Perception is that the Siskin flock here is female dominated and that most of the males were captured late the session.
Weather: Cloudy with sunny periods late in session, cold wind.
Present: JL, DL, IW, RJC, RGS, JHW, JPM
Nets: 12metres 6M nets each side of feeder up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs.
Lure (feeder): Fat Balls, Nyger, Black Sunflower, Peanut
Capture (New/Recapture) 59 (44/15): Blue Tit 5/6, Coal Tit 2/1, Great Tit 1/2, Lesser Redpoll 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 0/3, Robin 1/1,
Siskin 34/2
Recaptures: 15, less than 100days except: Blue Tit 4y 97d, 2y 47d, 112dx2, Long-tailed Tit 1y 351d, Robin 1y 18d
Age Range: all 1st winter except: Adults: Blue Tit 2, Robin 1, Siskin 2,
Indeterminate: Long-tailed Tit 3
Sightings 26 Species: The Raven flew over (is the other on eggs?), raptors mostly displaying high, a very high flying flock of Lapwing spotted by Jon was a good find and is indicative of hopefully an early spring movement south; hope it wasn’t a cold weather movement! The Siskin flock spent much time in the trees singing.

Blackbird 3 Blue Tit 15+ Buzzard 2 Carrion Crow 4 Chaffinch 12+ Coal Tit 4+ Dunnock 2 Goldcrest 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Great Tit 5+ Jackdaw 7 Lapwing 28+ Lesser Black-backed Gull 2

Lesser Redpoll 1 Long-tailed Tit  3 Nuthatch 3 Pheasant 1 Raven 1 Red Kite 2 Robin 3 Rook 5 Siskin 50+ Song Thrush 2 Sparrowhawk 1 Woodpigeon 9 Wren 2