25/03 Snelsmore Common Feeder

Location: Snelsmore Common Feeder

Session: 25-Mar-2016 07:50 to 10:15hrs

Headlines: Not a good start as I had to return home to get my phone, ringing book etc; good job the traffic was light. A few Siskin still at the feeder mostly feeding on the ground. Several flew round the net or bounced so a disappointing capture. Not much activity now at any of the feeders as birds are more interested in territory and also I am slowing the availability of food; the last top-up will be the end of next week. A Siskin with a fat score of 5 showed that it was nearly ready for the off. It is interesting that there are just a couple of Siskin at the Greenham Feeder with still plenty of Lesser Redpoll Tuesday (no sign of any this morning). Had a quiet week ringing-wise, a visit to the western enclosure Tuesday (22nd) produce a single Robin. Ringing in my garden Wednesday produced the best total of 22 that included: 15 Siskin, 4 Lesser Redpoll and a new male  Bullfinch. This latter is interesting as another un-ringed male was present about 30 minutes later and the male I ringed on a different leg a few weeks back was at the feeder today. I have only seen the ringed female about though. I got rid of the squeak on my car Thursday and visited the dentist, another broken tooth, finished of the day nicely!

Not sure of the weekend weather but it is not looking promising.

Weather: Bright sunny periods, calm, cool

Present: JL,IW

Nets: 12metres a 6m nets each side of feeder.

Lure (feeder): fat balls, nyger, black sunflower, peanuts

Capture (New/Recapture)15 (6/9): Blue Tit 1/1, Coal Tit 1/1, Great Tit 0/3, Long-tailed Tit 3/1, Nuthatch 0/1, Siskin 1/2

Recaptures: 9 all less than 100days except Blue Tit 138d Coal Tit 1y 74d Great Tit 1y 74d from box CP05, 138d Nuthatch 120d.

Age Range: all 1st winter except Adults Coal Tit 1, Great Tit 1, Siskin 1,

Indeterminate Long-tailed Tit 4

Sightings 22 Species: Several species singing, Red Kite and Buzzard displaying

Blackbird 5 Blue Tit 5 Buzzard 3 Carrion Crow 2 Chaffinch 6 Coal Tit 2 Goldcrest 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Great Tit 5 Green Woodpecker 1 Jackdaw 8

Long-tailed Tit 6 Mistle Thrush 1 Nuthatch 2 Pheasant 1 Red Kite 3 Robin 2 Rook 2 Siskin 10 Song Thrush 3 Woodpigeon 21 Wren 2