23/11 Snelsmore Common Feeder

Location: Snelsmore Common Car park Feeder

Session: 23-Nov-2016 07:45 to 11:20hrs

Headlines: The Snelsmore feeder has been the least activity of the four feeders operated this year, with very little food being taken until recently. It has picked up a little in the last week or so. Captures were very slow, today started with a Coal Tit, followed by two Great Tits, three more Coal Tits and another a Blue Tit. The next round six captured, does this constitute a flock these days! All Great Tits except for another Blue Tit. For the rest of the session it went quiet until the last 20 minutes when four Blue Tits captured. As can be seen below the matching visit last year was very different with a capture of 88. All the tits are well down particularly retraps indicating that survival through the 2016 breeding season and summer is poor.

Weather: Overcast, cold, calm brightening up later with some patches of blue sky.

Present: JL, IW

Nets: 12metres in one 6m nets each side of feeders up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lure (feeders): Fat Balls, Black Sunflower, Peanuts

Capture (New/Recapture) 19 (18/1):                 Second (matching) Visit 26-Nov-2015

Species code New Retrap 1st CY Adult BLUTI 7   5 2 COATI 3 1 4   GRETI 8   8

Recaptures: 1, a Coal Tit ringed 13 days ago

Sightings 20. Species: The Snelsmore Common feeder has lots of tall trees and the vista is quite restricted. Most of the activity is in the trees with just the open sky immediately above. The was little overflying with only the usual to and fro of Rooks and occasion Jackdaw or crow; no gulls seen today. Just as we were leaving the Ravens croaked in the conifers in the grounds of Mary Hare School.