17/01 Bagnor Feeder

Location: Bagnor Feeder

Session: 17-Jan-2019 07:45 to 11:20hrs

Notes: Unfortunately the wind was blowing straight down the valley and affecting the nets. Normally they get shelter from the hills. The first round produced 14 Long-tailed Tits that had arrived as we put the nets up. One had been ringed 2015 and two 2016, several others had been captured on previous sessions this winter. This feeder has been quiet since before the turn of the year; possible birds have found garden feeders on route. Had conditions been better we may have had a few more as several birds were seen flying to the feeder, but two or three rounds had empty blowing nets. A ring-able Chaffinch was nice and a better total than last years matching visit; less variety though.

Weather: Very windy and cold, warm in the sun when sheltered from the wind.
Present: JL, IW
Nets: 12metres, 6m net each side of feeder up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs
Lure (feeder): peanuts, black sunflower, niger, fat balls

Capture (New/Recapture) 34(21/13)	Matching Visit:19-Jan-2018 30(15/15)
Species New Rtp 1stCY 2nd+CY BLUTI 12 3 12 3 CHAFF 1 1 GOLDF 1 1 GRETI 2 1 3 LOTTI 5 9 Indeterminate	Species New Rtp 1stCY 2nd+CY BLUTI 8 4 10 2 COATI 1 1 2 GOLDF 1 2 2 1 GRETI 4 4 7 1 GREFI 1 1 LOTTI 3 indeterminate NUTHA 1 1

Recaptures: (13) recent except

BLUTI             pulli ringed 09/05/2017 box B02
GRETI            pulli ringed 23/05/2018 box B07
LOTTI             ringed 12/11/2015, 27/12/2016x2

Sightings 23 Species: Not much moving today, expected to get my first Skylark of the year none found though. The only possible distance movement, the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls that flew east quite high. The Kites were active and vocal. A dead buzzard found last Sunday appears to have staved. The resident buzzard is dark on the underside, this one was light. This is the third buzzard in the area that has been found, one like this bird appears to have starved (both had little flesh around the breast bone) and the other had become entangled in fence wires, was rescued, treated for a wind injury and is now in care. I don't think the two deaths are sinister. The one at Bagnor looked to be a bird of the year so perhaps it was struggling and was attacked by the resident buzzard(s) while in a weakened state.