27/11 Greenham Common

Location: Greenham Feeder
Session: 27/11/2022 07:45 to 11:30hrs
Notes: The weather looked uncertain when we arrived. It was spotting with rain, so we delayed nets up by about 20minutes. The first round included two birds with tumours (avian pox). One had on the back of its neck, a very large growth almost the size of its head, the biggest I have seen, and it was weeping; not very nice and bird was released at the net, flying off ok. The do survive the infection. We have caught birds that have had it and later have been captured with no sign of the disease. There are a few finches in the area but they don’t seem to have found the feeder yet, or maybe there is sufficient natural food for them. Last years matching session had better species variety.
Present: JL,RAD,JHW,IW,IQ
Weather: Overcast, few spots of rain early, calm, cool
Nets: 60M 2 rides 6M each side of feeder + 4 12m rides in gorse scrub. up 08:15 to 11:00hrs
Lures: Feeders – Black Sunflower Seed, Peanuts, Niger

Recaptures:(23)

Blue Tit                      ringed: 03/11/2019, 28/11/2021, 05/12/2021, 12/12/2021, 08/02/2022
              13/11/2022x9

Great Tit                     ringed: 06/02/2019, 12/12/2021, 08/02/2022, 13/11/2022x5 

Sightings: Some small Greenfinch and Goldfinch flocks in the trees near the main car park. There was a very sick looking Black-headed Gull perched on the ridge of the museum building, plumage down its breast seem covered in oil or similar. Two Magpies were harassing it for a while but had left it alone by the time we left.