03/11 Snelsmore Common

Location: Snelsmore Common Car Park Feeder

Session: 03/11/2024 07:45 to 11:30hrs 

Notes: Fortunately, the exclusion due to rats has been lifted and the feeder is back in operation near The Snugg garden. A pre-Winter CES session and we struggle a bit, fortunately Charis (CMD) who hadn’t ringed since the beginning of the year, with a bit of tuition, got up to speed very quickly including net extraction. Had a few good nest box (pulli) ringed re-traps, including from a box at the Winterbourne Holt end of the common.

Present: JL,IW,CMD.

Weather: overcast, cool, calm.

Nets: 2x6M nets, 1  each side of feeder up from 08:00 to 11:00hrs

Lures (Feeder): Fat Balls, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts

Recaptures:(17)

Blue  Tit              ringed: 05/03/2023,10/12/2023, 07/01/2024x2., 02/02/2024.

                            pulli ringed:14/05/2024x6 (nest boxes CP18x3, CP24x1, CP30x2)

Coal Tit               ringed: 10/12/2023.

Great Tit             ringed: 10/12/2023x2.

                            pulli ringed: 14/05/2024 box CP14, 20/05/2024x2 box WH07.

Sighting: We were busy ringing most of the time so probably missed a few species. Blackbirds were alarming nearby for a while indicating the presence of a predator, perhaps an unseen Sparrowhawk. Notable species Treecreeper. Good numbers of Coal Tit at this feeder, they look to have had a good breeding outcome this year.