Tuesday 22 March 2011

A catch-up!

Its been a while! 2 weeks have gone by and I havent updated, thats 3 ringing sessions...

Starting with the 12th March, A very early start (5-30am) saw us off to a new site for myself, Vine House Farm. The site was laden with seed and birds though the conditions were not perfect a good catch of 7 Brambling and 70 or so other birds met us throughout the day. Also of note was a Goldfinch controlled from out Fenland site, not a significant movement, probably less than 5km but nice to see the birds were getting around.

After this we moved ourselves to Bourne Woods and Bob's garden, this time for the Redpoll again, 5 new Commons bringing the total upto 62 this year, really quite something!

Now 13th March, down the fen once again, a fairly average catch, though 10 Brambling once more, really quite common nowadays but exciting enough to still mention with pride!

Rolling onto this weekend (19th) and the morning started with some good news for myself, I had a Blackbird rung down the fen last year controlled in Helgoland, Germany! My furthest movement and so far only forgein recovery. The smiles had already started and first round was leading to a good day. I had my first Sparrowhawk, almost a bogey ring tick for myself, we had seen the young bird flying around a fair bit this year and eventually he ended up in the net. The day ended with 104 ringed and 19 Brambling leaving the fen total for the year at 200!


My first Sparrowhawk, what a beauty!

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Cor blimey its spring!

...or should I say 'Corn' blimey. Pardon the awful pun there but I was very surprised to see my first Chiffchaff of the year on the 5th March! That coupled with displaying Lapwings was a sure sign on a fairly wintery day that the future is looking a little brighter.

In the past years we have noticed that March is Corn Bunting month, we rarely catch them before then and after the others retrapped a bird from last year this time round, I wasnt greatly surprised when Alan reached to grab the B+'s without telling me of the hidden bunting in the bag, I'm sharper than I look ;)

Northorpe Fen- 5/03
12 Brambling
1 Corn Bunting
82 birds ringed

200 Redpoll at Bob's garden last week, couldnt ring as he was away, the better stick around before they move back to there summer haunts.

Friday 4 March 2011

Adventures over the past week.

I was out last Sunday ringing back down Northorpe Fen, good Brambling numbers, 14 out of 50 birds being of the former. Once again good numbers of Reed Bunting though few finding the nets, Goldfinches taking up a good number of our newly ringed birds.

Interestingly the unregularity of the Yellowhammers reoccurs from last year. We noticed the birds are not regulars on the bait and we caught 1 retrap 6M. However on Thursday, the others went out and caught 47! Thurday had 120 new birds rung, 16 Brambling.

The amount of time I spend ringing will more than likely reduce as the summer exams loom in the distance, time to knuckle down (sigh!)