FS - 20th Dec

Ed and I did the FS in the rough this morning, probably the last visit of the year here.

23 birds of which a mere 7 were newbies. No Grefi today - perhaps we stopped too early (the wind was picking up).

[New/retraps]
Robin - 0 / 1ad, 1 imm (father & son?)
Blabi - 0 / 1ad male
Lotti - 0/ 2ad (more around)
Bluti - 2ad, 2imm / 2ad, 3imm
Greti - 1imm / 1ad, 5imm
Chaff - 1ad fem / 0
Goldf - 1imm male / 0 (half dozen more in the trees!)

Birds over of note incl. Gt.Spot, Redwing, Siskin & Mipit

Priory - 12/12

The weather was a bit more conducive for ringing today, more especially during the middle of the day. That's why we (+AXC) strung a line of nets up about 10 o'clock for a few hours.

Not many new birds - a 4F wren, a 3F Robin, a 3F continental Blabi, a 3F Bluti & a 3M Greti. Best bird was a retrap Bluti not recorded since it was ringed here as a 3M on 05-11-05 (1133 days).

The other 23 birds were all retraps - Lotti 3, Wren 1, Robin 2, Blabi 2, Bluti 9, Greti 6. There were just peanuts in the feeders. The squirrels have wrecked the big "squirrel proof" seed feeder by knawing through the top cover (as well as the ring and the bottom); replacements have been erected (at no cost) on very long 'wires'!.

Looks like no ringing tomorrow (Sat) - heavy rain forecast all day.

Other news - not much activity in the gardens after the (freezing) dawn rush of ringed/local birds. 11 new birds this week; Dunno, Bluti 2, Starl 3, Grefi 3 & Goldf 2. Norfolk - 76 all told incl. a new & r/t Marti and 15 new & 5 r/t Lottis, these in one "hit".

First week of Dec.

Not many birds about, too much rain and wind, therefore few birds caught.
16 birds of 4 spp. at Elms Farm, namely - Bluti 1/1, Starl 2/1, Grefi 2/1, Goldf 2/6.

Norfolk garden on Sat am yielded 50 in 3 hours incl. 20 Lotti (5 r/t) & 11 Coati (4 r/t incl 1 from Dec05) 9 Greti, 8 Bluti, & 2 Chaff. Net taken in ahead of expected hard frost tomorrow am.