Chalton STW 27th February

The session was attended by Mike, Keith, Roy, Roger and Guy.
45 birds were caught of 11 species.

These were Ringed(retrapped)

Blackbird 2/0
Blue Tit 4/8
Chaffinch 1/0
Dunnock 1/0
Great Tit 6/4
Greenfinch 1/0
Goldfinch 1/0
Long-tailed Tit 10/2
Reed Bunting 1/1
Robin 1/1
Wren 0/1

One of the Reed Buntings was a Control, awaiting details.

Chalton STW 20th February 2011

A slightly disappointing session. Probably due to the cold. Sure that wasn't forecast. Only had 13 birds of 7 speacies which were ringed(retrapped)

Blue Tit 1/0
Chaffinch 3/0
Great Tit 1/1
Grey Wagtail 0/1
Long-tailed Tit 1/3
Pied Wagtail 1/0
Wren 0/1

Lets hope for better things to come.

Persistance Pays out, Super Siskins in!

Check out what Ed has been doing this weekend here

Chalton STW 12th February 2011

Despite all odds we managed a session at the site adding a new specie ringed.

A duck trap is now in operation and, although not much has been caught at present ( 1 mallard and a coot)it still meant that they were new species ringed on site. We look forward to better times to come.

Species caught were ringed(retrapped)

Mute Swan 2/0
Coot 1/0
Wren 1/0
Robin 1/0
Goldcrest 2/0
Long-tailed Tit 1/6
Blue Tit 10/4
Great Tit 2/13
Chaffinch 1/1

February 12th, Priory Country Park

More severe wind has left me slobbing around at home when I'd much prefer being out and ringing. However, yesterday I did find some shelter at Priory Country Park and put a few nets up.

The following turned up (in order of appearance):

Long Tailed Tit 2
Blue Tit 11
Dunnock 2
Chaffinch 3
Great Tit 7
Song Thrush 1
Treecreeper 1
Blackbird 2



Above: A male chaffinch. 2 were found in the net at the same time. A single female was ringed later on.



Above: A Song Thrush.



Above: A treecreeper (the best bird of the day).



Above & Below: Two different Great Tits. The one in the photograph above, I noticed, has a partially bleached (?) tail. The photograph below is a 'normal' Great Tit tail.



In all, 21 new birds were ringed with 8 retraps (the longest known age being a Blue Tit hatched in 2008).

My January highlights

The weather has been variable recently, to say the least. December was freezing and with all the snow, this stopped ringing activities. By the new year the snow had gone and a session Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR) on 8th Jan produced just 3 birds; a Coal Tit, Blue Tit and this:



Above: A Kingfisher that had survived the December freeze!

SSNR on 22nd Jan: 4 Blue Tits, 5 Great Tits and 1 Coal Tit.

SSNR on 30th Jan: 4 Blue Tits, 2 Great Tits, 1 Robin, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Coal Tit and 2 new species ringed for the site, 2 Goldfinch and 1 Blackbird.



Above: The first Goldfinch ringed at SSNR.



Above: The first Blackbird ringed at SSNR.



Above: A female Chaffinch.