Net Mending

Two vitally important net mending sessions were undertaken at the lake this weekend. Maintaining the nets is not only vital for bird welfare, but also for preventing the results of ongoing scientific studies becoming biased. This could happen by birds not being trapped due the the presence of holes in a net, when in previous years those birds would have been caught and therefore included in the study.

Both Net mending sessions were followed by attempts to catch some of the Lesser Redpoll coming to the Niger feeder. A longer effort on Saturday afternoon resulting in a relatively large catch of:
Wilwa 1
Chiff (1)
Greti (1)
Bluti 1
Chaff 2 (1)
Lesre 11 (3)
Goldf 2
Grefi 1
 Total 18 +(10)

The star bird being a Lesre controls. Details will follow when we receive them, so stay tuned!

Sundays shorter effort (1 hour) in less favourable conditions also provided a promising catch of:
Chaff 1
Siski 1
Lesre 5 (3)
Goldf 3
Total 10 + (3)

A decent catch with the retraps, on the Sunday at least, from the very start of the Autumn. Indicating that the birds have been in the area all winter or that they are passing back through on their way back to their breeding grounds? I would have thought it was the former of the two theories but didn't have the data at the ringing hut to check!

Certainly worth another visit or two before they all clear off to breed.