Early October still quiet

On Friday 2nd, Andy and Jetty had a couple of hours at the Pennorth feeders. Andy hadn't been feeding for long, so they weren't expecting large numbers, and the hedge/grass cutting next door probably reduced the catch a bit. It ended on 11 birds, which included three Coal Tit, with huge numbers recently passing through the Baltic countries, its just possible one may reach Brecon !!

With the high pressure weather due to change at the end of the weekend, Jerry had a couple of sessions in the garden, but the cold conditions (mist not clearing until late morning) were not conducive for large catches. On Saturday, the catch was just 9 + (1), the best of which was a Lesser Redpoll, the first of the autumn (coincidentally the same date as the first last year). He had a slightly better catch on Sunday with 19 + (4), which included another Lesser Redpoll and a strange looking Wren - a young bird which had completed its PJ moult, and all the replaced coverts were grey (if this had been a Hippo/Acro/Phyllosc, it would have involved some hedge scratching to id). The low numbers were compensated for by high variety, but with a marked lack of warblers (in contrast to the catch at Uskmouth on Saturday with some 140 Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest).

Wren 2 + (1)
Dunnock 1
Robin 1 + (1)
Song Thrush 2
Blackbird 1
Chiffchaff 3
Blackcap 1
Goldcrest 2
Coal Tit 3
Blue Tit 5 + (1)
Marsh Tit (2)
Great Tit 5
Long-tailed Tit 2
Treecreeper 2
Chaffinch 2
Goldfinch 1
Siskin 3
Lesser Redpoll 2
Bullfinch 1

An unusual Wren