End of March Sessions and Reed Bunting recovery details

The forecast for Tues 23rd March was for a calm day, so Andy and Jerry 
decided on a final visit to the Llangorse bird crop.  Although the nets 
were reasonably well sheltered, a very cold breeze blew across the 
ringing base.  Last winter, the birds had virtually dispersed (to their) 
breeding sites by the end of March, but numbers were still good, at 
about 100/120.  Yellowhammer made up just over half of the birds 
present, with reasonable numbers of Chaffinch and Reed Bunting.  The 
catch was a respectable 33 + (10), comprising 1 + (1) Dunnock, 1 House 
Sparrow, 3 Chaffinch, 7 + (4) Reed Bunting and 21 + (5) Yellowhammer.  
All recaptures were from earlier in the winter.  Although no ringed 
birds were seen by Andy on Mynydd Troed (above the feed site) last 
summer, he has just been told of a sighting (almost certainly one of our 
birds) at Cwrt y Plyffin crossroads (about 6km NW of the Lake).  The Reed Bunting caught at the Pennorth crop in January, had been ringed (as 3J), at Much Marcle, Hereford, on 20 Sept 2014 - 472 days, 56 km, 261 degrees. 

On Fri 25th, the wind again dropped, and was the best day forecast for 
the whole Easter period.  Jeremy was having a net mending session, and 
decided to put a net at the nyger feeders for a useful catch of 7 + (6) 
= (1) Goldfinch, 1 + (1) Lesser Redpoll and 6 + (4) Siskin. 

March ended with a respectable 56 birds ringed.  This is usually one of 
our quietest months at the Lake, but the total is our second highest 
(after the exceptional cover crop catches in 2015).