February catches & recent recoveries

On Monday 5th, it was forecast to be calm, so Carlton, Andy, Sophie-Lee and Jerry decided to try the Pennorth bird crop again. The breeze (a little stronger than forecast) was cold, with the session starting just below zero, and rising to only +3C by early afternoon.  There was a good number of about 50/60 Reed Bunting (but little else), still using the crop.  Unfortunately, Reed Buntings don't "flock together" like the other species, so are not as easy to catch in any number.  The session ended, after three hours, with just 8 + (2), made up of Dunnock (1), Blue Tit 1, Nuthatch 1 and Reed Bunting 6 + (1).

On Tuesday 20th, it wasn't too breezy, so Jeremy and Robin put a net up at the hut feeders, but after only an hour the wind had picked up, and they stopped to do some dead hedging.  Their catch of 6 + (9) was made up of Robin (1), Great Tit 2 + (2), Blue Tit 2 + (6) and Chaffinch 2.

The following day was calm, and Jerry was joined by Lee Gregory, hopefully for a longer session at the hut feeders.  Catching was quiet, and after a couple of hours, the total was only 10 + (12). In the afternoon, Andy tried the Pennorth feeders, and had a much higher representation of new birds, ending the session with 26 + (4).  Details for the day were Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 + (1), Robin 2, Dunnock 1, Coal Tit (1), Blue Tit 16 + (11), Great Tit 5 + (2), Long-tailed Tit 3, Treecreeper 1, Nuthatch (1), Chaffinch 2 and Goldfinch 4.

We have just received details of the two, French ringed birds, we caught last July/August -

Reed Warbler 7799479 Paris was ringed (3) at Les Langues Raies, Courcelles-sur-Seine, Eure on 22/08/2015.  We caught it in rb2 on 17/07/2017. 446 km, 695 days, 313 degrees



Sedge Warbler 7620466 Paris was ringed (3) at Reserve des Marais, Manche on 09/08/2015.  We caught it at the jetty on 18/08/2017. 740 days, 331 km, 333 degrees


And of two more of our Canada Geese -

5275798 was ringed on 26/06/2016, shot at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire on 09/02/2018. 593 days, 66 km, 247 degrees

- 5275656 was ringed on 28/06/2015, shot at Frodsham Marsh, Cheshire on 13/02/2018. 961 days, 158 km, 13 degrees