End of September, a control and a recovery

After the last visit, the next suitable day for ringing was Tuesday 22nd, so Jerry visited for another go for some migrant Blackcaps. Catching was so slow that he had done a lot of the work (on hanging the new gate) before Peter arrived to help at 10.00!! They kept the nets open while they finished off the gate, and although it picked up a bit when it warmed up, the total from a 9 hour session, of 15 + (1), was somewhat underwhelming (with no Blackcap). The details were Dunnock 1, Chiffchaff 8, Goldcrest 3, Blue Tit 1 + (1), Bullfinch 1 and Siskin 1.

Before.....

After....

Access for ringers is still via the style unless a gate permit can be produced. Please apply to the Gate committee for a permit to use the new gate. 

After a couple more days of unsettled weather, Jerry was back on Friday 25th for a final visit before a week away ringing in Cornwall (details of that will likely follow in a future blog). The morning produced a respectable 14 + (1), considering the early finish due to the wind getting up. The totals were Blackbird 2 + (1), Robin 1, Chiffchaff 5, Blackcap 4 and Lesser Redpoll 2. The following day (26th), was considerably colder early on, and saw Andy at the lake. He had a slow start, and also had to abandon catching late morning with the wind rising. In between the weather "effects" he had a cracking morning, catching 38 + (5), including 19 birds in a single net (likely the best net round of the year so far !!). His totals were Wren 1 + (1), Robin (1), Blackbird (1), Chiffchaff 4, Blackcap 3, Goldcrest 4, Blue Tit 1, Bullfinch (1), Siskin 4, and Lesser Redpoll 21 + (1). The Lesser Redpoll day total was our best since October 2014, and our 6th best day in terms of new birds since the species was split.

Sunday 27th saw Peter and Alan J visit, again the cold start saw very little about, but as it warmed up birds started moving, and they had a decent catch of 33 + (5) in the end. This was potentially Peter and Alan's last visit for a little while as Covid restrictions are ramped back up in Wales, and hopes of a "big round" or something "half decent" like a Firecrest or a Yellow Browed Warbler were dashed (leaving them a little disappointed on the way home, which only grew when they saw news of a Yellow Browed Warbler being caught on the Gower the same day!). They finished the day with Wren 3 + (2), Dunnock 3 + (1), Blackbird 1, Chiffchaff 5, Blackcap 1, Goldcrest 7, Great Tit 1, Blue Tit 1, Bullfinch 3 + (1), Chaffinch 1, Siskin 4 and Lesser Redpoll 3.

Andy was back on Tuesday 29th before the weather made ringing impossible for a few days. Once the temperature started rising he again had a productive day of 26 + (13) with the catching once again improving as the day went on. He ended with Wren 1 + (1), Robin (2), Dunnock 1, Chiffchaff 5 + (1), Blackcap (1), Goldcrest 7 + (2), Long Tailed Tit 3 + (3), Blue Tit 4 + (1), Great Tit 1, Goldfinch 2, Lesser Redpoll 2 + (1), Bullfinch (1). The Blackcap retrap is an interesting bird, this is its first recapture since it was ringed on 17th September 2016 as a 3M by Carola and Jerry. With the vast majority of "local" birds having gone south now (we aren't catching any retraps of warblers ringed any more than a few days before). This could be a lingering local bird that's usual territory is far enough away from out netting area to prevent it being caught, but it's easy to speculate that this Blackcap could be a bird we have now caught on passage from elsewhere both in 2016 and 2020.

With ringing wrapped up for September our total for the month was 452 leaving our YTD on 1828. A decent year, considering the widespread disruption caused by Covid 19. An initial look at the numbers for the year, suggest that our autumn Blackcap passage has been underwhelming, but Chiffchaff have been caught in good numbers, matching the impression of the ringers running the sessions. Also of note is that we have caught Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Goldcrest (and in very good numbers for the first two species) up to three weeks earlier than usual.

We have also received news of the control Jerry caught on the 14th, AKN2813 was ringed, by the Thames Estuary RG, as a 3J (first year bird still in juvenile plumage) at Northward Hill, High Halstow, Rochester, Medway on the 4th of August this year. It was recaptured in the garden scrub on September 14th by Jerry, by which point it had completed enough of its moult to be sexed as female - 41 days, 268 km, 282 degrees. This Blackcap is only the second Blackcap to be caught at the lake having been ringed elsewhere (see the first here) - from over 3600 individual birds caught at the lake. 13 of those 3600+ individuals have been recorded elsewhere having been ringed at the lake. Another ringed bird from Spain was found dead locally a couple of years ago. Details of that bird here

Canada Goose 5233847 was ringed at the Goose round up in June 2017, it was shot on January 3rd 2019 at Crai, near Brecon - 557 days, 25 km, 266 degrees. It's not clear why this report has only reached us now. 

With all of south Wales and most members now covered by local lockdowns, visit's will likely now drop off to a degree, frustratingly just before the Redwings arrive in Mid Wales.