March 2022, Barnacles back and recent recoveries

Only Andy "flew the flag" for Group ringing - he tried his garden feeders for a couple of hours (after the wind had eased) on 6th, for a modest catch of 17 + (1) - made up of Blue Tit 8 + (1), Great Tit 5, Long-tailed Tit 2, and Goldfinch 2. He tried another session on 18th for a catch of 24 + (12) with an increase in finch numbers - the details were Great-spotted Woodpecker (2), Dunnock (1), Blue Tit 4 + (5), Great Tit 1 + (3), House Sparrow 3, Greenfinch 2, Siskin 1, and Goldfinch 13 + (1). One of the Great Tits had been ringed in September 2016 and this was its first recapture. Finally he tried the hut feeder on 26th, but the strengthening East wind kept his catch at just 1 + (4) -  made up of Chiffhaff 1, Dunnok (1), and Blue Tit (3). 42 birds ringed in the month making the YTD 174, Jan- Mar is a quiet period for us and the total is similar to recent years.

The first three Barnacle Geese were sighted back at the Lake on 6th by Mark Waldron. Each was ringed on 18 July 2021 and has it own uniquely inscribed blue ring. They spent the winter at Slimbridge (in total - 37 of the 46 that we ringed were seen there) - the first was seen there on 8th September with a few stopping off at Lydney Harbour on 4th on their way. The last sighting at Slimbridge was on 11th February. Since Mark's sighting a pair was at Glasbury on 9th (with Canadas) both had the Lake's combination of blue left/grey over metal right, but they were a bit too distant for Andy to read the numbers. On 12th a total of 10 were seen by Keith Noble at the Lake and a photograph of some in flight identified one of them.

Canada Goose 5266490 was ringed (adult) on 29 June 2014, and found freshly dead at Pont-faen, Brecon on 5 March 2022 - 2806 days, 16 km, 299 degrees.