Two Llangorse crop visits, final WRP and recent Canada Goose recoveries

It wasn't until the start of the year that Andy realised that there was a functioning bird crop at Eligro. The first suitable weather was on Wednesday 7th February and Andy/Jerry gave it a try. There was a cold northerly breeze, but the nets were well sheltered and there was good cloud cover. Bird numbers had reduced quite a bit since the crop was found (Yellowhammer males maybe having started to return to their ffridd breeding sites). Although the catch was just 13 birds, it was mostly the targeted "quality" species, with details Dunnock 3, House Sparrow 2, and Yellowhammer 8 - our first since 2020 (when the crops and our ringing attempts started to become less successful).

On Friday 16th, Andy, Rachel and Jerry completed the 8th (final) WRP visit. It was a bit breezy and a quiet session which was the smallest catch for any of this winter's monitoring, as a result of fewer "tits" visiting the feeders. The majority of the birds were new (un-ringed), despite some 240 having been ringed during the winter. However a bonus bird was the Siskin (first one caught this winter) which was a control (a bird that had been ringed elsewhere). The catch of 11 + (4) comprised Blue Tit 4 + (2), Great Tit 3 + (1), House Sparrow 2, Greenfinch 2, and Siskin (1) - full details to follow in due course, but DemOn indicates it was ringed as a 5M in March 2023.

Saturday 24th was a day of near perfect ringing weather (just a tad sunny), so Andy tried the bird crop again. In three hours he caught just a single "quality" Yellowhammer. There were fewer birds using the crop than on 7th - mainly Chaffinch which were retreating to the taller trees rather than to the hedgerows. This brings our February total to 25 - our second lowest for the last decade, which have ranged from 20 - 70 (only exceeded in the very good 2015/16 "crop winter" when we ringed 178 birds in Feb).

Canada Goose 5257895 was ringed as a gosling on 3 July 2011, and had its ring read at Caerphilly Castle on 28 January 2024 - 4592 days, 39 km, 177 degrees (the bird was also recorded at the Castle on 9 December 2021). A decent age at a relatively safer site than at most recovery locations (see below), but still only about half of our longevity record.

Canada Goose 5266367 was ringed as an adult on 29 June 2014, and was found ill (neurological) and euthanized by a vet at Portishead, N Somerset on 25 February 2024 - 3528ays, 60 km, 147 degrees.

Canada Goose 5275658 was ringed as an adult on 28 June 2015, and was shot at Mexborough, S Yorkshire on 31 January 2024 - 3139 days, 221 km, 38 degrees.