At Last

The weather Gods kept their promise and it was fit for ringing this morning, although there was a niggling northerly breeze that caused the nets to 'wind sock' a little. At 07:30 we were on Rawcliffe Moss setting the two nets up at the feeding station. We did quite well ringing 61 birds and retrapping six. I have listed below the numbers per species ringed and retrapped:

Chaffinch - 17/0
Tree Sparrow - 12/1
Blue Tit - 17/2
Great Tit - 7/0
Blackbird - 2/2
Dunnock - 3/0
Coal Tit - 1/0
Robin - 1/1
Wren - 1/0

Base camp

The team in action

Blue Tit

Coal Tit

We were quite busy this morning and this meant that birding records were at a minimum with a few estimates of numbers. The Fieldfares were once again feeding on the hawthorn berries and we did try tape luring them but without success. They were interested in the tape but wouldn't jump into the net.

Three Yellowhammers fed at the Pheasant feeder as per usual and raptors were represented by two Kestrels and a single calling Buzzard at first light. There was a microlight buzzing around this morning and at one stage it flushed 80 + Fieldfare and twentyish Corn Buntings from the stubble field to the west where there was also about 200 Jackdaws feeding. We had three Grey Partridges and three Roe Deer and that was the lot.