In between the showers Ian, Nikki and I managed to check boxes at three sites today. First up were some boxes in the Hodder Valley in Bowland where we have 5 pairs of
Pied Flycatchers, one pair of
Nuthatch and numerous Blue and Great Tits. We managed to lift three female
Pied Flys off the nest; one was new and the two others were recaptures. The first recapture was ringed at the site in 2009 as a breeding female and subsequently lifted off her nest again in 2010. The second recapture was ringed as a pulli in 2010 and she has obviously returned to her natal area to breed. We also ringed a single brood of 7 Great Tit. There were plenty of Tits that either had young too small to ring or were incubating eggs, so there will be plenty to ring next weekend.
Ian ringing a Pied Flycatcher
Next stop was a farm near Nateby where the farmer had put up 25 boxes for
Tree Sparrows over the winter. Only one box was occupied by a Tree Sparrow and the rest of the boxes that were occupied were occupied by Blue and Great Tits. I would imagine that the colony of Tree Sparrows will slowly build up and next year we should have a few more.
Our final port of call was Rawcliffe Moss where 10 out of our 12 boxes have active
Tree Sparrows. We ringed 22 pulli and have about 30 to ring next weekend.
Tree Sparrow pulli
It is looking quite windy tomorrow so it will be a spot of seawatching for me.
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