Penultimate Box Check

Ian, Nikki and I made our penultimate visit to check our boxes in woodland on the River Hodder this morning. We did manage to ring a brood of three Pied Flycatchers, but the majority of them will be ready next week. A small brood you might think and you would be correct, except there were three unhatched eggs, which of course won't hatch now.

 Pied Flycatcher

With all the wet and cold weather we have had in the week we were worried that we might find a few boxes with dead young in, but thankfully we only had one brood of dead Blue Tits. All the other Tits were fit and healthy and broods that we had ringed over the past couple of weeks had successfully fledged. In addition to the aforementioned Pied Flys we ringed 12 Great Tits and 28 Blue Tits.

 Blue Tit

On the way home we called in to have a look at Barnacre and I had my first Cuckoo of the year. Now, I don't get out every day birding but do I get out several days a week and this was my first one. These birds are certainly scarce now.

Back at home the Starlings couldn't resist some dried meal worms and I managed to ring 4 birds from a 'drop trap'. Pictures of a juv, female and male below.

The forecast tomorrow looks like it is shaping up for a lie in with more wet and windy weather on the way. It is going to clear up later in the day so I might give one or two net rides a 'hair cut' before hopefully putting them to good use over the next few weeks.