Back In Action

I suppose it could have been a worse week weatherwise to damage the tendons in my shoulder, so I shouldn't complain about not being able to get out too much. No lifting bins or extracting birds from the top panel of a mist net for me this week, instead it's been a week of intense physio. But the good news is that it's virtually mended my shoulder and this morning I was out at my feeding station ringing and extracting birds from the top panel! Oh, and I lifted my bins a time or two too.

It was flat calm this morning at first light with a ground frost and full cloud cover although it was light and hazy. The soundscape as I put my nets up were mewing Buzzards and shouting Jays. Birds started to arrive at the feeding station quite early including 116 Tree Sparrows and 27 Chaffinch.

 Tree Sparrow

Sat at my ringing table between rounds I had five Bramblings, four Fieldfares, a Redpoll, 11 Yellowhammers and three Corn Buntings go over. After Christmas the Yellowhammers should hopefully be coming into the feeding station.

There were good numbers of Woodpigeons around this morning and 2,230 couldn't decide which direction to head in. Some went south, then headed east, came back west and headed north! A few Pink-footed Geese were moving around this morning, but at 447 their numbers were a drop in the ocean compared to the numbers of Wood Pigs.

I ringed 35 birds as follows (recaptures in brackets):

Robin - 1
Chaffinch - 4 (1)
Great Tit - 4 (1)
Tree Sparrow - 7 (1)
Blue Tit - 17 (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 male
Greenfinch - 1

 Great Spotted Woodpecker