A box full of healthy Pied Flycatcher chicks
In total we ringed six Great Tit pulli, 38 Pied Flycatcher pulli and 17 Blue Tit pulli. We have a further two pairs of Pied Flycatchers still on eggs and three broods that were too small to ring.
Great Tit pulli
Blue Tit pulli
A pair of Blue Tits were still on eggs and sadly one box had seven dead small young it. We speculated as to the cause and then only a few yards from the box were Blue Tit feathers on the woodland floor, so I suspect that one or both of the adults have been predated and unfortunately the chicks will have starved to death.
There was still plenty of bird song in the woodland from several pairs of both Willow Warbler and Blackcap, and Siskins frequently called flying over heading to the feeding station.
Standing deadwood
3 comments:
Is this a better than average output for Pied Fly's ?
It is for us Warren. I would normally only expect about 6 pairs, so it's good to have ten. However, I think the reason for this is the lack of Tits so there is less competition for the boxes. I was out helping a guy last Sunday check 120 of his 380 boxes and he was saying the same, that the occupancy of his boxes by Tits, particularly Great Tits, was very low this year.
Thanks Hairy birder :-) all swings and roundabouts for the birds then
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