West Wilts Group

14th to 18th September 2016: Various

With the weather forecast being a bit variable for this period, rather than going to my farmland sites, I put in a couple of woodland sessions and did a bit in my garden as well.

Wednesday, 14th September: the Firs. I was joined by Andrew Bray for this session. Unfortunately, most of the migrants have long vacated the place: so no repeat of the Spotted Flycatchers from our last session. It was notable, however, for providing a good catch of Great Tit, in what has been a very poor year for them.  The list was: Blue Tit 1(1); Great Tit 10(3); Wren 1(1); Robin 7(1); Blackcap 1; Goldcrest 1. Totals: 21 birds ringed from six species; six birds retrapped from four species, making 27 birds processed from six species. One bird, a retrapped Great Tit, was originally ringed as an adult at the private Wood Lane site on the 30th September 2012: only my third ever solo ringing session and making the bird at least 5 years old. It has been caught on six separate occasions, alternating between each site (about 1km apart) until 2013, and subsequently caught only in the Firs.

The weather on Thursday, 15th September: was suitable for farmland ringing, so I arranged to go to Brown's Farm.  Unfortunately, my car decided to throw a bit of a wobbler, I had to abandon my plans and was, instead, confined to my garden. Not a lot of diversity, but it is good to see the Goldfinches returning from the fields. The list was: Blue Tit 1; Chiffchaff 1; Greenfinch 1; Goldfinch 23(1).  The Chiffchaff was the 648th member of that species I have ringed since I started in January 2009: but the first for my garden. I was inordinately pleased with the catch:

 2016 09 16chiff

On Saturday I was joined at Red Lodge by Charlie and Neil, plus Steph and her daughter Lilly.  Lilly is just six-years old and so interested in the birds and the ringing process, perhaps she will want to take it up, along with her mum. She is so well behaved and walked miles on Saturday without complaint. Steph is proving an invaluable scribe and will be joining as a trainee in the near future.  The list for the day was: Treecreeper 1; Blue Tit 6(3); Great Tit 3(2); Coal Tit 1; Wren 2(1); Robin 2(3); Song Thrush 1; Blackbird 1(1); Blackcap 7; Chiffchaff 1; Goldcrest 5.  Totals: 30 ringed from 11 species; 10 retrapped from five species, making 40 birds processsed from 11 species. The most interesting bird caught was a recapture of the Blackbird with the deformed upper part to the beak, ringed originally on the 21st August. When caught and ringed it weighed in at 81.6g. Upon recapture it weighed in at 92.2g: an increase in weight of 10.6g in 27 days. Perhaps it will manage to survive, despite its handicap. ST/AB/CS/NS/SB/LB