Three quiet sessions this week, all negatively impacted by this unseasonable northerly wind. Wednesday saw myself and Andrew Bray at Tedworth House. This was the least satisfying session, but a lot of that was down to the nets billowing in what was a fairly light breeze, but it was coming from the wrong direction for the usual net positions. The list was short: Blue Tit (2); Great Tit (2); Wren 1; Dunnock 2(2); Robin (1); Song Thrush 1; Blackbird (2); Blackcap 1; Willow Warbler 1. Totals: six birds ringed from five species, nine birds retrapped from five species, making a total of 15 birds processed from nine species. The highlight of the session was listening to the Raven chicks clamouring to be fed every time the parents came to the nest. ST / AB
Friday saw Ellie, Jonny and David joining me at Blakehill Farm. With the plateau being out of bounds until the autumn, to ensure that we don't disturb the Curlews' nesting attempts (there are two, possibly three, pairs on the plateau), we set the nets on the west side of the reserve, either side of the Whitworth Centre. Again, the catch was disturbed by the wind, but we did manage a few highlights. Ellie got to extract and ring her first House Sparrow. Even when there are plenty of them around, they are one of the least often caught birds. This was a handsome male:
The last bird caught and processed was Jonny's first Sparrowhawk extraction and processing. We were sitting processing a couple of birds when I noticed the Sparrowhawk hit the net. I said to Jonny "There's a large bird in the net, could you run over and get it" - did he run! It was a fabulous adult male:
The list for the session was: Sparrowhawk 1; Great Tit 1; Wren 1; Dunnock 2(1); Robin 3(1); Blackcap 3; Chiffchaff 6; Chaffinch 1; Bullfinch 1; House Sparrow 1. Totals: 20 birds ringed from 10 species, two birds retrapped from two species, making 22 birds processed from 10 species. ST / JC / EJ / DW
Saturday started on an excellent note: as I went out the door at 5:15 a Cuckoo was calling from the trees at the bottom of the garden: my first of the year. Purton just seems to be a bit of a magnet for Cuckoos. We were running a ringing demonstration for the Swindon Wildlife Group at Ravensroost Meadows. I had Jonny, Charlie and Neil to help me out: they managed the nets whilst I performed for the audience. Nets were set all round the meadow pond and along the hedgerows that line the pond. It started well enough but, once again, the wind got up and the catch was reduced. Fortunately, the guests were more than happy with the birds that we caught and a good time was had by all (I am told). Although we didn't catch a lot of birds, what we caught was quality: our first two Whitethroat and two Lesser Whitethroat of the year. These are our earliest records for both species (although the Lesser Whitethroats by only one day).
The list for the session was: Long-tailed Tit 2; Wren 1(1); Dunnock 2; Blackbird 1(1); Blackcap 1; Whitethroat 1(1); Lesser Whitethroat 2; Chiffchaff 2; Willow Warbler 1(1); Bullfinch 1; Reed Bunting 2. Totals: 16 birds ringed from 11 species, four birds retrapped from four species, making 20 birds processed from 11 species. The retrapped Whitethroat was ringed as an adult on the site last August, whereas the retrapped Willow Warbler was ringed as an adult on Spring migration on the 12th April 2016 in the woodland. We are pretty certain that the Reed Buntings and the Long-tailed Tits were pairs. Each couple was caught in close proximity to each other, each consisted of a male and a female and each had both birds in breeding condition. ST / JC / NS / CS