Weather Stops Play!!

The wet and windy weather over the last three weeks has made it almost impossible to find decent conditions for any ringing.  Nests have now started to increase much more and I have now found in my garden nests of Song Thrush, Blackbird, 2 Robins, Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, Dunnock, Wren, Goldcrest, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and today confirmed a Linnet nest!  This is the second Linnet nets that I have had in my garden with the first in 2008 and in exactly the same spot outside my French doors!  One of the Great Tit nests was ready to ring today and the Blackbirds I ringed last week, but on returning from a weekend away, found the nest had been predated with bits of young Blackbird all over the garden!!  My bet is on a semi feral cat belonging to my neighbour.  Whilst locally to my house another two Tawny Owl nests were ringed, one with three chicks and one with one.

I have only managed to do one netting session at Leith Hill which was quite rewarding, with highlights being two Blackcaps, ten Siskin (including my first juvenile - above), four Crossbill (including a very juvenile bird - below), five Willow Warbler, a Nuthatch and three Blackbird.

Crossbill juvenile - note the heavy streaking across the whol plumage

Crossbill juvenile - a couple of replaced feathers in the face and on the breast may be the start of post juvenile moult

Crossbill juvenile - note pale tipped greater coverts

Crossbill juvenile - note streaked dull rump

Of the 13 other Siskin caught on this day, one was a control which had originally been ringed barely 2km away at South Holmwood in late March this year.

Birds ringed:

Tawny Owl - 4 nestlings
Crossbill - 4
Siskin - 10
Dunnock - 3
Blackcap - 2
Blue Tit - 1
Robin - 2
Chaffinch - 3
Willow Warbler - 5
Chiffchaff - 1
Nuthatch - 1
Great Tit - 8 nestlings
Blackbird - 3 + 4 nestlings