2nd and 8th March 2010 - A Nearly and a Finally!

On 2nd March Stuart and I had a brief session at Warnham LNR before work and caught a very disappointing four new birds of three species, but as we were taking the nets down an adult female Sparrowhawk flew into one but fell out onto the floor and flew up to a nearby tree watching us carefully! This would have only been the third Sparrowhawk ringed at the Horsham sites. It was then that we realise that it had left a little present in the net in the form of a half eaten female Blackbird (below)!
At the end of the day Jake and I then did the roost at Southwater CP and caught 12 new birds of four species including four Long-tailed Tit and a Blackbird.
Today's visit to Chesworth Farm by Jake and I produced 36 new birds on a blowy and icy morning including three new Reed Buntings, two new Long-tailed Tit and a first for the Horsham sites, a beautiful adult male Starling (below). There are always a few Starling about the farm and although we have tried hard to encourage them to the feeders we have had no joy, but funnily today's bird was caught in a net nowhere near the feeders.
Birds ringed:
Great Tit - 7
Blue Tit - 20
Chaffinch - 6
Robin - 2
Dunnock - 1
Reed Bunting - 3
Goldfinch - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 6
Greenfinch - 4
Blackbird - 1
Starling - 1