15th April 2010 - Oldest Tit on the Block

Three hours ringing at Warnham LNR in breezy conditions was fairly productive catching 13 birds of which seven were new. The highlight though was the same retrap Coal Tit (below) that was last caught on 20th April 2009 and originally ringed as an immature on 2nd December 2004. This is the same day as the Blue Tit that I caught ten days ago, obviously feeling out done!! The years do seem to have taken there toll though, as the right wing was a combination of missing, badly grown and patchy feathers. Also two new female Blackcap, a new Chiffchaff, two high brood patch Greenfinchs and a retrap Blackbird originally ringed in 2007.
As I finished the session Jake arrived and we checked out a Blackbird nest that we had been watching and found the four young ready for rings. Interestingly, the female of this brood is a very obvious continental bird breeding with the above retrap male and there is also a breeding pair at Chesworth are both continental birds. I can only assume that these are birds that have stayed after the influx seen here over the winter.

Birds ringed:
Blackcap - 2
Great Tit - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Greenfinch - 2
Blackbird - 5 (1)
Reed Bunting - (1)
Wren - (1)
Coal Tit - (1)
Blue Tit - (1)
Robin - (1)