Monday, 19 April 2010

19th April 2010 - Whitethroats!!

Considering it is April and the bright sunshine exposing the nets this mornings session at Chesworth Farm was packed with birds keeping Louise, Eddie and myself very busy. In total we caught a new record of 20 species involving 89 birds including 27 new ones.
New bird highlights included the first three Whitethroat of the year (above and below), three Chiffchaff (all females with brood patches), a Goldcrest with a brood patch (first ever confirmed breeding of this species at the site), 2 male House Sparrow, 4 male Starling (including one bird with the sixth primary on the left wing being white), a Song Thrush and a Woodpigeon. Four of which Louise hadn't seen in the hand before, so a good learning experience for her.
The highlights of the retraps included the 1st year male Yellowhammer from last month, a Blackbird ringed in Nov 2007, seven House Sparrow, two Blackcap ringed here in 2009.

Also, we received four recoveries through today as follows:

L080596 - 1st year Lesser Redpoll - ringed at Leechool and Owlbeech Woods on 4th Dec 2009 - recaught at West Horsley, Surrey on 15th Feb 2010 - 26km away.

X969241 - 1st year Lesser Redpoll - ringed at the Capel Reserve on 7th Nov 2009 - recaught st South Stoke, Oxfordshire on 15th and 20th Feb 2010 - 71km away.

X638881 - juvenile Reed Bunting - ringed at Chesworth Farm on 29th Jun 2009 - recaught at Icklesham, Sussex on 11th Jan 2010 - 72km away.

But the best recovery was an nternational one, as follows:

X969370 - 1st year female Blackcap - ringed at Chesworth Farm on 2nd Oct 2009 - found dead after hitting a window at Biarritz, South France on 24th Oct 2009 - 848km away. (map below)
Birds ringed:
Blue Tit - 1 (15)
Whitethroat - 3
Robin - 1 (4)
Great Tit - 3 (18)
Goldfinch - 3
Chaffinch - 2 (4)
Goldcrest - 1
Chiffchaff - 3
House Sparrow - 2 (7)
Greenfinch - 2 (2)
Starling -4
Song Thrush - 1
Woodpigeon - 1
Blackbird (2)
Yellowhammer - (1)
Blackcap - (2)
Dunnock - (4)
Great Spotted Woodpecker - (1)
Reed Bunting - (1)
Long-tailed Tit - (2)

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