19th June 2011 - More Youngsters and Two Recoveries

Rain restricted a lot of ringing this week, but the increase of juvenile birds on the scene kept numbers up.

A short session at Leith Hill on Sunday produced just 11 new birds including only four new Siskin, but I did find my first Whitethroat nest with five eggs (below).

A visit to a couple of neighbours houses on Monday produced two more ringed Swallow nests (chicks below).  Interestingly, one of these was a brand new nest and had been completely constructed of cow dung which must have been a substitute material for the lack of mud this spring.

I got a phone call from Linda Baker at Horsham Hospital this week asking for my help in relocating a family of Mallard that had bred in one of the courtyard gardens.  With no way out for the ducklings, Linda and her dad Eric have been providing a water feature and some extra food until big enough to fend for themselves.  So, the three of us caught up the seven ducklings which I then ringed and then Linda and Eric led the mother carrying the ducklings to Horsham Park pond which backs onto the hospital.

Linda with one of the ducklings

Before meeting Linda and Eric I had a quick stop at Coot Pond and very quickly managed to catch my first Canada Goose of the year (below).

Ringing at home over this week produced 111 new birds which were almost all juveniles and mainly consisted of Great Tits.  Highlights came in the form of a nest of Blackbird (2), a nest of Song Thrush (5) and from netting a juvenile Blackcap (below top), a juvenile and two adult male Whitethroat, two juvenile Treecreepers (below middle), four juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Collared Dove and an adult Starling (below bottom).  This Starling is only the second that I have caught at home since I began ringing here in 2008!

A couple of recoveries have come through, as follows:

Lesser Redpoll L080774 ringed on 14th December 2009 at Chesworth Farm, Horsham as a first year bird was controlled at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire on 13th March 2011 as an adult male, probably on its way back to Scandinavia.

Grey Heron A47 ringed on 9th April 2011 at Warnham LNR as a nestling within the Heronry and was sighted at Thorpe Park near Chertsey, Surrey on 12th June 2011.  This bird was last seen at Warnham LNR on 30th May 2011.  A quick movement of 40km over 13 days NW.

Birds ringed:

Great Tit - 64

Siskin - 4

Swallow - 9 nestlings

Robin - 6

Blue Tit - 12

Chaffinch - 2

Blackcap - 2

Whitethroat - 3

Dunnock - 1

Treecreeper - 2

Willow Warbler - 1

Greenfinch - 5

Blackbird - 3 + 2 nestlings

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 4

Starling - 1

Song Thrush - 2 + 5 nestlings

Canada Goose - 1

Mallard - 7 ducklings

Jackdaw - 1

Collared Dove - 1