11th April 2013 - Swindon STW
![redpoll](/images/2013sightings/redpoll.jpg)
Lesser Redpoll - Hens Wood to Wyre Forest, Worcestershire
Sedge Warbler - Swindon STW to Saint Philbert de Grande Lieu, France
Sedge Warbler - Donges, France to Haxton Down
Still freezing cold and still no summer migrants. Usually by the first week of April I've ringed a good few Blackcap's and Willow Warbler's at this site but today these were replaced with Brambling and Redpoll's with large numbers of winter thrushes flying over and two Jack Snipe on the lake. An average mornings catch with 26 new and 31 retraps. Some of the retraps were quire interesting, a Brambling that was ringed on the 6th January and not seen since, and a Chaffinch ringed 27th January 2007 and retrapped 21st March 2009, a ripe old age of 6 years 70 days since initially ringed. PD/GD
Wren 2(1), Goldcrest 2, Chiffchaff 1, Robin 2(1), Blue Tit 2(5), Great Tit 2(7), Bullfinch 1(1), Reed Bunting 4(5), Lesser Redpoll 3, Chaffinch 2(3), Greenfinch 4(2), Jay 1, Dunnock (1), Brambling (1), Blackbird (3), Long Tailed Tit (1)
It's cold, it's windy, there's no sign of spring and no summer migrants. Therefore here are some more photographs of the BTO ringing expidition to The Gambia in February.
Oriole Warbler & Pygmy Kingfisher
Yellow-billed Kite & Lavender Waxbill
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater & Giant Kingfisher
Two of us were out at a private site in the Thames Valley this morning. It was warmer than previous days and quite calm. We set nets around a feeding station and an area where we have been scattering grain amongst scrub. It was a really good session for the time of year with 15 species trapped giving some fantastic training experience. There was a noticeable influx of Robins which must surely be birds moving back north and east to breed. We only caught 7 Tree Sparrows of the 80 present but more birds individually colour ringed to help identify these birds when breeding. Many people think that ringing Blue Tit nestlings is pointless, well some of us disagree especially as we retrapped two birds that we originally ringed as nestlings at the same site, but one was on 30th May 2010 and the other was on 26/5/08 and so just shy of 5 years old. MP
Tree Sparrow 6 (1), House Sparrow 2, Yellowhammer 9, Reed Bunting 1 (2), Brambling 1,Robin 9 (2), Dunnock 2 (3), Blue Tit 2 (6 ), Great Tit 0 (2), Wren 1, Blackbird 5 (2), Fieldfare 1, Redwing 1, Greenfinch 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker 0 (1)
Totals to the end of March:
Sparrowhawk | 1 | Marsh Tit | 1 | |
Water Rail | 1 | Willow Tit | 2 | |
Jack Snipe | 5 | Coal Tit | 87 | |
Snipe | 16 | Blue Tit | 194 | |
Woodpigeon | 11 | Great Tit | 94 | |
Little Owl | 2 | Nuthatch | 3 | |
Kingfisher | 1 | Treecreeper | 3 | |
Great Spotted Woodpecker | 8 | Jackdaw | 2 | |
Skylark | 6 | Jay | 5 | |
Meadow Pipit | 8 | Starling | 8 | |
Pied Wagtail | 12 | House Sparrow | 24 | |
Wren | 12 | Tree Sparrow | 58 | |
Dunnock | 65 | Chaffinch | 266 | |
Robin | 43 | Brambling | 11 | |
Blackbird | 70 | Greenfinch | 67 | |
Fieldfare | 7 | Goldfinch | 116 | |
Mistle Thrush | 1 | Siskin | 27 | |
Song Thrush | 4 | Linnet | 223 | |
Redwing | 16 | Lesser Redpoll | 43 | |
Blackcap | 2 | Bullfinch | 15 | |
Chiffchaff | 1 | Yellowhammer | 239 | |
Goldcrest | 14 | Reed Bunting | 69 | |
Firecrest | 1 | Corn Bunting | 12 | |
Long-tailed Tit | 43 | |||
TOTAL | 1914 |