Ringing near Gifford, East Lothian, winter 23-24 (3 Viewers)

[citrinella]

Officially that is our Winter CES programme finished (only carried out at Farm 1), though we missed visit 6 at the secondary feed station. We will now revert to our long-standing winter programme. We intend to visit our mist net sites about every three weeks till about the beginning of April. We will visit our whoosh net site more often - roughly weekly initially building up to twice per week at least. This increased frequency is intended to capture birds moving through on migration when turnover at the site becomes very significant. We hope to continue there till we see females with brood patches.

Mike.

 

[citrinella]

19.2.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 6
retrap 7
Linnet new 51
retrap 40

Signs of birds moving on from here perhaps, but not many arriving yet. Leading up to and including the 14th we were seeing 3-400 birds on the wires but from the next day the maximum was more like 150.

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Buzzard
Pheasant
Grey partridge
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Skylark
Wren
Robin
Blackbird
Song thrush
Mistle thrush
Carrion crow
Chaffinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

24.2.24 Mist netting at Farm 2, lower site.

Blue tit new 1
retrap
Chaffinch new 1
retrap
Coal tit new 2
retrap
Dunnock new 1
retrap 4
Great tit new 2
retrap
Nuthatch new
retrap 1
Reed bunting new 1
retrap
Robin new
retrap 2
Wren new
retrap 1
TOTAL new 8
retrap 8

Very few birds about - wild bird cover is probably exhausted so this will be our last visit here for the winter.

Also seen/heard :
Pink-footed geese
Mallard
Buzzard
Pheasant
Herring gull
Tawny owl
Woodpigeon
Great spotted woodpecker
Blackbird
Song thrush
Mistle thrush
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Jay
Goldfinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

28.2.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 1
retrap 15
Linnet new 43
retrap 43

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Mallard
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song thrush
Carrion crow
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

1.3.24 Mist netting at Farm 2, upper site.

Blackbird new
retrap 1
Chaffinch new 2
retrap
Dunnock new 3
retrap 7
House sparrow new
retrap 1
Long tailed tit new 3
retrap
Reed bunting new 2
retrap 3
Yellowhammer new 16
retrap 10
TOTAL new 26
retrap 22


Also seen/heard :

Pink-footed geese
Pheasant
Herring gull
Great-spotted woodpecker (drumming)
Woodpigeon
Tawny owl
Skylark
Robin
Song thrush
Great tit
Blue tit
Coal tit
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Magpie
Siskin

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

4.3.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 2
retrap 20
Linnet new 18
retrap 22

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Pink-footed geese
Teal (6)
Buzzard
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Mistle thrush
Song thrush
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Chaffinch
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

7.3.24 Mist netting at Farm 1, original feed station

Blue tit new 1
retrap
Bullfinch new 2
retrap
Chaffinch new 2
retrap
Dunnock new 3
retrap 5
Fieldfare new 1
retrap
Long tailed tit new 1
retrap 1
Robin new 5
retrap 1
Song Thrush new
retrap 1
Wren new 3
retrap
Yellowhammer new 5
retrap 3
TOTAL new 23
retrap 11

This site has the easily most birds - often 100 mainly yellowhammer and tree sparrow around.

Also seen/heard :
Greylag geese
Pink-footed geese c.50
Pheasant
Grey partridge
Golden plover
Woodpigeon (singing)
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Tawny owl
Great spotted woodpecker (drumming)
Skylark (singing)
Blackbird (singing)
Great tit (singing)
Coal tit (singing)
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Tree sparrow
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

12.3.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new
retrap 2
Linnet new 3
retrap 2

One of those days

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Pink-footed geese
Mallard
Buzzard
Pheasant
Grey partridge
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Blackbird
Song thrush
Carrion crow
Raven
Chaffinch
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

16.3.24 - Mist netting at secondary feed station, Farm 1

Our last visit to this site this "winter".

Blue tit new
retrap 2
Brambling new 1
retrap
Chaffinch new 5
retrap 4
Dunnock new
retrap 3
Reed bunting new 3
retrap
Robin new 2
retrap
Tree sparrow new 2
retrap 7
Yellowhammer new 13
retrap 9
TOTALS new 26
retrap 25

Some interesting catches. One retrapped yellowhammer had been ringed here in December 2020. Another had been ringed 1 km away as a nestling last summer. It is really good to get proper confirmation that nestslings survive, they face so many hazards.

More curious for me was catching 4 yellowhammers that had been ringed here at our last session last winter, 27/3/23, and had never been caught since. As yellowhammer are thought to be pretty sedentary it seems a bit of a coincidence catching thes birds now but never before this winter. Robins are also considered fairly sedentary in the UK but we ringed 2 during this session and 5 last week. I think they must have moved in recently.

Also seen/heard :
Greylag geese
Pink-footed goose c.60
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Tawny owl
Woodpigeon
Great spotted woodpecker
Skylark
Pied wagtail
Wren
Blackbird
Song thrush
Fieldfare
Rook
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

19.3.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new
retrap 2
Greenfinch new 1
retrap
Linnet new 18
retrap 5

Flock size has dropped of the order of 90% from 10 days ago, proportion of retrap linnets has also dropped markedly. We take these as signs that spring migration is under way - much of the winter flock has headed north and we expect to see rapid turnover of birds arriving from further south in modest numbers.

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Pink-footed geese
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Raven
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

24.3.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new
retrap 2
Linnet new 20
retrap 21

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Buzzard
Pheasant
Grey partridge
Peewit 2
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

30.3.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 3
retrap 15
Linnet new 23
retrap 23

This session was interupted so restarted about midday and went to mid-afternoon. That may explain the higher numbers of goldfinch than recently. One of those goldfinch was ringed in March 2019.

Also seen/heard
Greylag goose
Mallard
Buzzard
Pheasant
Grey partridge
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Blackbird
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Raven
Chaffinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

31.3.24 Mist netting at Farm 2, upper site.

Blackbird new 1
retrap
Blue tit new 1
retrap 1
Chiffchaff new 5
retrap
Coal tit new 1
retrap 1
Dunnock new 1
retrap 3
Great tit new 1
retrap
House sparrow new 1
retrap
Long tailed tit new 1
retrap 2
Tree sparrow new 3
retrap
Yellowhammer new 26
retrap 19
TOTAL new 41
retrap 26

One of our best sessions of the winter here, certainly our best for yellowhammer. This highlights the shortage of food at this time of year, even right through May, and the importance of keeping feeding as the farmer does here.

One of the Dunnocks had been ringed in January 2020.

This will be our last visit to this site this "winter".

Also seen/heard :

Greylag geese
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Great-spotted woodpecker (drumming)
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Robin
Wren
Song thrush
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Magpie
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Goldfinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

8.4.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new
retrap 1
Linnet new 24
retrap 13

Struggling to get suitable weather recently. For other reasons this was an afternoon session.

Also seen/heard
Buzzard
Pheasant
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Rook

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

10.4.24 Mist netting at Farm 1, original feed station

After a long delay waiting for passable weather this was the last mist netting session of our "winter" programme. We are not finished whoosh netting yet. This session was cut short for incoming rain.

Blue tit new 2
retrap 1
Bullfinch new 2
retrap
Chaffinch new 3
retrap 1
Chiffchaff new 4
retrap
Coal tit new 1
retrap
Dunnock new 1
retrap 1
Great tit new 1
retrap 1
Greenfinch new 1
retrap
Jackdaw new 1
retrap
Robin new 1
retrap
Tree sparrow new 1
retrap
Willow warbler new 1
retrap
Yellowhammer new 7
retrap 2
TOTAL new 26
retrap 6

retrap 11

Also seen/heard :
Greylag geese
Pink-footed geese
Buzzard
Pheasant
Red-legged partridge
Woodpigeon
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Great spotted woodpecker (drumming)
Skylark (singing)
Meadow pipit
Wren (singing)
Blackbird (singing)
Song thrush (singing)
Redwing
Carrion crow
Goldfinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

11.4.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new
retrap 5
Linnet new 11
retrap 10


Also seen/heard
Greylag
Buzzard
Pheasant
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Rook
Chaffinch

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

14.4.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 2
retrap 2
Linnet new 25
retrap 24

Of those retraps, 10 linnet and 1 goldfinch were ringed here in previous winters. It is unusual to catch a goldfinch ringed in a previous winter. I expect to catch significant numbers of previous winter linnets at this time of year, this year has got off to a slow start suggesting migration may be late and perhaps with low numbers.


Also seen/heard
Greylag
Buzzard
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Rook
Jackdaw
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

18.4.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 8
retrap 2
Linnet new 10
retrap 17

A shortened session for incoming rain

Also seen/heard
Greylag
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Rook
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

20.4.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new 2
retrap 3
Linnet new 37
retrap 38

Afternoon session

Also seen/heard
Greylag
Buzzard
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Robin
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Carrion crow
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.

 

[citrinella]

22.4.24 Whoosh netting at rape bait station, Farm 1

Goldfinch new
retrap 1
Linnet new 7
retrap 15

Afternoon session. I have said before it seems birds are migrating through here in numbers at this time of year. Yesterday many were present - up to c.100 on overhead wires at one time. It seems that by this afternoon they had moved on with very few birds present.

Also seen/heard
Greylag
Buzzard
Kestrel
Pheasant
Herring gull
Black-headed gull
Woodpigeon
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Robin
Blackbird
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Willow warbler
Carrion crow
Jackdaw
Yellowhammer

Many thanks to all concerned, Mike.