One or two more Gibraltar photos

Wenlock Edge Nest Box Report 2012

Better late than never !?

Comparisons between 2011 and 2012:

Numbers of boxes used          2011 - 56     2012 - 62

Numbers ringed                      2011 - 412   2012 - 263

Numbers fledged                    2011 - 405    2012 - 293

Nests by species

2012: 20 Great Tit ( 2011 : 17 )  4 Pied Flycatcher ( 1 )   34 Blue Tit ( 31 )   1 Redstart ( 1 ) ( same nest box )   1 Marsh Tit ( 3 )   2 Nuthatch ( 3 )

Sadly the Marsh Tit nest was predated just before fledging. One of the Pied Flycatcher nests was washed out, along with a number of the late broods for tits. Lilleshall was the poorest location with only 76% of eggs hatching and only 63% of hatched eggs surviving to fledge.

A poor season with smaller broods, some tits with one or two eggs, many chicks dead in nest. Dry spring, wettest early summer in c 100 years. Cold too.

Egg to fledge by site totals:

Lilleshall                 2011 : 65 %   2012 : 48 %
Roman Bank          2011 : 94 %   2012 : 81 %
Wenlock FS          2011 : 81 %    2012 : 67 %
Wenlock NB          2011 : 90 %   2012 : 71 %

Gibraltar trip report - October 2012

21st - 27th October - Ringing at Jew's Gate, Gibraltar

Nets close to observatory ( and in garden ) and we ( Dave, Joe, James, Linda and I ) took the plane in search of late migrants. Super welcome and place for a spell ringing, visiting.

On one day we rung 350 birds, all hands to the pump for 7 hours consecutively ...

Many ringing ticks for James, and a tick for Joe in the form of a Dartford Warbler.

Sadly two days had stormy weather in the Straight and coastal area - Morocco disappeared as the wind, rain and lightning came - spring traps continued to work in moments of respite.

Birds:

1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Dunnock, 137 Robin, 1 Nightingale, 135 Black Redstart, 7 Redstart, 4 Blackbird, 36 Song Thrush, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Dartford Warbler, 23 Sardinian Warbler, 3 Garden Warbler, 292 Blackcap, 20 Chiffchaff, 1 BlueTit, 22 Chaffinch, 1 Serin, 16 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Linnet

Severn Valley Country Park - busy work !

Sunday 18th November 2012:

Two long nets by feeding station, topped up with food. Lots of finches in trees. One 20 minute net round only possible for Linda and me yielding:

52 Blue Tit, 20 Great Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 3 Golfinch, 2 Robin, 1 Tawny Owl

Unfortunately didn't lure winter thrushes, nor redpoll. The Reed Bunting / Pied Wagtail roost has been cut back too much to work.

Other birds about: Goldcrest, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail