Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Wenlock Edge feeding station netting

Saturday 5th January 2013:

A net was put up in Chris' garden around feeders, close to the bird hide.

Lots of common species about and some interest from the general public enjoying a morning's walk or cycle on the Edge.

22 Blue Tit, 10 Great Tit, 5 Marsh Tit, 3 Coal Tit, 1 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 5 Nuthatch

Other species about - Fieldfare, G-S Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Chaffinch,

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

New Year netting in garden

Tuesday 1st January 2013:

At last the rain has relented. Pond net and bottom of garden by shed. Helped by William.

4 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 2 House Sparrow, 2 Robin, 1 Blackbird, 1 Goldfinch

Also around: Rooks, single Lesser Redpoll on feeders, Buzzard, Yellowhammer ( at least 3 ) feeding under main feeders

1515: temperature 6.3C with windchill 4.2C ; humidity 55% ; barometer 1008.0 mb ; wind speed 3.9 mps bearing 264Westerly

Friday, 28 December 2012

Back garden ringing

Sunday 23rd December 2012:

Single net up by the main pond. Help from William.

7 Blue Tit, 7 Long tailed-tit ( flock included two retraps DXH487 and DXH488 from start of year ), 2 Coal Tit ( one retrap from Nov 2011 ), 5 Great Tit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Robin ( retrap from Oct 2010 )

Sunday, 16 December 2012

Severn Valley short netting session

Sunday 15th December 2012:

Two nets by feeders. End of a week-long cold snap.

8 Blue Tit, 5 Great Tit, 3 Coal Tit, 2 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 3 Goldfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Song Thrush

Also about: Kingfisher, Siskin, 1 stoat trying in vain to get on feeder trays

Monday, 3 December 2012

Severn Valley morning net session

Sunday 2nd December 2012 :

Linda and I put up a couple of nets at the feeding station.
Good birds about - flock of Siskin above in the alder ... Grey Wagtail on the pool / mud.

31 Blue Tit ( including birds ringed in December 2008 and 2009 ), 14 Great Tit, 1 Great-Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Siskin, 2 Chaffinch, 7 Goldfinch, 1 Robin, 1 Greenfinch

Monday, 19 November 2012

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 %