Final garden session

Yesterday I opened the net in the back garden for the last time before heading up to Scotland to commence my summer job with the RSPB. The first bird in was a Woodpigeon which perhaps surprisingly, is a new species trapped and ringed in the garden, although given the amount of holes in the 30' that have already been caused by bouncy, scratchy Woodpigeons I'm not sure how many more I'd want to catch! It was nice to get another House Sparrow bringing the total caught since garden ringing commenced to 67 with 13 retraps; a reasonable haul for a plot the size of a small handkerchief - the 30' net only fits diagonally!

Adult (6) Woodpigeon

The real highlight was retrapping a Long-tailed Tit that had originally been caught in the woodland ringing ride at Lound Lakes. This individual was one of the first birds caught during a busy ringing session on a very cold morning in October last year, so it was uplifting to know that it had survived the winter and had undertaken an epic movement of 1.3 kilometres. 

A well travelled Long-tailed Tit

I will miss garden ringing sessions this summer and particularly the population of local House Sparrows for which I was planning to start up a RAS (Retrapping Adults for Survival), project. I am however, looking forward to experiencing a completely different habitat with different species and of course surveying and radio tracking the Golden Plover adults and chicks to examine any possible impacts of the wind farm upon their breeding success.

Totals - 8 new and (1) retrap

Woodpigeon - 1

Long-tailed Tit - (1)

Blue Tit - 2

Great Tit - 2

House Sparrows - 1

Goldfinch - 2

Garden Totals, July 2011 - March 2012 - 182 new, (27) retraps

Woodpigeon - 1

Wren - 3

Dunnock - 9, (4)

Robin - 11, (3)

Blackbird - 15

Goldcrest - 1

Long-tailed Tit - 2, (2)

Coal Tit - 1

Blue Tit - 33, (3)

Great Tit - 9, (1)

Starling - 12

House Sparrow - 67, (13)

Chaffinch - 2

Goldfinch - 16, (1)