After failing to capture any Tree Sparrows during the winter CES and having no birds take up the new boxes provided at the hay barn, we finally connected with some and marked three birds for the project.
It would be nice to average more than one Tree Sparrow per 13 or 14 birds (mainly tits) so we continue to refine our catching attempts.
Hopefully, over the winter a number of new boxes will be put up at a second site to encourage nesting where monitoring is possible.
Adult female Tree Sparrow
Adult male Tree Sparrow
Juvenile Tree Sparrow
Unexpected bonus of the day was a captured flat fly from one of the Tree Sparrows, collected as part of an ongoing investigation into occurrence of flat fly species and birds that are their hosts.
Capture and ringing undertaken with appropriate licences.
Total:43
Woodpigeon - 2
Dunnock - 1
Blackbird - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Blue Tit - 24
Great Tit - 4
Tree Sparrow - 3
House Sparrow - 4
Chaffinch - 1
Dunnock - 1
Blackbird - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Blue Tit - 24
Great Tit - 4
Tree Sparrow - 3
House Sparrow - 4
Chaffinch - 1