A morning spent with a prospective trainee resulted in only 12 birds processed. The Reed Buntings were absent and of the few Yellowhammers heard none were caught. It turned into one of our 'Dunnock days' although we did get the first ever Coal Tit for the site.
Continuing on from the Turnstone catch, of the five times the net was released, three times we caught Turnstones, the first catch was entirely Turnstones, the second catch a mix of Turnstone and Sanderling, the third catch was a single Pied Wagtail, a first for the site, the fourth catch comprised entirely of Turnstones that we'd already marked earlier in the morning (going to show that the net was no deterrent or that these birds have short memories) and finally five female Snow Bunting.
A collaboration with MA and team to get a few more flagged Turnstone for the North Norfolk Turnstones coastal towns project. He had been preparing a beach area with regular feeds for a while now, in a location where Snow Bunting is the usual target. Many thanks to the team for sharing the session. A total of five releases of the whoosh net resulted in 19 new Turnstone captured and marked with a remarkable bycatch that resulted in experience of a new species for CL and DKL with a new species for the site too.
Details to follow in a separate blog post.
Darvic total: 19
Turnstone - 19
On the way home we dropped in at Walcott where the beach was full of walkers, shouting children and dogs off the lead. e did try with the walk trap and some meal worms without any success. No sign of any of the birds freshly marked for the project, but we did find WNf (5KY) confirmed as having been ringed in Canada at Alert on 6th August 2023. This is the same location that flagged JAA at Sheringham was ringed in 2017. There is a pattern here I think.
A first visit of the year, and with the beaver enclosure still extremely wet we opted for a session at one of the feeder areas. Lots of birds for OHK and CVG, even if rather too many were tits. 56 birds in total with Blue Tit the leading species with 25 new and 3 retrapped. A couple of Nuthatch were very welcome as was a colour-ringed Marsh Tit that had made its way over from Hempton.
One Great Tit was notable for the unusual amount of white in several feathered areas.
Total: 46 (10)
Dunnock - 1
Coal Tit - 3 (2)
Marsh Tit - 0 (1)
Blue Tit - 25 (3)
Great Tit - 16 (2)
Bullfinch - 0 (1)
Nuthatch - 1 (1)
Not the frosty morning that we'd hoped for, but it was cold and the ground was very hard. We found a line where the apples were not yet eaten and put up a triple row of thrush nets followed by a double of 19*19 mesh 18ms. We also tried a double in a corner often favoured by the thrushes and a final single where we may get a few finches.
It turned out to be a little on the slow side with quality being the case rather than quantity, but it's always a pleasure to catch Redwing and Fieldfare however few and we even managed a Mistle Thrush.
CVG had joined us and was pleased to ring three species not usually present at her usual ringing sites.
Total: 21 (2)
Robin - 1 (1)
Green Woodpecker - 1
Mistle Thrush - 1
Fieldfare - 4
Redwing - 2
Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Great Tit - 2
Starling - 1
Goldfinch - 1
Chaffinch - 3
Linnet - 1
Today was one of those rare days when we travelled to see something we've not seen in the UK before. It doesn't happen often, partly because we've birded abroad extensively and so it really isn't something new, partly because we're not fans of large groups and also partly because we've actually seen a lot of UK birds since the mid 80s.
So we drove to Heybridge, not at all a site that could be birded, being a tiny piece of rough ground between a housing estate and some industrial units. The bird was absent and the wind was very cold, but we at least knew we'd see it if it turned up.
After about 45 minutes a bird flew across the watercourse, Chris heard it call but I was looking for where it had dropped from the reed stem where it first landed. I soon found it working along the left hand side of the bank away from us. A few others got on to it, then more as it flew across to the right hand water's edge and began working towards us.
We had some very nice views.
So that's a new species seen in the UK for us, some years we don't even manage that but this year we have the new bird early in the year.
Out this morning with a team of 6. Weather still a little blowy but not too cold and we were at least able to catch some of the buntings this time out.
Forty one birds processed in all with the highlight being a Woodcock.
Team of CL, DKL, ERB, CPG, RAR, JPD
Totals: 35 (6)
Woodcock - 1
Wren - 1
Robin - 3 (2)
Dunnock - 9 (4)
Blackbird - 4
Blue Tit - 1
Chaffinch - 1
Reed Bunting - 15
All captures and processing conducted under licence issued by British Trust for Ornithology.
Our first visit to the farm this year resulted in 84 captures. Birds from the orchard accounted for about half of the catch, hence over 40 of the birds were tits. Very few finches and buntings seen on the fields, they seemed to be in a small copse, away from our nets and were seen after nettings had finished. As is usual for Norfolk winter catches, there were plenty of Dunnocks. The highlight of the day had to be an adult female Kestrel.
Totals: 65 (19)
Kestrel - 1
Robin - 1 (3)
Dunnock - 14 (7)
Blackbird - 0 (2)
Song Thrush - 1
Redwing - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Blue Tit - 35 (5)
Great Tit - 3 (1)
Long-tailed Tit - 7 (1)
Goldfinch - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Our first outing of the year fell short of expectations as it was windier than forecast with added showers again not forecast. We were joined by ERB and CPG so despite being tempted not to bother continued regardless. We were unable to work all the intended areas needing to be very close to nets in case it was necessary to clear nets quickly or push up.
It turned into a Dunnock day, only one Reed Bunting and one Yellowhammer with good numbers of buntings seen feeding in the areas we didn't cover due to the 20mph gusts and distance from our base.
Observations included Hen Harrier, male Sparrowhawk and several flocks of Pink footed and Brent geese.
Total: 23 (1)
Wren - 1
Robin - 2 (1)
Dunnock - 16
Blue Tit - 2
Reed Bunting - 1
Yellowhammer - 1