Monday 28 December 2009

Brrr…it’s cold

Today I wrapped up warm and went out ringing down Otley Gravel Pits with Andy from Wharfedale and Calderdale Wild Bird Ringing. We ringed Blue Tit, Dunnock, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Robin, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Treecreeper and Kingfisher.

Andy also showed me where he had trapped Water Rail in previous years and to our surprise we got to see one there today – we may try and trap it in the next few days.

Bullfinch - Ringed on 28 December 2009 (A Smith)

Sunday 13 December 2009

Good weather at last!

If you’ve been wondering why we’ve been a bit quiet over the last month or so it’s because it has been raining a bit lately and our ringing site floods badly. At the height of the recent floods some of our feeding stations were completely submerged - They’re about the same height as me!

Two of our group did manage to put a net up by one of our feeders for a short while this morning. It was a slow morning with only 14 birds ringed.