Sledgehammers

After a disappointing start to the season, I was determined to get out ringing at the weekend. Saturday morning was out due to other commitments and with the big snow event on Saturday evening the chances of getting to our site Sunday were not looking good.

Freezing cold

An early drive, on roads you could have sledged down, paid off as all the muppet drivers were still in bed. On arrival it was -9, by far the coldest I’ve ever ringed in, so I decide just the one net would suffice today. Targeting Yellowhammers at one of our large corn feeders I managed to pick off 14 more with 7 retraps from previous years. Hopefully, it’ll be cold but not quiet so cold next weekend.

18 New birds and (15 retraps) – Yellowhammer 14(7), Dunnock (4), Chaffinch 1(1), Tree Sparrow 1(1), Great Tit 1, Reed Bunting 1, Robin (1), Blackbird (1).

Here comes the sun

What a change in the weather compared to Thursday – It felt very spring like today. Nets opened in front of the grain feeders and nets I’ve recently inherited inspected and repaired between net rounds.

23 New birds and (12) retraps – Yellowhammer 16(9), Reed Bunting 3(1), Dunnock 1(1), Great Tit 1, Long-tailed Tit 1, Blue Tit 1, Tree Sparrow (1).

Hammer drill

It was a bitterly cold today. I opened the nets with Chris and three of his students - They came with the hope of ringing a few Yellowhammers and that’s what they got.

55 New birds and (20) retraps – Yellowhammer 40(5), Reed Bunting 2(5), Goldfinch 2(4), Chaffinch 3(1), Tree Sparrow 2(1), Great Tit 3, Blue Tit 2, Treecreeper 1, Dunnock (3), Song Thrush (1).

Stop... Hammer time!

With my newly found ‘c’ permit freedom, I’ve been making the most of the glimpses of spring this week to net in front of corn feeders at Bishop Monkton and over in Wharfedale. We’re attracting a healthy number of Yellowhammers at Bishop Monkton with flocks into treble figures. We’re also sighting a Barn Owl every time we’re down there – On Thursday afternoon there were great views of it hunting for over 2 hours.

Once again, many thanks to all those who have given up their time to help me gain my ‘c’ permit – particularly Dave and Andy with whom I’ve clocked up over 100 ringing sessions so far.

24 New birds and (10) retraps – Yellowhammer 9(2), Reed Bunting 6(3), Goldfinch 3(2), Brambling 2, Blue Tit 2, Tree Sparrow 1(1), Great Tit 1, Dunnock (2).

It’s grim up north

The week started well with 27 Waxwings in the tree behind my house. Hastily I turned my garden into a fruit salad but they’ve not been back since.

This mornings plan to check and maintain Barn Owl boxes with Andy was delayed to the afternoon due to the amount of snow falling. In the end we managed to check around 10 boxes – No Barn Owls present but there were recent pellets in a couple of boxes so fingers crossed for the spring. We’ve also had regular Barn Owl sightings in 5 locations now including one on the fringe of Bishop Monkton.

Yellowhammers are now using our feeder that we erected down Harewood way at the backend of summer. Hopefully, we’ll get some ringing done there during the week.

A flying start to the New Year

I was away doing the relatives thing but some of the team did get out and they had a great start to the New Year. They made a significant dent in the 60 strong flock of Yellowhammers that are frequenting our feeders and they also ringed Mistle Thrush which is a new species for the site - With records going back nearly 30 years a rare event!

64 New birds and (12) retraps – Blackbird (1), Blue Tit 9, Brambling 1, Chaffinch 1, Fieldfare 5, Goldfinch 1, Great Tit 3(1), Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Marsh Tit 1, Mistle Thrush 1, Redwing (1) Reed Bunting 8(3), Robin (1), Tree Sparrow 3, Yellowhammer 31(1).

Mince pie burn

With the harsh weather and with me being away we’d not ringed for a while so it was good to get out for a couple of hours this afternoon for our final ringing session of the year.

19 New birds and (10) retraps – Blackbird 1(1), Chaffinch 4, Dunnock 1(6), Reed Bunting 3(1), Robin (1), Treecreeper (1), Yellowhammer 10.

Deckchairs out

After a frosty start it soon warmed up and there were plenty of birds about - Our first Chiffchaff of the year was heard. 49 new birds and (15 retraps).

Tree Sparrow 4 (1), Blackbird (1), Reed Bunting 14 (6), Dunnock 1 (3), Goldfinch 13 (1), Yellowhammer 13 (3), Robin 1, Meadow Pipit 1, Chaffinch 2

Yellowhammer - Ringed on 21/03/2010 - Dave Bowes

Chaffinch - Ringed on 2/03/2010

Spring at last

After a bitterly cold winter it was good to put the nets up in some warm sunshine for a change. 8 new birds and (10 retraps).

Reed Bunting 1 (4), Goldfinch 5 (1), Chaffinch 1, Yellowhammer 1, Robin (1), Dunnock (4)

Yellowhammer - Ringed on 13/03/2009

Gone skiing

While I haven’t been ringing this week (to busy skiing) I did get chance to fill the smaller feeders up at our site; they’ve taken quite a hit recently. Amongst the birds still around were numerous Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer - Dave’s heading down with the tractor tomorrow to fill the larger grain feeders so hopefully we’ll get the weather to ring the birds I saw in the next few weeks.

The big freeze continues to draw birds to our towns and cities; ticks for my garden and work (Leeds centre) this week included the occasional Fieldfare and now frequent Redwing.

Nyjer Feeders (A Smith)

Here come the Redpoll

It was quiet at first today so we got the breakfast on. At that point, Redpoll started flying into the net at a rate of about one a minute and they were even flying in as we stood there extracting the rest of the flock.

We passed one of Dave’s sneaky tests today - He extracted a Redwing without us knowing and hung the bag up amongst the Song Thrushes to see if we’d notice.

Also, I got to ring my first Yellowhammer and DZ got to ring his first Jay.

Yellowhammer ringed on 17 October 2009 (A Smith)

132 Birds ringed in total. Wren (7), Dunnock (4), Robin (2), Blackbird (11), Song Thrush (13), Redwing (4), Great Tit (1), Jay (1), Tree Sparrow (19), Greenfinch (2), Goldfinch (11), Lesser Redpoll (56), Yellowhammer (1).

Rain stops play

From the outset, rain was on the horizon today so fewer nets were opened than usual. As there didn’t appear to be many birds around we started to set up a run of chicken wire for catching water rail later in the season – as we were setting up we heard one squeal! Our plan was soon abandoned as a large flock of birds hit the net at our feeding station. Birds caught included a Yellowhammer & Chaffinch that we ringed last autumn. After that the rain set in.

48 Birds ringed in total. Goldfinch (34), Blackcap (1), Meadow Pipit (4), Yellowhammer (1), Tree Sparrow (7), Wren (1).