Saturday, January 26, 2008

Sat 26-01-08

As it was a nice day but quite windy still, decided to try something different. Set up 3 nets in the fenced flower meadow, north of Fingers. A bit slow to start with but a Jay across the concrete bridge was unexpected - and followed by a second was a mega surprise. Followed them down to the Sedgewick seat, where the first (a male?) displayed to the second (a female?). They were seen several times later, one following the other. Will they nest somewhere along the Long Hedge this year, I wonder?
Caught a pair of Robins and ringed them on opposite legs (male, right; female, left). Three Siskins flew over and we could hear two different Redpolls along the Navigation. The female Goldeneye on "big fingers" was proclaimed to us by DK; it stayed all day, along with a Wigeon for company at one point. Two Little Grebe were close to the nets. Mute Swans were overflying most of the day; I had counted 56 on the far side of the main lake on my arrival at the VC at 8am.
A small party of Goldfinches passed to and fro. A Green Woodpecker kept calling on and off all day somewhere nearby and we only saw the one Gt. Spot. Two lots of two Lottis were caught at lunch time. In the afternoon, we caught two immature (2CY) Blackbirds, both with 6ogc, both 'long-winged' - must be "foreigners"! Two Redwing were high in the ash trees, so no hope there.
During the day, as we wandered about between net rounds, we saw three different male Sparrs; the defending male, a young, brown upstart and a pale contender.

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