Long Hedge - Sat 2nd Feb

2CY female Blackbird, wing 134mm
Decided to have a morning's ringing in the Sheep Pen plantation. Was bright and sunny but the wind started to get up as the morning wore on. Had to re-arrange the vegetation in places to get the nets in. Target = winter migrants.
6 LTTs were retrapped in 2 groups of 3 - a pair + helper. The 2nd lot included birds from Sept & Oct 2003! A fem. Robin did not have a BP, unlike the one last week. Did manage to trap 5 Blackbirds, 4 of which were big enough to be continentals. They also have more ogcs than our native birds and often weigh 10 gms more, too. 9 of the 11 caught here this month look like "johnny foreigners". Weather permitting, we'll have another go elsewhere next weekend.