Saturday, January 31, 2009

Saturday 31st January

Fingers:

2 Shoveler
6 Little Grebe
2 Teal (1f)
~10 Siskins in the Alders around the Crescent
4 Reed Buntings in the crescent

Drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees opposite the Canoe Slalom.

Main Lake:

86 Pochard (15f)
8 Tufted (1f)
22 Shoveler
12 Cormorant
1 Great Crested Grebe

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Feeding Station - Thurs 29th Jan

Jason has returned from his two year stay in Vilnius; so he joined EN to continue his training.

First net round was at 10:00 and the last at 12:00. A 40' at the old feeders & a 30' at the new feeders. Some squirrel activity. 28 birds netted of which 12 were new birds (and 16 were re-traps)

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker

Today's tally was (new/rt):
Gt Spot 1/0 (a male, see photos), Dunnock 0/1, Robin 0/1, LTT 0/5, Blue Tit 2/6 (incl. 2 from Box 1), Gt. Tit 8/3 (6 new ad.M, 2 new imm.F & 2 new ad.F), Treecreeper 1/0. The number of new GT was not expected; they probably come from further afield than the immediate park, drawn in to the feeders ("civilisation") as the winter progresses.



Treecreeper (JRC)

Other birds seen - 1 Stock Dove, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 GBB Gull, 1 Goldcrest & 20+ House Sparrows (count) near the VC.

We need some new 'Woodcrete' style nest boxes of both hole sizes (CJW's are cheaper @ £20) and to have them erected by the end of next month. The 'peckers may leave them alone, then.
Quantity needed - 10, and another 10 for next year? The wooden boxes have been up 7 years now and are quickly becoming useless for nesting.