Its ages since I caught any Lesser Redpolls, Carduelis flammea cabaret. It is another one of those species that just got scarcer, especially in this neck of the woods. So it came as a pleasant surprise to catch a couple in Will’s garden today when we grabbed an afternoon ringing session in fine weather between the bouts of wind and threatened rain. Will has noticed a movement of finches through his garden in the last few weeks, mainly Goldfinch and Chaffinch, but with small numbers of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll feeding on the black magic.
A couple of nets and three hours saw us catch 32 new birds: 14 Chaffinch, 14 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit and 2 Lesser Redpoll. We added to this with 9 retraps: 2 Chaffinch, 3 Great Tit, 3 Goldfinch and 1 Dunnock.
It was good to see birds reaching their colourful best today.
Male Lesser Redpoll
Female Lesser Redpoll
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Will told me that Nuthatches have nested in the garden for at least the last 11 years, as we watched them going off to a nearby stream to return with mud with which to plaster up the chosen tree hole. Both adults were caught earlier in the year.
Nuthatch
Other birds today included a single Swallow, singing Mistle Thrush, nesting Jackdaw and breeding Lapwing and Oystercatcher in adjacent fields.
A couple of nets and three hours saw us catch 32 new birds: 14 Chaffinch, 14 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit and 2 Lesser Redpoll. We added to this with 9 retraps: 2 Chaffinch, 3 Great Tit, 3 Goldfinch and 1 Dunnock.
It was good to see birds reaching their colourful best today.
Will told me that Nuthatches have nested in the garden for at least the last 11 years, as we watched them going off to a nearby stream to return with mud with which to plaster up the chosen tree hole. Both adults were caught earlier in the year.
Other birds today included a single Swallow, singing Mistle Thrush, nesting Jackdaw and breeding Lapwing and Oystercatcher in adjacent fields.
8 comments:
Beautiful captures! We saw goldfinches nd chaffinches in our garden for the first time for several months and a female blackcap for the first time ever! None of our garden visitors are ringed.
Strange birds to me, but the photos are lovely...Thanks for sharing.
Your goldfinch is very brightly coloured. Ours are bright yellow in season. Right now they are molting their olive winter feathers for the new season yellow. Happy Easter. Valerie
Great close-up views of all the birds. That nest is perfectly plastered.
Nice to have such great, up-close looks. I'm always taken aback by the difference in our goldfinches, but this is probably the best look I've ever gotten at one of yours.
Lovely photos Phil. I'm very envious of the Nuthatch - a bird we don't get in Ireland!
Great birds and photos! Love the Goldfinch and the Redpoll. They are all cute especially the nuthatch.
Redpolls are a bird I rarely saw back in Preston. A nice find........
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