Trying

I missed two ringing sessions. Tuesday was half-term duties and then on Wednesday I had to wait in for the heating engineer. 

Andy was out on both days when he caught the first Chiffchaff of spring, several Meadow Pipits, half a dozen each of both Siskin and Lesser Redpoll and the usual bits & bobs of Dunnocks, Robins and Blue Tits. 

Wednesday was a chance to catch up with spring and the example set by Andy. We met up at 0630 to a gentle south-easterly and hopeful vibes, but 2° with an ice warning on the dashboard said otherwise. And so it was, with just 7 birds caught in more than three hours - 3 Goldfinch, 1 Siskin, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Meadow Pipit and 1 Goldcrest. The latter was our first of the spring and now some two weeks later than normal.

Meadow Pipit 

Goldcrest 

Siskin

The tiny and quite stunning Siskin is a species that ringers like to catch. 

It is also one of the bird success stories of recent years. Since the 1950s the maturation of new conifer plantations has aided the spread of breeding Siskins throughout the UK from their previous stronghold in the Scottish Highlands. 

The Siskins' habit of using garden feeders, especially in late winter, has developed since the 1960s and despite many winter birds in gardens migrating to the Baltic region to breed, may also have helped boost the UK breeding population. 

 The 1988-91 Breeding Atlas identified a major expansion of the breeding range into southern Britain and subsequently there have been further considerable range gains, especially in the south and west. The 1970s and 1980s saw more Common Bird Census plots occupied but samples were insufficient for annual monitoring until Breeding Bird Survey began in 1994. 

Results since then show parallel fluctuations of populations both in England and Scotland. To some extent this probably reflects the occasional large continental influxes affecting spring numbers on a broad UK scale. 

As might be expected from the figures above, this morning’s visible migration was nil. But all was not lost. On the way home and at 11 am I spotted a day hunting Barn Owl across distant fields. I spent twenty minutes or more watching as the owl ranged far and wide, high and low in search of a meal before it seemed to head back home. 

Barn Owl 

Barn Owl

Barn Owl 

It wasn’t the most successful morning but nice to finish on a Barn Owl high. More soon – stay tuned. 

Linking today to World Bird Wednesday,  Anni's Birding Blog and Eileen's Blog.