The weather forecast changed to a more positive aspect last night and although we couldn’t get to Rawcliffe Moss because today was a shoot day, Will and I and I decided to visit our woodland site near Lancaster. It’s not quite like catching Redwing and Fieldfare but at least we might be able to increase the Goldcrest and Chaffinch totals. We put up just three nets in easy locations because some clearance of rides is needed after the summer’s growth before we embark on anything more ambitious.
We caught just 20 birds, 19 new and one recapture, a Goldcrest from last week. New birds today, 9 Goldcrest which made 20 in the last 7 days, 4 Great Tit, and one each of Robin, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Song Thrush.
It was a cold morning, one of those mornings when birds are sometimes a little slow or reluctant to leave the hand. In fact it is a very cold and dark bit of woodland where the sun takes some time to filter through to where we ring, hence the rather dark background to some images.
Other birds of the woodland today: 2 Nuthatch, several Coal Tit and several Jay, a Buzzard, but small numbers only of Chaffinch and Blackbird, probably until the leaves and the beech mast drop.
I had to pass Conder Green on the way back at 1115 am, and although the tide partly filled the creek, a peek on the pool revealed 3 Spotted Redshank, but too far away for a picture.
