Given the weather recently it has been quite some achievement to get out to all five of our Braydon Forest woodland sites in the last three weeks. Somerford Common is, perhaps, our most varied woodland site. It is certainly the only one that is home to a wallaby! On Monday I optimistically set up a feeding station in the paddock area, hoping that some of the Lesser Redpoll might find it before Wednesday. Forlorn hope! A couple of Blue and Great Tits did but nothing else. Next time!
I was joined for the session by Andrew and Alice, and Steph joined us after the school run. Our first bird of the day, not caught unfortunately, was a Woodcock which was put up from its roost as we went to set up the first couple of nets. They usually roost inside the paddock, not adjacent to the path.
Despite the lack of Lesser Redpoll, it was good morning session. Once again, Goldcrests were present in good numbers. This is looking like being our best ever year for them in the Braydon Forest, already matching the previous best with two months to go.
Although we caught two of them, they were not the Marsh Tits that were conspicuously calling adjacent to our ringing station! Hopefully next time.
The list for the session was: Blue Tit 4(3); Great Tit 3; Coal Tit (1); Marsh Tit (2); Wren 1(3); Song Thrush 1; Goldcrest 12(2). Totals: 21 birds ringed from 5 species; 11 birds recaptured from 5 species, making 32 birds processed from 7 species.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 