Testing Time: Friday, 28th February 2025

New sites are always worth exploring. However, it is a good idea to have a reconnaissance visit beforehand: to see where the birds are, how they access the site and, therefore, the best places to set the nets. Laura has been asking me to carry out a session at her property for quite a while now. With the weather scuppering all previous attempts, but looking fine for this morning, we agreed to try it out today. However, that, having not visited the site before, meant that I (we) was trusting to luck with my net setting.

I arrived on site at 7:30 and we set the following nets:

The first bird out of the nets was a Goldfinch: encouraging. Unfortunately, that was the only one we caught this morning. However, that was down to how I placed the nets. There were plenty of them around but they just flew around or over the net. I have already decided what changes to make to make it less easy for them to avoid being caught.

Unsurprisingly, the major part of the catch comprised Blue Tits. Equally unsurprising, there were no retrapped birds. The list for the morning was: Blue Tit 11: Great Tit 1; Long-tailed Tit 1; Dunnock 2; Robin 1; Blackbird 1; Goldfinch 1. Total: 18 birds ringed and processed from 7 species.

There were plenty of bounce outs and a couple of other near misses: most frustratingly was a Pied Wagtail that flew up to the net, had a look, and flew away. There was plenty coming in and out of the garden: including a couple each of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Woodpigeon.

During the quiet times I showed Laura my method for net-mending: one of those tedious, never-ending tasks but, with new 18m nets costing close to £140, it is pretty essential to try and keep them going for as long as possible. Laura has volunteered to help me out, and I am very grateful.

I think that the site will be very productive: I know where to set my nets now to maximise the catch and, having coffee and bacon butties on hand, it is an absolute must for repeat sessions!

We closed the nets at midday reasonably satisfied with the result, but looking forward to having another go now I have a better idea of where to set the nets.