Very slow morning

Well although a month has passed it seems I am no better at predicting how the day of ringing will turn out. Opening the nets this morning the weather was cloudy and there was absolutely no wind - I thought that this would have been a good morning for a big day of ringing - but I was wrong. It was in fact a very slow day, with relatively few birds singing in the garden, and only 24 birds were ringed and 13 retraps measured. There were many net rounds which yielded no birds or only retraps from the earlier in the morning - bizarre considering the great conditions continued for the whole 8 hours.

No wind but no birds!

The new birds ringed were all the regular species from the past few weeks; Wrens, Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and one Goldcrest, Great Tit and Willow Warbler. Other than that a Tree Sparrow, Blackcap and two Linnets also featured.

The Tree Sparrow ringed this afternoon

I'm sad to say there's only one more day of ringing left for me at Gedser Fuglestation - I can't believe how quickly the month has gone! That gives me one more day to catch the European species I would love to ring more than anything - a Wryneck (Vendehals). I've got a good feeling tomorrow is the day I'm going to catch one. Then again, I couldn't even guess the outcome of today...

Here's to wishful thinking!

Breakdown 22/04/2015:
Wren (Gærdesmutte) - 2
Dunnock (Jernspurv) - 1
Robin (Rødhals) - 6
Blackbird (Solsort) - 2
Blackcap (Munk) - 1
Chiffchaff (Gransanger) - 6
Willow Warbler (Løvsanger) - 1
Goldcrest (Fuglekonge) - 1
Great Tit (Musvit) - 1
Tree Sparrow (Skovspurv) - 1
Linnet (Tornirisk) - 2
TOTAL = 24


Lizzy Joyce