13th October 2012

I went up to Haigh this morning with John G and put up a couple of nets. I have been baiting the area for over a week but was also hoping to draw in some passage birds and more Goldcrests. Passage was very disappointing considering the conditions with very few birds on the move. Only 4 Redpolls were seen 2 of which were caught. Other finches on the move were limited to small numbers of Greenfinches and even fewer Chaffinches and Goldfinches and some of these could have just been local feeding flights rather than migration. The first Fieldfare of the autumn flew north and few Song Thrushes dropped in with 5 or 6 blogging about in the tree tops for a while. Two Blackbirds also dropped in from height typical of migrants and a few Redwings were heard.

Greenfinches topped the totals but 9 Coal Tits and 8 Goldcrests came in a respectable second and third place for new birds ringed.

 

Messy eater, This Greenfinch has clearly been feeding on rose hips.

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

 

Haigh Hall Totals
Greenfinch  21
Coal Tit  9 (+4)
Goldcrest  8
Great Tit  5 (+5)
Blue Tit 2  (+5)
Chaffinch  3 (+1)
Nuthatch  1 (+2)
Lesser Redpoll  2
Goldfinch  1
Bullfinch  1
Wren  1
Total  55 (+17)

 

On getting home the calm conditions allowed me to put a net up in the garden; the 11 Goldfinches ringed bringing the total ringed there to 83 so far this autumn. 

Orrell Garden Totals

Goldfinch  11 (+1)
Collared Dove  2
Starling  1
Blackbird  1
Blue Tit  1
Total  16 (+1)