Ringing round-up

I have managed to fit in quite a bit of ringing in the last week although most of it has been in the garden. Siskins have continued to visit the feeders in good numbers with around 10 to 15 present at any one time. However there is clearly quite a bit of turnover and I have ringed another 49 in the last week and only retrapped 7. This brings the total ringed in the garden this year to 101 with all of them being caught in the last 3 weeks. It will be interesting to see if numbers remain the same or if they start to drop off with fine weather forecast for much of next week. Hopefully a few of these bird will get recovered on or near their breeding grounds in due course.

I had hoped that the Siskins and Goldfinches would attract some Redpolls into the garden but it hasn't happened yet. While they haven't found the garden they have found the nyger seed at one of my other baited sites with 8 being ringed there this morning. Now they have found this food supply I should be able to attract quite a few more over the next few weeks and with spring passage about to start this should include some birds that have wintered further south and are on their way back north.

One of the Lesser Redpolls caught and ringed this morning. 

Ringing totals for week ending 09/03/2014 with retraps in brackets-
Siskin 49 (7)
Lesser Redpoll 12
Chaffinch 5
Goldfinch 3
Bullfinch 1
Reed Bunting 1 (3)
Song Thrush 1
Blackbird 2 (1)
Dunnock (2)
Wren 1
Goldcrest 1
Treecreeper 1
Long-tailed Tit 2 (1)
Great Tit 3 (3)
Blue Tit 2 (5)
Coal Tit 1 (1)
Total 85 (+23 retraps)

Lesser Redpoll ringed 09/03/2014

Lesser Redpoll ringed 09/03/2014.