Billinge: 1st - 4th November 2017

The new month started with a better than expected catch of 50 birds but numbers were much lower over the following 3 days and only resulted a combined capture total of 49. Early November can be quite productive but it looks like migration is drawing to a close a little earlier this year, although there could still be enough of interest to make occasional visits worthwhile right through to the end of the month.

Ist November
Ringing highlights included a Blackcap, a Fieldfare, 15 Goldcrest and a control Lesser Redpoll. Interestingly, the Redpoll was one I had encountered before; it was originally ringed on 03/04/14 in Llanfyllin, Powys, North Wales and subsequently recaptured at Crawford five times in spring/summer 2015, and again at Crawford in spring 2016. The ringing site at Crawford is only a couple of kilometres from the site Billinge but the distance from Llanfyllin to Billinge is 88km NNE. Sightings of note included a Woodcock, 4 Crossbills heading SSW and hundreds of Chaffinches heading north.

Now we are in November there is an increasingly likelihood that any Blackcap caught is an arriving winter visitor rather than a late departing summer visitor.

2nd November
A relatively short and quiet session with only 17 birds caught but a small movement of Lesser Redpolls resulted in 7 being ringed. This was made all the more remarkable by the fact that they were all adults. I have previously remarked on the unusually high proportion of adult Redpolls recorded at Billinge this autumn but a total absence of first-year birds in a catch of that size is unprecedented in my experience. A total of only 2 Goldcrest was also noteworthy because it contrasted sharply with the 15 ringed the previous day.

Adult male Lesser Redpoll.

I don't usually mention movements of Pink-footed Geese as they are a regular occurrence over the site at this time of year and may involve local feeding movements as well as cross country migration.

There are around 290 Pink-feet in this photo.

3rd November
Another quiet session that had a real end of season feel to it. Only 12 birds were caught of 4 species but they did included another Lesser Redpoll and yes it was another adult.

4th November
A slight improvement in both numbers and variety with 20 birds of 7 species being handled. A Blackcap was the best the nets produced but a noisy Hawfinch, that gave good views as it headed NNE at close range, was the standout highlight of the session. The penultimate bird ringed was a Lesser Redpoll and no prizes for guessing it was yet another adult. I have caught 12 Lesser Redpolls so far this month and every one has been an adult which is exceptional to say the least. On the theme of adults a Goldcrest that had been ringed as a juvenile in July 2016 was recaptured and provided another opportunity to photograph and show the tail shape of a known adult.

Adult female Lesser Redpoll 04/11/17

This adult had very rounded tail feathers but some adults can have tail feathers that are a bit more pointed in shape but still with a slightly rounded tip. In either case they always look very fresh at this time of year.

Another known age adult Goldcrest that has a relatively pointed shape to the tail feathers.  This tail shape is probably quite common in adults and why it is safest to leave intermediates unaged as recommended by Svensson.

It is just as pointed whichever way you look at it. JJH333 was ringed as a 3J on 12/07/16 which confirmed it was an adult when retrapped 04/11/17.

Combined ringing totals (retraps/controls in brackets) for the period were: Goldcrest 22(4); Blue Tit 5 (3); Willow Tit (1); Long-tailed Tit 3; Blackcap 2; Fieldfare 1; Song Thrush 1; Redwing 31; Robin (1); Dunnock 1; Chaffinch 9; Lesser Redpoll 11(1) Goldfinch 3. Total 89 new birds, 9 retraps and 1 control.

0 to 40 in around 4 hours,

The arrival of the New Year means the ringing totals start again at zero so I was pleased to be able to get out to Crawford this morning for my first ringing session of 2016. I have been feeding the site for about 3 weeks now but the dreadful weather of late has limited opportunities to do any ringing there or anywhere else for that matter. The forecast on the run up to this morning had been for a frosty start with only a light south easterly breeze but it changed and the breeze was light to moderate at first and increased as the morning went on. The stronger breeze caused the nets to billow and ripple more than I would have liked but this was partially offset by full cloud cover which developed just as it came light. The cold temperature coupled with stronger breeze also made it feel very raw especially when compared with the comparatively balmy conditions of December; I was certainly left feeling a layer of clothing short.

I had 3 nets set up just after 8:00am, a 14 m and 18 m in a line by the eastern hedge and a 6 m set in the side of a large willow, with a new Blackbird being caught before I had finished setting up. This was quickly followed by a new Fieldfare, a new Chaffinch, 2 new Goldfinches and 2 retrap Robins in the first full round. The number of finches present increased with the light levels until there was a mixed flock of about 60 visiting the feeders; Goldfinches being the dominant species by far.

Adult female Fieldfare. 

Greenfinches were poorly represented (maximum of 12) and their decline, largely due to trichomonosis, doesn't seem to have bottomed out yet. This begs the question how low will they go as it wasn't that many years ago when they were the dominant species at nearly every feeding station and in every garden that provided peanuts and or sunflower seeds in some form. During the winter of 1996-97 I ringed 711 Greenfinches at a feeding station not that far from Crawford and rarely used more than one 18m net, such was their abundance at that time. The UK population of Greenfinches has declined by millions and while it may not have been the largest decline in percentage terms it probably has been one of the largest in terms of overall numbers. Yesterday's common or even 'pest' species can easily become tomorrow's Dodo or Passenger Pigeon and we should never loose sight of that.

Enough of the depressing stuff and it was a fairly productive morning despite the paucity of Greenfinches. By the time I packed up, late morning, I had caught 40 new birds and only six retraps with most being caught in the 6 m net. Goldfinches easily took top slot with a very respectable 30 new birds and 3 retraps (originally ringed 15/06/14, 27/04/15 & 18/12/15) making up the bulk of the totals. Had it been calmer I would have probably caught even more but it doesn't seem to take much of a breeze to make the nets by the eastern hedge more obvious and easy for the birds to avoid. Ringing totals for the morning (retraps in brackets) were: Blackbird 2; Fieldfare 1; Robin (2); Blue Tit 1 (1); Chaffinch 3; Greenfinch 3; Goldfinch 30 (3). Total 40 new birds and 6 retraps.

Male Goldfinch
(I doubt anyone would disagree with the sex of this bird)

Female Goldfinch
(oh yes it is as we are in pantomime season)

Male Goldfinch
(I doubt anyone would disagree with the sex of this bird either)

Male Goldfinch
(A mix of red, orange and paler feathers but a male nevertheless)

Male Goldfinch
(and oh yes it is even though the extent of the red is similar to the female 3 images above)

Female Goldfinch
This first winter female had a wing length of just over 80 mm (not quite 80.5) so beware if you sex some of your Goldfinches on size or use size to sway you. 

All of the Goldfinches were aged quite easily but sexing was a different matter and a few needed a bit more consideration than others. I was unsure of the sex of four birds although I suspect all of these were females and I provisionally sexed them as such. The most interesting Goldfinch was a very obvious female with a wing length of just over 80 mm, as it emphasised that size has very limited use when sexing this species (I checked the wing length more than once if you are wondering). I used to be confident that birds with a wing length of 80 mm or more were male and while that may be correct most of the time it is not 100% accurate as this bird shows.

The most numerous species seen during the morning was Pink-footed Goose with at least 800 feeding in and moving between the fields adjacent to the ringing site. The largest flock gathered in a harvested potato field just across the road from the ringing site. Geese that feed in this area seem to be fairly accustomed to people using the footpaths on the adjacent roads and well walked public footpaths and will tolerate a fairly close approach. A large flight of geese is a birding spectacle that is hard to beat and just seeing these geese would have been a great start to the New Year on its own.

Happy New Year

Crawford - 9th, 13th and 14th December

The 9th was the calm before the storm or the over hyped 'weather bomb' as it was portrayed in the media. I had to take relatives to Liverpool early that morning and thought my chances of going out ringing would be scuppered as a result. Luckily the traffic wasn't too bad and I was able to get back, get my gear and put one net up at Crawford with about twenty minutes to spare before sunrise.

Looking south east from the ringing site as the sun was about to rise on 9th December. I miss more of these photo opportunities than I capture as the best colours only last a short time and I am often busy setting up or ringing .

Given it was a later start than I would have liked and I was only using one 18m net the morning's catch of thrushes was much better than expected. In fact it turned out to be one of the best in terms of birds caught per metre of net used. Redwings were present in good number and made up the bulk of the catch. A few small flocks of Fieldfares made an appearance from time to time but they always approached quite cautiously and I only managed to catch one. Ringing totals (retraps in brackets) for 9th December were: Redwing 41; Filedfare 1; Blackbird 4 (1); Great Tit 1.

The 13th was the calm after the storm and I should have had the luxury of more time but I hadn't allowed for the frost. The frost had been forecast but it came after rain so it took much longer to de-ice the car than expected. I also had to drive to the site slowly as most of the roads were very icy and hadn't been gritted. I set up 2 nets this time but I needn't have bothered with the extra net as it only caught one Redwing. The catching rate was slower than the previous visit, not helped by the frost and overall sunnier conditions, but I still ended up with a reasonable catch of 18 Redwings. Three of the Redwings were fairly good candidates for the Icelandic race 'coburni' and one of these stood out in particular. Ringing totals for 13th December were: Redwing 18.

Redwing ring number RL86268 was one of 3 birds that showed characters of the Icelandic race 'coburni' and certainly had the blotchiest markings which included the breast and flanks. The undertail coverts were also noticeably more heavily marked and the legs and feet were browner than a typical 'iliacus' which have pinkish legs and feet. I would love to have the race confirmed, or not, from DNA but I will just have to hope one is subsequently recovered in Iceland or that I catch one that has been ringed in Iceland.

Redwing ring number RL86268, not as dark as the two birds caught at Billinge (post here) but darker and blotchier than most. Plus it was fairly long winged.

Redwing ring number RL86268

Redwing ring number RL86268

A fairly typical 'iliacus' caught the same day for comparison.

I hadn't planned on going ringing on the 14th but land owner had his granddaughter visiting and she is really keen on wildlife so I said I would go, weather permitting. The forecast was a bit 'iffy' with the wind due to increase and bringing in heavy showers but when I got up it was dry and much less windy than forecast. The rainfall radar also indicated that the showers would hold off for an hour or two so I decided to give it a go. The showers actually held off for much longer than I expected and the wind remained light so a budding naturalist got to see her first Redwings in the hand.

It is always worth giving ringing demonstrations to encourage the next generation to develop an interest in birds and wildlife.

There seemed to be more thrushes around than the previous day and the catching rate was fairly steady until a male Sparrowhawk turned up and unsettled everything. Birds started to come back after a little while but then a female Sparrowhawk appeared and patrolled up and down the hedgerows near the net so I decided it was time to pack up. I had thought I would get rained off but in the end I was Sparrowhawked off just before the rain arrived. Ringing totals for 14th December were: Redwing 24; Blackbird 1 (1).

With berry crops like this on some of the hawthorns it is hardly surprising there are plenty of thrushes around.

The fields around the ringing site are used for feeding by large numbers of Pink-footed Geese and around 1,200 geese have been present on each of my recent visits. Even though I expect them to be around I can't help but look up every time I hear them flying over. There is something magic about large flights of wild geese and there is no doubt that most if not all of these birds have come from Iceland.

Pink-footed Geese dropping in to feed.

Just a few Pink-footed Geese.

Part of a long line of Pink-footed Geese that had been disturbed from their chosen field.

Redwings, Redwings and more Redwings.

Redwings continued to pour over Billinge following the first big arrival on the 14th (post here) and a total of around 4,500 birds were estimated to have moved through during the period 15th to 18th. The biggest movement was on the 15th when upwards of 1500 were recorded during the morning with most going south. Counts were hampered by fog on the 16th and mist the next day but the weather didn't stop the Redwings from moving through in force on both days. Passage was almost as strong on the 18th despite a stiff southwesterly with 600+ heading south.The total number of birds involved will have been far higher as counts or estimates were only made during morning ringing sessions and some birds continued to move through in the afternoons and overnight.

Redwing, the bird of the week.

One Redwing had an unusual tail that looked like it had been dipped in white paint.

Some Redwings were well marked like this bird.

In direct contrast very few Redwings were recorded this morning with around 50 going south in the 2 hours from first light. This limited movement seemed to have stopped by 9am when the westerly wind became even stronger. Anyway I can't complain as it has been an impressive and memorable movement of Redwings and the ringing totals aren't bad either.

While the Redwings stole the show there were some notable numbers of Pink-footed Geese crossing the site on feeding flights. Skeins numbering in the low hundreds were seen on several days and at least 700 moved back and forth for a time on the 17th. The 17th also saw the first 2 Fieldfares go south. Small numbers of Song Thrush were also noted amongst the Redwings with around 10 to 15 being the most seen on any one day and few Mistle Thrush were also recorded going southeast. The Stonechats have continued to favour the same area and at least 5 were still present this morning and feeding just as voraciously.

Pink-footed Geese

The largest group of skeins couldn't be captured in one photo but this shot gives a flavour of the numbers of geese involved.

Normal Song Thrush (continental bird)

Not so normal Song Thrush. The face looks a bit Mistle Thrush like. Is it just a pigment abnormality or could it be a possible hybrid. Size wise it was typical of Song Thrush so I presume the former.

The Stonechats spent a lot of time fly catching as some good sized flies were on offer.

....and here is one in action, homing in on one of those big flies.

Male Stonechat, they are stunning little birds.

27/10/13 - Calm before the storm

I have been a bit preoccupied in one way or another over the last couple of weeks and hence the lack of posts. However, I haven't been totally idle but most of my ringing has been focused on the Goldfinches in the garden; more of that later. Other birding has been very limited and has been largely confined to birds seen in the course of doing other things. You can take me out of good habitat but you can't take the habit out of me, I will watch birds anywhere I can.

Anyway, yesterday I went to Martin Mere for a change of scenery and while I didn't see anything unexpected it didn't disappoint. Ruff weaved their way through loafing Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Shelduck and Mallard. A Marsh Harrier put in regular appearances as it quartered the area. Whooper Swans may have had a good breeding season given the number of juveniles in the family parties seen. Last but not least there were the Pink-feet, lots and lots of Pink-feet. There is something magical about large flocks of birds especially when they number in the thousands.


Ruff 26/10/13

Ruff 26/10/13

A record shot of Marsh Harrier 26/10/13

Pink-footed Geese

lots of Pink-footed Geese

This morning the change in the hour caught me out and I was up earlier than planned. The weather equally caught me out as there was no rain and very little wind in the shelter of the garden. I decided to take advantage of these unexpected conditions and put the usual 20ft net up. A couple of hours later I had caught 20 birds including 13 new Goldfinches. This brings the total number of Goldfinches ringed in the garden this autumn to 234.

While this is a good number it is the plumage variations of the sexes and ages that really interests me.  The more I look the more problematic this species seems to be especially in terms of sexing. Ageing is relatively easy at this time of year but gets more difficult towards the spring. I now make a point of taking photographs of many of the birds I catch including the face, back of head, wing coverts and tail. What this will lead to I am not sure yet but I confidently sex fewer birds than I used to.

D725947 Goldfinch. This bird was just completing its primary moult and in conjunction with the adult tail shape made ageing straightforward. As for its sex most of the characters lean towards female except for red extending well behind the eye. This is one of those ambiguous birds but on balance I would expect it to prove to be a female if retrapped during the breeding season. Trouble is most of us don't conveniently retrap such birds during the breeding season to be able to confirm their sex.

D725377 juvenile Goldfinch. A probable male even though the red feathers of the face are still growing. Black nasal hairs, neatly fringed black lesser coverts and broad, pure black stripe to rear of crown are generally male features. The 2 old greater coverts and pointed shape of the tail being obvious juvenile features. This bird has 3 white sub-terminal patches on the tail. This has been put forward as an adult feature in some published work and a feature of males in a more recent paper. I think it will prove to be a predominantly male feature but not exclusively so and have other photos that I think will prove that. I now don't think there is one plumage feature or a combination of features that will ever allow the sexing of all Goldfinches. Easy ones will always be easy but there will always be a significant proportion of ambiguous individuals that should be left unsexed.

The much forecast storm doesn't seem to be heading our way now with no rain and hardly a leaf moving on the trees as I type. It looks like it will track across the south of the country and it remains to be seen if it will live up to any of the hype it has been given over the past few days. If we don't get the wind and rain perhaps I will kick up a little storm of my own with my views on ageing and sexing Goldfinches.

I nearly forgot to mention that I nipped on to Orrell Water Park this afternoon to check through the Black-headed Gulls. The only ringed bird amongst the 75 or so present was the German ringed bird that I recorded 14 times last winter. Interestingly the first record last year was also on the 27th of October! The previously published recovery details can be found by clicking here.



IA141745 Black-headed Gull Orrell Water Park 27/10/13