Sunday April 4 - One Swallow doesn't make a summer

 A beautiful sunny morning with a very light westerly breeze. Dave joined me for the first time since January. Tony and Leigh were ringing on site. Surely between us we would be able to conjure up a few birds. 

There were certainly plenty of Chiffchaffs singing, and also a couple of male Blackcaps defied my attempts to photograph them. We also saw one of two female Blackcaps the ringers had caught in the hand.

By the time we reached the flash field it was looking like being another quiet one. Then a Swallow flew north, hastily heading home. We counted three Shelduck, 17 Teal, two Lapwings and a few Coots, Moorhens, and geese before a closer look at the nearest flash revealed that the pair of Avocets were still present, and a Little Ringed Plover too.

Lapwing, Coot, and Little Ringed Plover

A few butterflies were on the wing, but it was a bit too cold, so I switched to photographing a few flowering plants.

Silver Birch catkins

Coltsfoot

I am making (yet another) attempt to teach myself plant identification this year.

The ringing data are now in.

Song Thrush - per Tony & Leigh Kelly

Blue Tit    -    2

Great Tit    -    6 (4)

Long-tailed Tit    -    1

Chiffchaff    -    3

Blackcap    -    2

Song Thrush    -    1

Dunnock    -    2 (1)

Goldfinch    -    4 (1)

Reed Bunting    -    2

They also caught a Bullfinch, but unfortunately it showed signs of disease to its legs, so could not be ringed. The disease in question is typically caught by birds like Chaffinches which feed on the ground beneath feeders, so it's rather surprising that a Bullfinch should contract it. They prefer not to feed on the ground.

A good tip for preventing this problem, as well as regularly cleaning your bird-feeders, is to periodically relocate them within your garden. This limits the build up of discarded seed in one spot. I move mine about every three or four weeks.