Tuesday 1 February 2022

Good weather finally! January 2021

 The month’s weather got off to a good start enabling the group to run six sessions.

The month's total of 204 captures was a site record; well ahead of the previous best of 161 in 2015. While there is much context to take into account I can say that it’s unusual to see tit flocks in large numbers at the site after Christmas.

Feather condition: we noted a couple of Great Tits with poor quality body feathers; possibly a result of an infestation (enough for us to sanitise after handling these individuals).

hello 


Ageing House Sparrow

Svensson’s Identification Guide to European Passerines notes that House Sparrows cannot be aged after the completion of the young post-juvenile moult and the adult post-breeding moult. Laurent Demongin’s Identification Guide to Birds in the Hand notes plumage differences that can be used to age males. So we gave it a go…