Tuesday 3 December 2019

Ringing at Glyn Davies Wood.

Hello

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon David Arden spent some time in the Scaldwell Bay noting a Great White Egret, 5-6 Pintail, a Chiffchaff and a Water Rail.

Nick Parker was at Thrapston Pits today and saw the wintering Whooper Swan, two Great White Egrets and an 'aythya' duck hybrid (possibly a Tufted Duck x Pochard).

I saw the DIRFT3 Grey Great Shrike this afternoon, albeit distantly from the very wet Lilbourne Meadows Nature Reserve. I struggled to find anywhere to park on the industrial estate even though I could see the bridleway so decided for a wander around the reserve instead. Other birds included a Short-eared Owl sparring with a crow, a pair of Stonechat and a couple of Snipe.

A ringing session took place at Glyn Davies Wood in the far west of the county. This is a small plot of ancient woodland owned by the Banbury Ornithological Society but sadly a proportion of this woodland is expected to be lost if/when High Speed 2 progresses.

Some 160 birds were caught of eleven species today dominated by tits attracted to the woodland which included three Marsh Tits, seven Coal Tits and ten Long-tailed Tits. Other birds included four Goldcrests, five Nuthatches, a Song Thrush and ten Redwings.

Regards

Neil M



Great Tits are susceptible
to growths around the face,
head and belly...


Adult Blue Tit with an
aberrant bill growth. This
bird was newly ringed today
so we don't know at what
stage it's bill began to grow.
This bird was slightly underweight
and is probably very reliant on
the feeders maintained in the wood.

Images courtesy of Helen Franklin
and Chris Payne.



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