Granby, Sunday 24 February

Granby, of course, was much colder than Brack the day before and lived up to its Fridge Experience reputation. This time it was Duncan, Emma, Ruth, myself and Dave Hallam from Sheffield. Weather was around freezing, overcast, with light wind. These combined are good portents for ringing at a winter feeding station and so it more or less proved.

We processed 74 birds of 12 species, but again the Yellowhammer total of 17 birds was less than expected in these conditions and makes me wonder if they suffered in last summer's breeding season as badly as the tits and warblers. However, we had a few goodies in Green Woodpecker, Redwing, Treecreeper and Brambling to leaven the usual fare. Most notable retrap was a Yellowhammer from 2008, and we had the following from 2010: Yellowhammer, Blue Tit (2), Robin (2) and Great Tit.

Ringing totals were (new/retraps): Green Woodpecker 1/0, Redwing 1/0, Blackbird 5/2, Robin 2/5, Dunnock 0/2, Wren 1/0, Treecreeper 0/1, Blue Tit 1/7, Great Tit 6/9, Bullfinch 1/0, Brambling 1/0, Chaffinch 10/3, Yellowhammer 10/7.

Jim

Brambling, Treecreeper and Green Woodpecker (Ruth Walker)