Brackenhurst, Sunday 10 April

With one of the hardest frosts of the winter(!), Duncan and I set up the nets at Brackenhurst yesterday. I guess I was thinking we’d catch about 30 birds and then take the poles and guys down, and not return until next winter. So it was a nice surprise, to handle 45 birds and it would have been more if the south-westerly breeze had not billowed the mist nets. Highlights were:-

• Yellowhammer – getting decent number of them for a change, with 17 being processed. 15 of them were males, I guess the females must be on territory?
• Goldcrest – we ringed a young female which weighed 6.6g and assumed it was breeding. However, it had a fat score of 4, so presumably was a migrant? 
• Chiffchaffs - several singing males and three were ringed.
• Retraps - the most interesting were a male chaffinch that was born in 2009 or earlier and a Robin from 2013 that lives in Orwin's.

Sightings – birds about included Tawny Owl, Willow Warbler, Green Woodpecker and Fieldfare. Always nice, on the shoulder of the summer, to get a mix of winter departures and summer arrivals.

Totals as follows: 45 birds processed (36 new/9retrap), breaking down as follows: Wren 1/0, Dunnock 1/0, Robin 0/1, Chiffchaff 3/0, Goldcrest 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 1/0, Blue Tit 2/3, Great Tit 0/2, Tree Sparrow 2/0, Chaffinch 8/1, Yellowhammer 15/2, Reed Bunting 2/0.

15 of the 17 Yellowhammers were male!