My First Day of Ringing!

I asked a local ringing group if I could come along to watch them ring birds. I was very much welcomed to come, so I met up with them at about 8am at a farm in Earl Stonham. Before I got there, they had caught 2 Bullfinch!!! Gutted.

We had a great day, catching 1 Blackbird, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap, and several Yellowhammers, Linnets, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. We also saw a resident breeding pair of Kingfisher, and 2 Swallows. A Lesser Whitethroat was right by the mist net, but wasn't tempted as it flew off in the other direction! The probable same 2 Bullfinch flew over, but not into our net. Shame....

Whats Happened to the Greenfinches?

Sorry about not posting as much as normal, but that will be the case now because I am back at school. If your wondering, I am having a great time back at school, and have still got plenty of friends, even with me giving them a bird update from the holidays. A vast majority just say "Moysie, I'm not interested in your birds!" I find that very hurtful. Jokes. Anyway, enough about school, lets get on with the birds. This is not going to be the most amusing of posts but it is worth looking at.

We have had a burial session for birds this last 2 weeks in the garden, because unfortunately, we have had 2 dead Greenfinch, and a very rare visitor to the garden was a dead Whitethroat under the Red tree, home to the past Willow Warbler. Here is a picture of one of the Greenfinches...

This exact bird was seen roosting and twitching in a bush over the top of this picture, so he obviously fell off the branch and died here. This disease is caused by trichomonosis. It has affected Chaffinches as well as the Greenfinch, but not as much. The other bird found dead was under the feeders. Why can't they be like this bird here...

Here's a video of a Greenfinch that doesn't look in a great condition, maybe carrying trichomonosis.

Check out this link for information on the Greenfinches decline - Greenfinches Decline

Moving on from the sad to the living birds, and highlights in the garden have been a group of 6 Magpies...

Here's one of them

Also, plenty of Starlings have been about, with a flock of about 100 flew over to roost.

A small flock of Starling on the roof

Also, the local Chiffchaff has been putting in appearances in the evenings. 

Chiffchaff in Garden

Highlights going to school have been a very low Common Buzzard, and plenty of Woodpeckers.

Happy Birding.