Monday 18 February 2013

Mud 'n' Muntjac

A cold bright day with little or no wind was the forecast. So a morning's ringing was on the agenda.
I arrived at the reservoir at 07:15 and there were around 30 birds at the feeders, mainly Tits and Tree Sparrows with one or two finches and buntings mixed in.
Five nets erected and the following 37 birds processed:
New / Retraps

Wren - 0/1
Robin - 0/4
Blackbird - 1/0
Coal Tit - 1/0
Blue Tit - 1/4
Great Tit - 3/5
Tree Sparrow - 5/9
Chaffinch - 0/1
Reed Bunting - 0/2

A Sparrowhawk was in one net and out again quicker than I could get to it. Fieldfares were in good voice with 60 going over and a Green Woodpecker was also vocal.
A Muntjac came close to the car on two occassions and wandered through the reservoir gates at one point. I thought it would be better left to walk quietly through rather than spook it and have a very large hole in my net. As luck would have it, there were no Muntjac size holes in the nets on the next net round.
Apart from the very muddy conditions it was an enjoyable morning.

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