Slowing down

Following a reasonable end to the month of October, with a flurry of Reed Bunting and Redpoll at Fulwood, the first Brambling of the winter at Crosby Hall and a good yield of Goldcrest all round, the first week of November has been something of a disappointment.

Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis flammea)

First-year male Brambling (Fringilla montefringilla)

Migration seems to have all but ceased, with no real thrush numbers present at any of our sites, particularly Rimrose Valley that yielded the majority of last winters catch. There is also very little finch activity at any of our feeding stations with the titmice also demonstrating a concerted lack of interest.

However, Goldcrest have been an ever-present over the last few weeks and I really can't complain that one of my favourite birds has been the most-ringed in recent weeks. Interestingly, the majority of the Goldcrest have appeared to be migrants, with only one retrap from the previous week at Crosby Hall, the individual in question had a much lower body mass, was not carrying fat and had a muscle score of 2. The nine individuals ringed on Saturday all had a body mass >5.0g and a minimum of fat score 2, suggesting that they were passing through. No Firecrest though, that would have made my week!

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)

Crosby Hall

Goldcrest - 9 (1)
Blue Tit - 1 (1)
Great Tit - 4 (2)
Coal Tit - 1
Robin - 2
Chaffinch - 5 (1)
Song Thrush - 1
Blackbird - 3
Nuthatch - (1)

TOTAL: 26 (6)

Whilst the weather has been pretty mild recently, a late Red Admiral on Saturday and flowering blackberries are slightly surreal for early November. Despite the mild daytime temperatures, the signs of winter approach were evident on Sunday morning with the first significant frost of the winter.


Following a top up of the feeders on Saturday lunchtime, the signs looked good at Brook Vale for a session on Sunday morning, Chaffinch, Bullfinch and Greenfinches occupying the feeding station. However, Sunday turned out to be a pretty dismal session, the highlights of which were a single Goldcrest and two passing Whooper Swans.

Frost

Brook Vale

Goldcrest - 1
Blue Tit - 4 (2)
Great Tit - 1 (2)
Robin - 1 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Blackbird - 2
Greenfinch - 2

TOTAL: 12 (5)