First Bird Ringing Day of 2012

A lovely morning greeted the bird ringers on their first ringing day of 2012.  The wind had dropped considerably.

These Roe Deer were walking along the moorland fence and not being blown away!

During the day the weather remainded calm and dry and the birds were removed from the nets and processed in the ringing room.  Visitors saw a Treecreeper and a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the hand whilst children took the opportunity to release some Chaffinches under supervision.

Several new Coal Tits were ringed.  It has already been mentioned on the blog that the number of Coal Tits ringed at Foxglove has increased over the years.  In 1993, the first full year of ringing, 31 Coal Tits were ringed and in 2011 there were 232!  The reasons for this increase were discussed and included feeding and the fact that nest boxes had been put up around the reserve that the Coal Tits have used.  At least one of the Coal Tits retrapped today was over 5 years old.

By the end of the day over 150 birds had been processed and the number of Chaffinches ringed on the reserve had topped the 7000 mark.

Dusk was just falling as the staff and volunteers left - the days are lengthening!