Pied Fly Morning

This morning Nikki and I made what we thought would be our last visit to check our boxes in the Hodder Valley. The aim of the morning was to ring the four broods of Pied Flycatchers that were left and a couple of broods of Blue Tits. Amazingly the Blue Tits that were a little too small last week were now too big and had obviously developed very well with the better weather we have had this week.

We managed to ring three broods of Pied Flycatchers; an 8, 6 and a 5, totalling 19. There was another brood of 8 that had only recently hatched that were too small, so I will call in the week when I am working out that way.

 Nikki ringing a Pied Flycatcher chick

Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher nest

This afternoon Gail and I went to the Nature Park to trim three net rides in preparation for some ringing there - hopefully! I had hoped that we might have got there tomorrow, but the forecast (wind strength) is a bit marginal when you are meeting on site at 4.00 a.m.! If it's a late start, as in the autumn and winter, you can just get up and make a decision in the morning, but when it's a 3.15 a.m. alarm call it's a different story altogether!

 One of the cleared net rides

I carried out a butterfly survey on a lowland common yesterday afternoon and could you believe it that I didn't record a single butterfly when it was 24 degrees with 100% sunshine! I did try and photograph a Kestrel as I walked round and I have included a few shots below.

In case you haven't noticed I have posted the latest Fylde Ringing Group ringing totals in the side bar.