Monday, October 18, 2021
It’s a while since Andy and I met up at Oakenclough. I guess we have been busy with the Linnet project down Pilling way which is now on hold until the local outbreak of the avian flu gets jetted out of town by the experts from DEFRA.
About 12kms from the coast, outside the exclusion zone of the bird flu and on the edge of the Bowland birding during December and January can be quiet so we made no visits for weeks. Only recently did we start to feed here with Niger seed because as soon as the calendar heads into the shortest month we reckon to catch a few finches. These will include birds from the south and south east already making their way north even though it's just February.
So we met up at 0715 for a spot of overdue ringing with an uneventful session yielding just 11 birds of 4 species for the IPMR database: 6 Goldfinch, 2 Siskin, 2 Chaffinch and a single recapture of a Coal Tit from 2016.
Outdoor Office
Goldfinch
Siskin - first winter female
Siskin - adult male
Today's Input
Other birds seen this morning - 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 1 Pied Wagtail, 15 Oystercatcher, 15 Greylag, 18 Chaffinch, 1 Siskin.
Meanwhile and back at home, the painting is done and I persuaded Sue to invest in a birdy rug to keep my feet warm in the office. How’s that for dedication to the cause of birding?
Indoor Office