September and October at Fygyn Common and Ffynnon Gro

I called my last post "Fygyn..... developing a new ringing site". I thought this time I would summarise the results from both my sites Fygyn Common and Ffynnon Gro for the months of September and October.
This year I have had fewer ringing sessions abroad and have had more time to ring at Fygyn Common in particular, the months from August to September producing some interesting birds and caught some new birds for this site as well.

Fygyn Common Totals

Species	New	Re-traps	Totals
Sparrowhawk	1		1
Green Woodpecker	1		1
Swallow	41		41
Tree Pipit	2		2
Meadow Pipit	115		115
Grey Wagtail	1		1
Wren	3	1	4
Dunnock	7	6	13
Robin	5	3	8
Stonechat	2		2
Blackbird	2		2
Song Thrush	1		1
Redwing	1		1
Grasshopper Warbler	1		1
Chiffchaff	14		14
Goldcrest	21	3	24
Long-tailed Tit	1		1
Willow Tit	1	7	8
Coal Tit	4	5	9
Blue Tit	33	9	42
Great Tit	11	8	19
Chaffinch	38	5	43
Goldfinch	7	6	13
Siskin	7	5	12
Bullfinch	8	1	9
Reed Bunting	4	1	5
Totals	332	60	392

The highlights of the ringing sessions at Fygyn Common were:-

The Green Woodpecker was a first for Fygyn Common and a new bird for me. It was totally unexpected even though I have seen a number of them about and have investigated with ringing friends and on the internet the best way to catch them. Within a few days of each other I also caught a male Great Spotted Woodpecker from my garden site at Ffynnon Gro 

This year has been the best since I started to ring at Fygyn Common for Grasshopper Warblers. The first to be caught was on 20/04/17, in total 12 birds were ringed 6 juveniles and 6 adults. 

I strongly suspect they have been breeding at the site.

The last bird caught was on 02/09/17 and was this scraggy looking adult above and as with some of the other birds they were probably on migration passage.

Not big numbers but 6 Tree Pipits have made a presence again this year, all juveniles. Again probably have bred on the site. They were first heard calling by Karen Meatyard from the Teifi Group in late Spring when she came to ring with me. 

More success with Meadow Pipits. They started to arrive in late August and increased in numbers and 115 being caught for September and October. The last bird caught was 30/10/17 and brought the total to 151 birds this year.

This picture just gives you some comparison between a Tree Pipit and a Meadow Pipit

Tree Pipit claw 6mm - 9mm, Stronger supercilium and bill is thicker and stumpier

Meadow Pipit claw 10mm - 13mm, weaker supercillium and the bill is finer.

First for the site this Grey Wagtail

My first Stonechat was caught in 2013 in a spring trap, many attempts since then has caught Robins but no more Stonechats but 2 birds were caught in mist nets this year, the one above in September.

        Ffynnon Gro Totals

Species	New	Re-traps	Totals
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1		1
Swallow	3		3
Wren	1		1
Dunnock	1	2	3
Robin		2	2
Blackbird	1	1	2
Mistle Thrush	3		3
Redwing	78		78
Chiffchaff	1		1
Goldcrest	2		2
Marsh Tit	2	2	4
Long-tailed Tit	3		3
Willow Tit	3		3
Coal Tit	7		7
Blue Tit	28	5	33
Great Tit	22	2	24
Nuthatch	1		1
House Sparrow	5		5
Chaffinch	10	1	11
Goldfinch	36	13	49
Siskin	4	5	9
Totals	212	33	245

                                                                                 

The highlights of the ringing sessions at Ffynnon Gro were:-

This male Great Spotted Woodpecker caught on 28/10/17 was a juvenile,  looking closely at its head you can still see some red juvenile feathers that have not moulted.

3 new Mistle Thrush have been caught in October which brings the total to 4 birds for this year and a total of 7 birds for the site.

Redwing, regular every year have shown up in bigger numbers with a total of 78 new birds, site total this year being 151. All the birds have been caught in my High Flyer and still birds fly over the top of the nets. Another project coming on I think.

Many thanks to all members of the Teifi Ringing group that came along to help this year and especially the last couple of months:- Karen Meatyard, Dawn Jay, Arfon Williams, trainee's Molly Heal, Andrew Hughes and Katie Dix. Their presence has given opportunities to increase the number of nets used and experiment netting arrangements in new areas. I enjoy their company and it's nice to have like minded people ringing with you.

I am looking forward and hoping that I may have Firecrest and YellowBrowed warbler this winter. Goldcrest have started to show on Fygyn Common. Woodcock and Snipe have also started to arrive, so catching any of these species would be special.