First Speckled Wood of the year in the garden this afternoon

Had my first fix of Lincolnshire birding for the year this week. Family holiday near Donna Nook. Bagged the Grebe-Diver trio at Covenham and some nice waders including 11 Avocet at Saltfleet and 3 Knot + 18 Blackwit at DN, and seven roosting whoopers @lincsbirding.bsky.social

@lincsbirding.bsky.social
7 Whooper Swan flew in from west and landed on marsh at Donna Nook around 1740 this evening

Clouded Drab, Hebrew Characters and Common Quakers

First moth trap of the year last night. Never trapped in Feb before, usually barely worth the effort in March in the garden! Nice Orthosia mix though, 7 moths total!

One in the tops of the sycamores at sea view this morning too.

As it's a British ring reckon you'll just be missing the first 2 letters (rather than numbers). Upside down doesn't help matters!

Keep hoping those Scaup get bored and hop over to Colwick!

Pale blue bill base indicates male, along with dark eye colour

Pink bill base indicates female. Also note pale iris and generally lighter eye colour

Adult female type breast patterning

Starling arriving in the garden in small numbers now. Photos compare male and female birds in hand. Male with dark eye & blue lower mandible, female with pale eye ring and pink LM. #birdringing

Good job Ravens aren't sensitive, otherwise they would get upset by being considered unremarkable.

Exactly how I got my first of the year at the weekend!

When I started ringing wintering Blackcaps in my garden around 5 years ago, I was surprised at the turnover of birds, many unringed birds coming in after ringing others

Doh. 7JJ is Danish. Sorry Denmark.

7JJ (taken in 2020)

7JJ (taken in 2023)

254C. Shaky phonescope

Dutch 7JJ from Trent Bridge this week - my 3rd sighting since it was ringed in 2016. Also 2nd Center Parcs bird of the season 254C, on the ice at Colwick Park.

Hi Ian, it's a 1. Just checked on bird ringing database and with a 7, nothing comes up. Nice work! 👍

@lufbrabirder.bsky.social fyi Steve, theres a midlands mini league on patch birding this year! Noticed your patches were in the southern league. I just want a bit of competition!

Had my annual trip to colour-ring BHG at Center Parcs today. Bit quiet with only 5 caught about half the average catch.
Cheers @nuttytussock.bsky.social & Dean
#birdringing
#ukbirding

First Blackcaps of the winter ringed in the garden this morning, 2 females. Control Goldfinch also a nice Boxing Day Bonus #ringing #ukbirding

Lithuanian-ringed Black-headed Gull (photo from Feb 2023)

2 ringed BHG seen yesterday lunchtime at Stoke Bardolph. Both previously recorded. A 14yo Lithuanian bird and a 16yo Swedish bird #crbirding #ridibundus #ukbirding

Beautiful evening stroll at Gedling CP, looking for Short-eared Owl. No luck but a Barn Owl was a good consolation, and a couple of Snipe bombing about #nottsbirding

Ringed more than ever in my garden this year, many broods resulting in loads of juvs. All disappeared, but Im not ruling out the local cat population... Several new birds in this week though

Ah right where I'm based then! Work with farmers around the area and always wondered if there were ringers around as did once consider a bit of a owl box project. Nearest I got was just ringing the kestrels at work in Wilson!

Very nice. Wondered if much ringing went on in S Derbyshire, as I work around there. Where are you operating, out of interest?

Pleasant morning yesterday ringing at Gedling CP. Meadow pipits giving me the finger, but at least there were Reed Buntings and Linnets to keep me happy. First Redwing of autumn and a Raven also of note #birdringing #nottsbirding

First post.
Had a Shieldbug tick yesterday...Gorse Shieldbug in the garden.
That's it
#ukbugs