Bird-ringing at Feckenham

Just before this spell of cold and wet weather set in we were lucky enough to get a morning of bird ringing in at FWM. 

Tony Kelly, who has ringed at the reserve before, set up a number of nets along the path through and on the edge of the reed bed. Nothing particularly interesting but we did manage 15 birds in total over a period of two to three hours: 10 great tits, 2 blue tits, 2 long-tailed tits and 1 chiffchaff (their first of the year). I guess that it was still a little early although we did see reedbuntings that morning and we've had willow warbler, which was earlier than last year. There are also more chiffchaff than at this time last year. 


With this spell of cold and wet weather I don't expect to see or hear our reed and sedge warblers just yet but who knows.


Other new arrivals are our resident little grebes and a pair of tufted ducks. There have been good numbers of bumblebees about on the Sallow and we did have a curlew fly over a couple of weeks ago. Good numbers of early butterflies include peacock, small tortoiseshell and both male and female brimstone.

Hopefully we'll be able to start out butterfly and dragonfly recording soon, providing the weather warms up again. I hope to hear our first cuckoo of the year in the middle of April.

Paul, Feckenham Wylde Moor