The latest update from network member David Price who monitors at Dunsford Wood, Dartmoor.
With all the cold, wet weather and the gale force winds over the past two days, I set off this morning with some trepidation as to how birds had fared trying to feed young. It wasn't actually too bad - most of the tits were big enough to put up with a couple of days of cold weather and a "light" diet for a day or two. The first brood of Pied Flys had one dead - but it was the runt of the brood, and the second was similar. However all the rest had come through relatively unscathed. Several Blue Tit broods had fledged - hopefully not in the middle of the worst of the weather on Monday afternoon. One brood of 10 "exploded" on me - had hardly opened the lid and they were all out! Pleased to see that they were all very competent fliers, and were straight into begging for food on various branches - the adults were a bit phased by this, but soon got stuck in. The remaining paltry survivors of Great Tit broods are close to fledging, not a great year for their productivity I'd guess.
Managed to ring some more Pied Flycatcher broods, and catch a few more males birds. One bird at Box 21 foiled me at my second attempt - he obviously wasn't much into child care. Was flitting about a fair bit, calling and occasionally singing, but wasn't going to bother providing food for his offspring. As a result of capturing the male at Box 32 have detected yet another potentially unattached male - singing away whilst the breeding bird was safely ensconced in a bag. ...continue reading "June 3rd update from Dunsford Wood"