
With rain almost every day at the start of the month followed by recent night-time temperatures at or below freezing, ringing has not really been an option. However, a dry forecast with light north-easterly winds was enough to drag me out of bed at 06:30 for the trip to SML. Despite a heavy frost first thing and a chilly day, even with clear skies throughout, the wind strength and direction was perfect from the point of view of targeting Chiffchaffs around the sewage works.
Prudently, as it happened, I only erected four nets. This was due, in part, to my having to carry all the ringing gear onto the site. Having nearly bogged my car in the soft ground at the beginning of the month, I wasn’t about to risk it a second time. The ground is still very wet so I trudged down the absolute minimum of equipment. This all took a bit longer than usual and it was 9am before the first birds were trapped. Things really picked up once the sun reached the western side of the sewage treatment works at around 10am and it was non-stop from then on.

In the end I processed 118 birds, a personal record for the site for me, including a record winter catch of 87 Chiffchaffs, two of which were tristis. To put the numbers into perspective, that’s one bird extracted, ringed, measured and weighed every two and a half minutes for the entire five hours the nets were open. Mouthfuls of coffee and the occasional bite of a sandwich had to be grabbed whenever the opportunity arose.
It’s a bit early in the season for any meaningful stats but, based on current data, my capture/recapture model is suggesting that this winter’s Chiffchaff population at SML could be over 250 birds! I’ve already trapped 147.
Totals: 87 Chiffchaff, 8 Firecrest, 6 Goldcrest, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 4 Robin, 3 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Blue Tit.