October 2022 has, in numbers terms been better than 2021 by almost a hundred birds, with 382 individuals of 26 species ringed. However, certain species we would have expected good numbers of have not arrived. Thrushes have been in low numbers this autumn and this is reflected by the fact that we've ringed less than half the numbers of blackbird, song thrush and redwing this autumn. Robins are also almost 50% down on last year. Finches have done marginally better, with common (mealy) redpoll actually being ringed this year and lesser redpoll numbers 4 times as high as 2021. Chaffinches are slightly up and brambling are up by 400% . . . which is less impressive when you consider that's a jump from 1 bird to 5 . . on one morning.
On the positive side, we did ring our 3rd ever jack snipe this October, a healthy first year. 36 house martin ringed is the largest number we've done since 2011 and the first double figure count since 2017. Entirely made up of first years, as we'd expect. 20 meadow pipits is a significant jump from 2 last October, but they're an unpredictable species whose numbers passing Landguard fluctuate significantly, so that probably means little. A nice group of 13 long-tailed tits were a pleasant surprise and the biggest number we've had here in the whole of the last two years.
|
Species |
No.
ringed |
|
Lesser
Redpoll |
43 |
|
Blackcap |
38 |
|
House
Martin |
36 |
|
Blue
Tit |
31 |
|
Goldcrest |
28 |
|
Robin |
25 |
|
Great
Tit |
23 |
|
Blackbird |
23 |
|
Chiffchaff |
21 |
|
Meadow
Pipit |
20 |
|
Chaffinch |
16 |
|
Long-tailed Tit |
15 |
|
Wren |
14 |
|
Song
Thrush |
10 |
|
Grey
Wagtail |
7 |
|
Goldfinch |
6 |
|
Brambling |
5 |
|
House
Sparrow |
4 |
|
Redwing |
4 |
|
Firecrest |
3 |
|
Dunnock |
3 |
|
Common
Redpoll |
2 |
|
Cetti's
Warbler |
1 |
|
Reed
Bunting |
1 |
|
Great
Spotted Woodpecker |
1 |
|
Starling
|
1 |
|
Jack
Snipe |
1 |
|
Total |
382 |