More Linacre Nestbox News

Last weekend I was down at Linacre checking the nestboxes (see here), and managed to ring the first chicks of 2015, a brood of Blue Tits. Well, this morning I was back again with 3 other members of the Sorby Breck Ringing Group, and between us we managed to ring another 4 broods of chicks; 3 more Blue Tits and 1 Great Tit. One of the Blue Tit broods was 12 strong, which is always good to see! There were several other broods present that were a little too small to ring, along with several more clutches of eggs, so another visit or two will be needed to ring them all. The possible mixed clutch pictured last week was still being incubated, so we don't yet know what's in there! 

Last week, we found a Wren's nest in one of the boxes with 3 eggs, and today it was still going strong and contained 5 eggs. Also last week, we found a Blackbird's nest, which had 1 egg in it. Against all odds, it was still present today, and contained not 1, but 5 warm eggs!

Blackbird's nest

I think the egg on the far left is starting to hatch. What do you think? As always, I'm keeping everything crossed for this nest.  

The outcome of all nests will, as always, be forwarded to the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

Whilst walking around the reservoirs we saw a female Mandarin Duck with 5 ducklings, a Coot sitting on a nest (my first for the year here), a couple of Swifts, a fly-over Grey Heron and hundreds of tadpoles swimming in the shallow water by the boardwalk on the top reservoir. I also heard and saw my first Linacre Whitethroat of 2015, that was singing by the Rangers' Base when I arrived on site.