Last weekend (1st March) I was down at Linacre for a ringing session, and yesterday (8th March), I was back again for a walk around the reservoirs.
The ringing session was quiet, with just 13 birds ringed: Great Tit 4/2, Coal Tit 0/2, Dunnock 1/0 and Lesser Redpoll 4/0. The Redpoll (125) were the best birds of the morning, being both the first record for Linacre in 2025, and being a "Year Tick". The retrap Great Tits had been ringed in 2023 and 2024, and the 2 retrap Coal Tits had both been ringed in 2024.
Yesterday's visit, in 5 degrees, and glorious sunshine, brought out the first Chiffchaff (126) record of 2025, with 2 singing birds. Other birds singing were: Robin, Dunnock, Song Thrush (3), Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Nuthatch, Coal and Great Tit and Wren. Other species seen were: Canada Goose (a pair on the top reservoir), Greylag Goose (a pair flying along the valley), Mallard (40), Mandarin Duck (6, including birds searching for nesting sites in the woodlands), Moorhen (7), Coot (10), Grey Wagtail (3), Great-crested Grebe (5 birds; a pair each on the bottom and middle reservoirs, and a single, calling bird, on the top reservoir), Cormorant (1 breeding plumaged bird on the top reservoir, Pheasant, Jay and Great-spotted Woodpecker (drumming).
