Ffynnon Gro Whoosh netting.

The plan was to have a ringing session in the garden this morning with my Whoosh net in the lower garden and a 20ft mist net near my feeders by the house. I set up my Whoosh net, yesterday afternoon, read for today. I put some bread in the trapping zone and again topped it up before first light this morning. I also put up the mist net yesterday and furled it ready for this morning.

Much to my surprise within half and hour of it being light I caught the first bird, this little beauty above. If I am not mistaken this Jay is the first in my garden with the Whoosh net this year having been busy ringing elsewhere.

The second bird to be caught was this Magpie. This is the first one for my garden and only me second one I have ever caught. A Juvenile based on the black area at the point of the first primary feather. These were the only birds to be caught in the Whoosh net today although I just missed out on a Crow.

The mist net was quite productive albeit there was a huge amount of Blue tits. The male Bullfinch is the third for my garden. You can clearly see the moult of the Greater Coverts the grey coloured being the new feathers.

The above Willow tit is the fourth for the garden having had three about four weeks ago. Typical characteristics which can be seen in the picture are the pale pain in the wing and the absence of a white spot on the mandible.

Only one Goldfinch which was a surprise This bird was a juvenile male. It had 2 old Greater Coverts and the red behind the eye and black hazel feather indicate a male.

The Treecreeper is not a common visitor to the garden.

Species	New	Re- trap	Totals
Jay	1		1
Magpie	1		1
Blut Tit	17	1	18
House Sparrow	1		1
Great Tit	3	1	4
Coal Tit	1		1
Willow Tit	1	1	2
Goldfinch	1		1
Bullfinch	1		1
Teecreeper	1		1
Robin		1	1
Totals	28	4	32

11species in the garden today I thought was a good result.