Cold....at last

Finally....cold....snow....frost....ice.....ringing!

And occurring at a weekend too.....excellent....but how long will it last...…?

Anyway....has to be the best days ringing for some time....and I mean....some considerable time.....although not hitting the dizzy heights or yesteryear when ringing 50+ Redwing and 30+ Fieldfare was the standard for every visit...back then....at a Northiam orchard.....

Times have changed and moved along....so....surrounded by orchards here in Kent, th birds are widespread....even more so on 'nice' days when the feeding is good out in the fields and they don't need to be around an orchard, feeding on apples and grubbing around in the micro climate under the myriad of trees...…

A nice haul of 25 Redwings....my best result since moving to Kent.....and 6 Fieldfare.....and a few other birds in the mix...….

This Fieldfare....

                                                                                                                 ………is a male...

….and the feathers on the head tell us this....

The amount of black in each feather....the more black = male.....less black = female.....

The black would be more narrow and not so widespread from the shaft of the feather for a female....

Its also an adult.....

These tails feathers are broad at the tips which a juvenile would not have.....so although we don't know the exact age this bird was not hatched last year.....