'Rishton Bird Observatory' - 29th December 2010

young male Great Spotted Woodpecker

I got a kind phone call off Mark Breaks whom was preparing to do in ringing session in Dave Bickerton's garden, inviting me to join them. I was certainly keen to go to the ringing session as I have just applied for a trainer to teach me how to ring birds. As a result, expect more frequent posting during my training phase.

I arrived at the apply christened 'Rishton Bird Observatory' to join Mark, Dave and John Wright to have a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon ringing garden birds. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to ring a great number of birds because the weather was much milder and it was also the afternoon so the garden became quite quiet. The best bird was a retrap Great Spotted Woodpecker which was trapped in one of the lower mist nets at the bottom of Dave's garden.

Thanks must go to Mark for inviting me, and thanks to Dave and Bernie for the hospitality and cups of tea!

Blue tit

It was great to see some fellow Lancashire birders as I've been fraternising with North Wales birders recently...and we can't have that ;)

I hope to get out tomorrow to see the Brockholes/River Ribble Smew before it disappears, as well as performing 2 tetrads for the BTO as a favour to Chris Batty.

This will therefore not be my last post before we enter into 2011, but I will wish everyone a very Happy New Year now and good luck in 2011 in finding some mega's!