Frost
Monday, January 14th 2013
Frost covered the vegetation this morning and turned the heath from brown to white.
The Juniper trees were also white and if you look closely at the photograph you can see some strands of a spider's silken web coated in frost. Are these the remains of webs from late autumn or is there a spider hidden deep in the prickly leaves?
Frost and low temperatures can cause problems for the bird ringers as they put up the mist nets. The aluminium poles can become very brittle and break easily.
When the data from retrapped birds are entered into IPMR (the data handling programme) their first capture details are shown. From this information we can work out the age of the bird. Today we recorded a Blackbird that was six years old, a Long Tailed Tit that was at least 5 years old and a Coal Tit and Blue Tit both 6 years old.
In recent weeks there have been large numbers of Coal Tits caught. These birds have come in from the surrounding conifer blocks to feed.
Several Lesser Redpolls, some with bright red heads, were processed. A Chaffinch whose wing length and weight were greater than usual, raised the question 'Was it a migrant from Europe?'
Great Spotted Woodpeckers can be very loud when being handled. It is unusual for three to be in the ringing room at the same time and for them to be so quiet!
Visitors to the ringing room were briefed about ringing and the information we can gain from ringed birds. Children were encouraged to look closely at the birds and to try to identify them. There were many interested visitors today.
A ringing day is not complete without many cups of tea, a variety of food, bag counting and tidying up - many thanks to everyone who contributed throughout the day.
(1) Comments:
Help Support Foxglove
Friends of Foxglove
The Friends of Foxglove Covert is for those individuals, families and organisations who would like to support the reserve through an annual membership subscription. Friends receive a regular newsletter and invitations to attend our various activities and social events.
More DetailsUpcoming Events
CLOSURE: Monday 22nd April 2024
Wednesday 17th April 2024 |
Due to an important event occuring on the camp, Foxglove Covert LNR will be closed for one day only on Moday 22nd April.
The reserve will resume usual opening hours on Tuesday 23rd April.
Access to the Reserve: OPEN with limited access
Monday 18th March 2024 |
The reserve is now open, although again with limited access.
Visitors will be able to access the reserve with the use of key fobs provided at the pass office upon entrance to the camp, or will be provided entrance and exit through the access gate by an officer from the camp Guard Room. In this case visitors will need a mobile phone to call the Guard Room when they wish to exit the reserve.
Please be aware that due to these circumstances, entering and leaving the reserve might take a little longer than usual.
Undergrowth Newsletter
View All The Newsletters
Recent Blog Posts
- Dead Hedging
- Beautiful Bird Boxes!
- Completed Coppice
- Unconventional Scything
- Garden Birds
- Winter Fungi
- Winter highlights
- Happy 2024!
- Wonderful winter workers!
- Making A Start
- Visitor Information (Update)
- Autumn Crafts and Autumn Colours
- Weekend Waxcaps
- Meadows and Ponds
- Meet Foxglove’s New Ranger
- All Work and No Play?
- Field Centre open Sunday 15th October 12 noon - 4.00pm
- Paving the Way
- Getting further, faster - together…
- Brian’s Baler!
- Reserve closed Tuesday 26th September 2023
- The Revolution has begun!
- Learning to Scythe with Steve Tomlin
- A fine time was had by all!
- Bird Ringing
- Galls
- Late Summer into Autumn
- News from the North
- Thank you!
- A Quiet Walk
- Hanging Around
- Mipits
- Common Lizards Again!!
- Species
- Bird Ringing
- Keeping Your Eyes Open
- Weekend opening hours Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th August
- We are recruiting!
- Thank yous and Bye Bye
- When the Sun Comes Out
- Weather and Flora and Fauna
- Volunteers at Work
- More Photos from the BBQ
- Jenga
- Volunteer and Bye Bye BBQ
- Summer
- Summer Work
- More Wildlife
- Wildlife
- A Good Growing Season
- Weekend opening hours Sat 22 & Sun 23 July 2023
- Moth News
- Butterfly Roundup
- More Moths
- Butterflies and Moths
- Weekend opening Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July 2023
- Watching
- Juvenile Birds
- Common Lizards
- The Scrapes
- Nesting birds
- Ooohs and Ahhhs at the Moth Traps
- Co-operative Plants and Animals
- Summer Maintenance
- Moth Update
- Warm Days
- The Bees Return!
- June Flowers
- Lots of Legs
- Sharing Ideas
- Questions
- Caught Chasers!
- Some Bugs and Beasties
- Snow in June?
- Chasing the Chasers and Other Insects
- A Lesson - Perhaps?
- Small Nest Box Time
- Half Term Trail
- A Winding Way Through the Reserve
- Checking the Ponds
- Around the Reserve
- Moths and…
- Wildlife
- Living Creatures
- Roe Deer
- Dippers
- Dawn Chorus and Volunteering
- CES 1
- Hive of Activity
- Job Complete!
- Trial Run
- Flowers
- Natural England
- At Last
- Spring Sun Winter Wind
- Last Photos from Gibraltar and Shy Moorhens
- Winter or Spring?
- More Flowers and More from Gibraltar
- Reptiles
- Spring is Springing!
Blog Archive
- Blog Posts from - 2024
- Blog Posts from - 2023
- Blog Posts from - 2022
- Blog Posts from - 2021
- Blog Posts from - 2020
- Blog Posts from - 2019
- Blog Posts from - 2018
- Blog Posts from - 2017
- Blog Posts from - 2016
- Blog Posts from - 2015
- Blog Posts from - 2014
- Blog Posts from - 2013
- Blog Posts from - 2012
- Blog Posts from - 2011
- Blog Posts from - 2010
- Blog Posts from - 2009
Tony Crease responded on 14th Jan 2013 with...
Thank you to Elizabeth for scribing, to those who brought in butties, cakes and other stickies, to volunteers who cleaned out and counted the bags, to E again for writing the blog so often and for making fantastic quitled covers for the new magnifying glasses, and to Eleanor and Johanna’s Mum for helping to put out the nets - not forgetting those who helped with the visitors and the cleaning up. Quite a team effort very much appreciated.