more on Long tailed Tits

Since early November a party of 11 to 13 Long tailers passed through the garden just after dawn and just before dusk every day so they were probably roosting very nearby. They still numbered 11 on 1st Jan and the four that were mist-netted were the heaviest I've ever recorded suggesting that they had put on weight in response to the start of the cold snap. Llanmill is in a frost hollow and on Sunday 4th the temperature dipped to below -10C, and by the morning the flock numbered 3. On Tuesday there was only one and none have been seen since. To me it seems that the cold wiped them out rather than poor condition of the birds, though it is difficult to be sure. We only saw three individuals all day on Saturday so I guess it's a similar story all over.

There was a large flock of Stock Doves (70) at Lampeter Velfrey in the same field as a large Chaffinch flock (3000+) also Bramblings and Reed Buntings. In the garden - 23 Siskins.