Friday 12 April 2013

Long tails, red wings and a bit of movement

Recent ringing at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve has been largely quiet. Whilst a lot of feeding stations across the country are experiencing a large number of Redpolls, Siskins & Bramblings visiting them, mine are fairly empty (with none of the species just mentioned). It must be about Location, Location, Location, well that's how I've rationalised it!

Still, the effort has been worthwhile with:



Above: A controlled Long Tailed Tit. Presumably ringed locally (but a longer distance movement can't be ruled out). Hopefully I'll find out soon where it was ringed.


Above: A Redwing - a new species ringed at SSNR. Just the one was caught. There is a large push of Redwings & Fieldfare at the moment, migrating back towards the east/north east as they disappear back to their breeding grounds.

It was also good to ring the first two Goldfinch of the year (there has been a distinct lack of Goldfinch at my feeders for much of the last year).

Final news is of a ringing report that reached me of a Great Tit ringed on 04/10/11 at SSNR and was recaptured at Chalton by another IRG ringer, Graham, 173 days later on 25/03/12. A movement of 14km SW.

Our early summer migrants that come to Britain to breed have been somewhat delayed by the cold weather. Still, they've started to trickle in so there's hope to catch some this weekend (if the weather is ok). I saw a lonely Swallow last night at SSNR - there are definitely more to come!

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