A new venture

After scoping out a new site (a field with a cover crop near Sandy Smith Nature Reserve) and gaining permission to ring there (thanks Chris), I had to wait a while before the weather decided to produce ringing conditions.

Whilst snow was still on the ground, I had seen at least 300 birds including species such as Reed Buntings, Linnets, Lesser Redpolls, Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Green Woodpeckers, Goldfinch, Blackbirds and Chaffinches in the cover crop. I was sure at least some of the species were catchable and could include birds ringed at SSNR.

The weather finally relented yesterday and despite the weather being a lot milder and fewer birds being about, I did well.

Totals: 70 birds of 11 species comprising of 66 new and 4 retraps (retraps in brackets below):

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (0)

Dunnock 6 (0)

Robin 1 (0)

Blackbird 1 (0)

Blue Tit 6 (1) - retrap ringed at SSNR 15/07/12, 209 days ago

Great Tit 1 (0)

Chaffinch 4 (1) - retrap ringed at SSNR 24/11/12, 77 days ago

Goldfinch 1 (0)

Lesser Redpoll 1 (0)

Reed Bunting 41 (2) - both retraps ringed at SSNR 11/03/12, 335 days ago

Yellowhammer 3 (0)

A few record photographs:

Above: A female Reed Bunting 

I hadn't expected so many Reed Buntings (I didn't use binoculars or count numbers of each species when I looked at the site) but I'm not complaining... any large catch of Reed Buntings is a red letter day around these parts!

Above: A male Chaffinch

I had expected more Chaffinch to be about, perhaps one of the species that had dispersed since the cold snap (there were fewer Goldfinch too). I did expect to catch a retrap Chaffinch from SSNR where I have ringed 83 in the last few years and I did, albeit a recent one. If I get my timing right, I'm sure there'll be more Chaffinch to ring and retrap.

Above: A male Reed Bunting

From 10 birds ringed at SSNR in the few years, it was nice to retrap 2 of them - both ringed at the same time on the same day. With no retrap records for either site for this species prior to yesterday, the second of the 2 is now the longevity record for both sites by virtue it was recaught a couple of hours later than the first.

Above: A Blue Tit 

Catching Blue Tits I'd ringed at SSNR was inevitable really. They must pass between my feeders at SSNR and the residents feeders at Beadlow - they're only a kilometre apart. The retrapped bird was only retrapped for the first time, perhaps showing it prefers the feeders at Beadlow!

Above: A Great Tit

The nets weren't in the ideal position for catching passing Blue & Great Tits but that obviously didn't matter.



Above: A female Yellowhammer

I have ringed Yellowhammer before (East Yorkshire & Cambridgeshire) but have never caught my own. Yellowhammers have been declining rapidly since the 1980's and may well continue to do so. You can read more about the decline of Yellowhammers on the BTO website here.

Above: A male Lesser Redpoll

I had hoped for a few more of these, but given the milder conditions and location of my nets, this wasn't altogether a surprise.



Above: A Goldfinch



The Goldfinch I had seen before on this site must have dispersed as a lot fewer were seen this time.



Above: A Robin

I'd only seen one Robin here and I saw it collecting nesting material and taking it back to an ivy clad tree. Perhaps this was the one I saw?

Today, the weather has worsened (yet again) so it's chores, chores, chores.... and preparing the equipment for the next ringing session. I have a few pleasant diversions such as remembering yesterdays session, playing the X Box and the England rugby match is on later (though whether this is a pleasant diversion depends on the result!).

Recoveries

I received an interesting recovery this week involving a female Blackcap ringed at Priory Country Park on 14/09/11 (one of 25 that day). It was controlled at Portland Bill, Dorset on 28th April 2012.

Above: A library picture of a female Blackcap

Looking back at the database for Priory, there have been a number of recoveries involving Blackcaps, but most involve birds caught leaving the country in the South East (e.g. Kent, Icklesham). This is the first recovery of a Priory CP ringed Blackcap caught entering the country on migration (the only feasible explanation for the location and timing), and this is in the South West.

There is clearly a migration pattern going on here, perhaps to do with strategy and or wind direction.

In other news, I caught a control Corn Bunting the other week. It will be interesting to see where that has come from - they are a sedentary species. The BTO online recoveries report shows that there have been no previous recoveries in Bedfordshire (either ringed here and found elsewhere - or vice versa). Up to 2011, there have only been 96 recoveries nationally.

Above: The controlled Corn Bunting

Above: A sunset at Priory Country Park.

Now to get on with catching more birds with other peoples rings on and ring plenty so that other people can catch them! That is, if this wind will calm down....

My bird ringing in 2012 - Sandy Smith NR review

Top of the bill (no pun intended) at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR) for 2012 has to go to:

Above: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

It was a year with a number of highlights - 11 new species on the ringing list for SSNR, 3 birds ringed elsewhere caught here and 1 bird ringed here caught elsewhere.

Again, the weather played a part in being able to get out and in breeding success for the birds. Whitethroat, in particular, suffered badly from the rain (as I will show later).

In comparing 2011 and 2012, the overall totals do not give a truthful comparison. Overall, more effort went into ringing SSNR in 2012. This came in the form of longer ringing sessions, one or two more nets at times and as I get more proficient at targeting species, numbers of those species have gone up. As an example, Whitethroat numbers were down in 2012 because of poor breeding but Lesser Redpoll numbers jumped this autumn because I had more success with that species.

Total New: 533 Total Retrap: 469 Overall Total: 1002 New for Year: 621 No. of species: 37

2012 Highlights:

The new species were: Brambling (1), Mistle Thrush (1), Starling (3), Linnet (1), Common Redpoll (1), House Martin (1), Goldcrest (8), Jackdaw (1), Magpie (1), Nuthatch (1) & Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (1).

I won't add photographs of all the new species but here are a few of my favourites:

Above: A House Martin

Above: A Brambling

Above: A Mistle Thrush

The first controlled bird for this site came in February - it was a Chaffinch originally ringed near Little Fen, South Lopham, Norfolk on 23rd May 2010. Next, a Chiffchaff ringed at SSNR in July was controlled in Letchworth in late August.

And then in December, 2 foreign ringed birds turned up (my first foreign ones): a Blackcap with a Strasbourg ring and a week later, a Siskin with a Brussels ring. This data has been submitted to the BTO and I eagerly await the original ringing details.

Above: An adult female Siskin with a Brussels scheme ring on.

I have calculated the amount of effort gone into ringing sessions by counting the hours between first and last capture. This is therefore a minium number as the nets can be up for a while before and after first and last capture.

Total hours in 2012 = 244.25 (38 visits at an average of 6.5 hours per visit) compared to a total in 2011 = 181.25 (36 visits at an average of 5 hours per visit). Fewer new birds were ringed (533) compared to 2011 (693), so the overall total has a greater proportion of retraps.

As for the species:

Apart from Blue and Great Tits that come to the feeding station, Common Whitethroat is the most often ringed species for the site. 2011 was a very good breeding year with 118 birds ringed, but in comparison, 2012 was too wet for them and breeding was largely unsuccessful. Only 6 juveniles were ringed (of 18 new birds) compared to 86 juveniles in 2011 (of 118 new birds). Effort during April to August was 14 visits in 2012 compared to 17 in 2011 so this works out very similar when taking average visit length into account.
More Blackbirds and Song Thrushes were ringed in 2012 as more effort has gone into catching these (apples have worked well).

Despite more effort, fewer Goldfinch have been visiting the feeding station (food has been available on the same basis as 2011).

No Meadow Pipits were caught this year. I did try once, but the conditions weren't ideal. I had two successful attempts in 2011.

No Grasshopper Warblers were ringed this year as none were present in my normal ringing area. At least 2 reeling males were elsewhere on site. 2011 may turn out to have been exceptional as weather conditions in April when they arrived were ideal, whereas 2012 weather was far from ideal. Additionally, some may have, of course, not made it through the winter (where ever they spend it!).

Lastly, longevity records for the site were broken this year. There is nothing spectacular in these and at this stage of the project, it is to be expected. Here are a few selections:

A Great Spotted Woodpecker at 1 year, 348 days.
A Whitethroat at 2 years and 5 days
A Long Tailed Tit at 2 years and 80 days
A Blue Tit at 2 years 26 days
A Great Tit at 2 years 105 days
A Chaffinch at 1 year, 279 days

My first ringing session for the year produced 5 new birds and 5 retraps. A slow start! As I am writing this, I am looking out the window and it is snowing (as it has been all day) so no ringing has been done this weekend). Fingers crossed for next weekend (and the rest of the year!).

My bird ringing in 2012 - Priory CP Review

Well, the weather made it a tough year - and not just for me - for the birds too. Massive amounts of rain over the spring and summer meant breeding was not very successful for most species, but those that could find enough food (Blackbird being one of them) did well. A few planned ringing sessions got cancelled too but I found enough gaps inbetween the wet and windy spells to put more effort in than last year.

The Constant Effort Scheme was operated again (it has been going for 20 years now). Unlike many other people who take part in this scheme across the country, I was among the few who completed all 12 timed visits (plus a couple of extra).

Some effort was put in trying to catch House Martins and Swallows next to the main lake. However, several attempts proved a complete failure. Not a single bird of any species were caught! Unusually low numbers of hirundines (swallows & martins) were passing through on return migration after a poor breeding year and this, along with perhaps choosing a poor site for catching these species, left me scratching my head. There's always next year!

It was my intention to ring at a feeding station during the autumn/winter. New, squirrel proof feeders were required and duly bought. They had been up about a month before they disappeared. It was quite a while before I found 1 and a half of them deep in the brambles. The other 1 1/2 are out there somewhere I'm sure. However, given their disappearance and the cost of replacing them, the feeding station idea was abandoned for this winter.

Total birds handled at Priory CP in 2012 were as follows:

Total New: 640 Total Retrap: 346 Overall total: 986 New for year: 767 No. of species: 33

A species list (along with no.'s of each caught in 2012 can be found on the Priory Country Park page of this blog or by clicking here).

Of special note are the following:

1. A Corn Bunting was ringed (the first at Priory since 3 were caught and ringed in 1991). This was a new species for me and more effort will go into catching this species in the future. Corn Buntings are on the decline and their conservation status in the UK is RED because of a historical decline in numbers and more recently, a breeding population decline. They are hard to catch and I doubt that many have been ringed in Bedfordshire - there has definitely been no recoveries of this species in Bedfordshire as the BTO online ringing reports confirm. However, there will be more about this species in a later post...

Above: A Corn Bunting

2. Only the second Kestrel to be ringed at Priory was caught in 2012. Unusually, the bird was frequenting the area around the ringing site and perching low down in the trees. The first was ringed in 2003.

3. Only the second Jay to be ringed at Priory was caught this year (the first was ringed in 2000). This year was unusual in that there was an 'erruption' or mass migration of Jays across the country. Record numbers were being observed migrating. There is conjecture as to whether these birds are foreign or british ones, however I have read that there is no evidence to support that these were foreign birds.

4. Lesser Redpolls - previously a total of only 9 had been ringed at Prioy before 2012. However, effort has gone into ringing this species and a total of 28 individuals were ringed in 2012. In addition, the first Lesser Redpoll of the year here was a control (i.e. somebody else's ring!). I am eagerly awaiting the original ringing details of this bird.

Above: The controlled Lesser Redpoll

Recoveries:

Blackcap: Ringed in Sept 2011 at Priory, this bird was captured at Grafham Water in May 2012 - presumably it was breeding there.

A Mallard ringed on the Embankment in 2003 was found dead at Priory in March 2012.

Awaiting details of the control Lesser Redpoll.

Details of the controlled Goldcrest from December 2011 came through this year, it was ringed at Flamborough Head (East Yorkshire) in September that year.

Now for the down side - most species didn't manage a good breeding season. I haven't delved too deeply yet into the data as I have a lot of background work to do before I can say anything with confidence, however the totals were down on 2011 for most species. In the wet weather, most species would find their food sources washed off the leaves (e.g.. caterpillars that the Tits feed on) however a few might find more food (e.g. more worms for the Blackbirds).The national preliminary CES results can be found here.

For the first time in 22 years, no Willow Warblers were caught at Priory.

Ringing in Priory Country Park has started for 2013. News will be posted in due course. Here's to a good year (he writes as it snows!).

A Falconry Day

In between Christmas and New Year, I spent a gift voucher given to me for an 'activity day' flying birds of prey at The Falconry Centre at Shuttleworth (Old Warden) in Bedfordshire.

I got fly a number of species and see some others close up (sat on my gloved hand). The day started with some owls.

Above: This is a Scops owl called Shaun.

Above: This is a Carribean Barn Owl called Lunar (different from our Barn Owls in that ours are white on the front).

Above: Then came a BIG Bald Headed Eagle.

We flew a Kestrel and a Harris Hawk before lunch. After lunch we flew the Bald Headed Eagle and ...

Above: A Chilean Eagle.

We also flew 2 Harris Hawks from tree to tree. The nicest of the 2 was Rolo (yes, named after the chocolate). A small drama ensued when one of them, after landing on the ground, decided to perch on the shoulder, and then head, of one of the ladies who had also come along for the day. It was quite comical in the end and no harm was done to the bird or the lady.

Above: Before we left, we got a short talk about this Andean Condor. We got to hold a few Eagle Owls and finally - quite possibly the best bird of the day -

Above: A Lanner Falcon.

An enjoyable day. I can see the appeal in being a falconer, but for me, I would want to do as a hobby for my own pleasure and not as a job and that doesn't seem right to me. I'll be leaving Falconry to other people.

I do prefer the wild birds more!

Did I reach my target?

Oh, yes I did ...
Oh, no I didn't ...
But which is it?

I'm in Gloucester now until the end of the year. Depending on the weather at my Dad's house, I might get some ringing in - there are 4 Blackbirds hanging around daily on the patio, each with a ring on (more than likely mine) as well as Dunnocks, Coal Tits and plenty of Blue Tits (no change there then!). Having done all the ringing I am going to do this year in Bedfordshire, it's time to do a final check on totals.

The final count for Priory Country Park this year was 986 handlings. The weather (mainly) and other commitments meant I didn't make a final attempt to catch the extra 14 birds I would need to make it 1000 for the year. Having caught over 1400 last year, I'm not so fussed.

As you may have read previously, my totals at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR) have been subject to much fretting over whether I would make 1000 or not. Last year, I reached 999 handlings. One more hour (or less) of effort in 2011 and I wouldn't have been thinking twice about my totals for this year, but as somebody pointed out I had failed (in jest, of course), I had to make sure of 1000 this year.

In my last post, I wasn't sure if I would make it. Decent catch totals in November and early December were making the target achievable, but totals suddenly dropped off after the cold snap melted and the rains returned. The luck that brought a foreign control Blackcap one weekend and a foreign control Siskin the next (with 70+ other birds), deserted me.

Heavy rain and strong winds stopped ringing activities on at least one day each weekend. So on Friday 21st, with a forecast of heavy rain for the weekend and parents demanding my return to Gloucester ASAP, I decided to take the day off work and set my nets. Come what may, at the end of the day, the likelihood was that if I hadn't reached 1000 handlings, that would be it. Being 25 birds short, I figured that it was possible (30 was the total on the previous weekend).

Liz, the Greensand Trust ranger for the site made an unexpected visit and gave me some encouragement!

Above: Shortly afterward Liz's visit (I say shortly but in ringing terms, 2 hours + is a long time if you're not catching many birds) I caught this Great Spotted Woodpecker. Handling no. 1000 in 2012 for SSNR.

Above: The entry on my data sheet. Bird no. 25 for the day = 1000 for the year.

I made it! Now for some well earned rest (and the inevitable cold that comes when you stop). Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a good New Year.

Hot on the heels...

... of the Strasbourg ringed Blackcap last weekend, today I caught a bird with a Brussels ring on! Not a Blackcap this time but one I've been hoping for since I first started catching Siskins at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR). Siskins here can prove very elusive when it comes to ringing them.

The area is full of mature Alders and as a consequence, the Siskins a) have lots of natural food and b) stay above net height most of the time.

When I do catch them, it is an entirely random event - the only reason I can offer is that, possibly, a bird of prey (Kestrel or Sparrowhawk) has spooked them whilst they've been near the netting area and have consequently flown lower and left with a ring on. Evidence for this being I've also caught a Kestrel at the same time as my previous highest single round catch of Siskin. This does not hold all the time though as they must come to the feeders occasionally.

Today I caught my highest single round catch ever (2 x 60ft and 1 x 30ft nets only). This also included my single highest round totals of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll.

 

Above: My ringing station with 40 bird bags, each with a bird in (about 20 birds was my previous high)! At the nets, I was faced with extracting 19 Siskin, 12 Lesser Redpoll + assorted others. It was a big surprise and I had to be quick!

A tip for other ringers who ring out of the back of their cars - I have plastic hooks (upside down so that the hooks are the right way up when the boot is open) stuck on the back window. They need to have very good adhesive and they work remarkably well. 4 for 99p was a very good investment!

 Above: The star bird from Brussels - a female Siskin.



Above: One of several male Lesser Redpolls. I've now ringed 61 at SSNR this year.

I have found ringing this year, particularly at SSNR, has been very rewarding. I've added a number of new species to the ringing list for this site such as Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, House Martin, Brambling & Common Redpoll (there are a few more). Each one has been charming in it's own way and brings back memories. Adding to an already successful day:



 Above: A new species ringed at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve - Linnet.

Above: The white in the primary feathers extends to the shaft in males - as in this one above. It had a hint of red on its breast, also indicating it is a male.

The Linnet was caught late on and I am hopeful of ringing more of this species here.

Todays totals are as follows (retraps in brackets):

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (0) - the third new one this month
Wren 0 (1)
Dunnock 0 (1)
Blackbird 3 (1)
Song Thrush 2 (0) - 4 this month constitutes a major increase at this site!
Goldcrest 1 (1) - the first retrap for this site therefore a site longevity record!
Blue Tit 5 (10)
Great Tit 0 (1) - I was surprised this was the only one I caught!
Chaffinch 2 (0)
Goldfinch 3 (0)
Siskin 18 (1 foreign control)
Linnet 1 (0) - a first ringing record for the site
Lesser Redpoll 22 (1) - only the second retrapped at this site & will be a site longevity record
Reed Bunting 1 (0)

76 birds - 59 new, 16 retraps and 1 control of 14 species. I now need 55 handlings at SSNR to reach 1000 for the year. It is probably now possible to do this in one visit, though it may well take 2. It's now looking more achievable!

Finally, this Blog is very close to 10,000 page views (only six more to go). I hope all my page viewers have enjoyed reading my mutterings and bird related adventures and will continue to tune in!

News just in

A Chiffchaff ringed at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve on 15th July this year was controlled in Letchworth on 27th August, 43 days later. A movement of 11km in an ESE direction.

Another day, more birds!

Ringing today took place at Priory Country Park. I wanted to try for Corn Buntings coming to roost again on the crescent but on inspection, the ringing rack was mostly under water (waders needed) so this plan was abandoned. I did put my nets up in the rough though.

It was a slow start but by the end of the day, I had caught enough birds to make it a successful day.



Above: An adult male Kestrel. Only the second to have been ringed at Priory Country Park in over 20 years. Perhaps the cold and the frost had forced this individual to hunt for food and shelter in or near the Rough (the main ringing area). It was being mobbed by a Magpie or two before it and the Magpie were caught in the net (the Magpie escaped just before I got to it!).

Above: A female Blackcap. 2 males were also ringed. Good records. After my Strasbourg ringed individual yesterday at Sandy Smith Naure Reserve (see here), we're hoping these will get recaptured somewhere on the continent next spring/summer!

Above: One of 6 Lesser Redpolls. I have now caught 25 Redpolls at Priory CP this autumn.

Totals for the day (retraps in brackets):

Kestrel 1 (0)
Wren 2 (2)
Dunnock 0 (1)
Blackbird 5 (0)
Blackcap 3 (0)
Goldcrest 1 (1)
Long Tailed Tit 0 (2)
Blue Tit 1 (2)
Great Tit 1 (1)
Chaffinch 1 (0)
Lesser Redpoll 6 (0)
Bullfinch 3 (0)

The Kestrel was the obvious highlight closely followed by the 6 Lesser Redpolls.

Ringing more Blackcaps, Lesser Redpolls and Blackbirds are a priority at the moment as these have more potential to go somewhere interesting - and be found (though in truth I'll ring anything I can catch at the same time!).

Whilst out ringing I spotted, deep in the brambles, one of my (presumed) stolen bird feeders! 10 minutes of work with the shears and I had retrieved it - in tact. I then put it back up with nyger seed in it. Before I left, I also found half of the peanut feeder so just one and a half left to find! I am now pretty sure they are there to be found, just that they are buried deep somewhere. If I can find them, I'll put them back up

I think that I got caught in a battle between people inappropriately using the park (building dens & stealing materials to do so) and the rangers (trying to stop it). The den builders probably thought the feeders were council property & threw them away to make them difficult to find. This ties in with damage to council property at the same time. Bizarrely given the situation, I enjoyed the exercise it took to cut back the vegetation in order to get the feeders. So it did me some good!

Are winter Blackcaps from the continent?

Having blogged in previous posts about catching a couple of winter Blackcaps recently. Our overwintering population of Blackcaps are thought to be continental in origin rather than being part of the summer population overstaying.

Perhaps the control juvenile female Blackcap I caught today at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve has something to add to this story. I can't show you as I didn't have my camera, but it had a Strasbourg ring on!

So it was hatched this year (on pointy tail shape for you ringers) and has moved roughly in a North Westerly direction since it was ringed, to find itself in the heart of Bedfordshire, England. And that's all I can tell you about my first self caught foreign ringed bird.

Totals today amounted to 55 birds (22 new and 33 retrap) of 13 species (retraps in brackets)

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 (0)
Wren 1 (0)
Dunnock 1 (1)
Robin 1 (1)
Blackbird 4 (0)
Song Thrush 2 (0)
Blackcap 0 (1) A control from the 'Strasbourg' area!
Long Tailed Tit 0 (1)
Blue Tit 3 (18)
Great Tit 2 (10)
Chaffinch 0 (1)
Goldfinch 2 (0)
Lesser Redpoll 4 (0)

In my last post, I told you that I needed 186 handlings to beat my 2011 total for Sandy Smith Nature Reserve. After today, I need 131. If I'm lucky I can do that in 3 sessions, and if that luck holds, I can fit those 3 sessions in before the end fo the year. I'm still hoping!