Large and Little

As I was driving into Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR) this morning a Buzzard (Large) was sat on a post nearby (the other week it was on a post next to the road) but a surprise came a little further on in the form of a bird of prey (Little) sat on a fence. It let me stop the car, roll down my window and even reverse my car to get a better camera angle without flying away. It was all of about 2/3 metres away.



Above: Merlin at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve today (24/11/12).

Given that this bird did't fly away as soon as the car came near, I had to check that it was ok. On exiting the car it did fly away so yes, it was ok and it was definitely not plastic! Not wanting to disturb it any more and wanting to get on with my ringing session before the rain arrived, I carried on.

Todays ringing session produced 40 birds of which 13 were new and 27 retraps as follows:

Great Spotted Woodpecker 0 (1) - a new longevity record for the site at 1 year, 348 days.
Wren 1 (1)
Robin 0 (1)
Goldcrest 1 (0)
Long Tailed Tit 0 (2) - one being a new longevity record for the site at 2 years, 80 days.
Coal Tit 0 (2)
Blue Tit 4 (11)
Great Tit 0 (9)
Treecreeper 2 (0)
Chaffinch 2 (0)
Goldfinch 1 (0)
Lesser Redpoll 2 (0)

Above: One of 2 Treecreepers ringed at SSNR today (the 2nd & 3rd ringed at this site).

That is now 5 new Goldcrests for SSNR this year (none previously) and 24 Lesser Redpolls (including this Autumn (35 this year).
A ringing session at SSNR on 11th November produced 37 new and 27 retraps:


Wren 6 (0)
Dunnock 0 (2)
Robin 0 (1)
Blackcap 1 (0) - the first winter record for this species at SSNR.
Goldcrest 2 (0)
Long Tailed Tit 9 (7)
Blue Tit 8 (7)
Great Tit 4 (9)
Chaffinch 4 (1)
Lesser Redpoll 3 (0)

The notable bird here being a winter record of Blackcap. Again, more Goldcrests and more Lesser Redpolls. I need 186 more captures to beat last years total number of handlings. I may get 2 or 3 more sessions but I am unlikely to make it - I'll try though!
On the weekend between the 2 catches above, I went to Gloucester to see family. On the Sunday (18th Nov) I managed a ringing session at my Dad's house in the Cotswolds:

Dunnock 3 (2)

Blackbird 1 (1)
Blackcap 1 (0) - A new species for this site
Goldcrest 4 (0) - A new species for this site
Long Tailed Tit 7 (0)
Coal Tit 1 (0)
Blue Tit 13 (5)
Great Tit 1 (0)
House Sparrow 4 (0)

Given that I don't ring this site very often at all (my last session there was last Christmas), most retraps are likely to produce a longevity record for the site.
The retrap male Blackbird was first ringed 2 years, 285 days before its later recapture. I assume this is one of a ringed pair my dad regularly reports as coming to feed on the scraps he is always putting out for the birds.
One of the retrap Blue Tits was first ringed 2 years and 327 days previously (now the oldest record for the site).

Above: Male Blackcap - a good winter record at my Dad's house in the Cotswolds. I have seen Blackcap maybe once or twice before at his house in 20 years.

As ususal, I hope to be able to share more bird ringing news soon! Wish me luck... and dry weather!

Sandy Smith Nature Reserve - Of late

It's been a while since my last post. That's because I've been having an interesting time ringing at every opportunity I get. It's left me too knackered to organise myself to count up totals and edit photographs. I've also been up & down from East Yorks helping build a Heligoland Trap.

Ringing at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve between my last post and the end of August. 160 new birds and 80 retraps of 20 species (retraps in brackets):

Kingfisher 1 (0)
Wren 11 (2)
Dunnock 9 (7)
Robin 3 (0)
Blackbird 4 (1)
Grasshopper Warbler 0 (1)
Sedge Warbler 4 (0)
Reed Warbler 1 (0)
Whitethroat 36 (9)
Garden Warbler 2 (0)
Blackcap 22 (1)
Chiff Chaff 3 (0)
Willow Warbler 3 (0)
Coal Tit 1 (0)
Blue Tit 20 (23)
Great Tit 22 (36)
Chaffinch 3 (0)
Goldfinch 13 (0)
Bullfinch 1 (0)
Treecreeper 1 (0)

The Reed Warbler (on passage with a good fat score & not a resident) represents a new species on the 'ringed' list for the site as does Bullfinch and Treecreeper.



Above: Reed Warbler caught whilst on passage.



Above: A male Bullfinch.



Above: A Treecreeper

February so far

More severe wind has left me slobbing around at home when I'd much prefer being out and ringing. However, yesterday I did find some shelter at Priory Country Park and put a few nets up.

The following turned up (in order of appearance):

Long Tailed Tit 2
Blue Tit 11
Dunnock 2
Chaffinch 3
Great Tit 7
Song Thrush 1
Treecreeper 1
Blackbird 2



Above: A male chaffinch. 2 were found in the net at the same time. A single female was ringed later on.



Above: A Song Thrush.



Above: A treecreeper (the best bird of the day).



Above & Below: Two different Great Tits. The one in the photograph above, I noticed, has a partially bleached (?) tail. The photograph below is a 'normal' Great Tit tail.



In all, 21 new birds were ringed with 8 retraps (the longest known age being a Blue Tit hatched in 2008).