The recently published Ringing Report for 2008 contains five of the Groups recoveries as follows.
Knot
CK97769 5 27.1.2001 Heysham
Controlled 12.5.2008 Parque Natural Bahia (Cadiz) Spain1967 km S
Only the 5th British ringed Knot in Spain.
Swallow
P312986 3 13.8.2007 Gressingham
Long Dead 21.7.2008 Ihla de Deserta Grande Maderia 2641 km SSW
The first British ringed Swallow from Maderia, where Swallows are vagrants.
Twite
V465735 3F 23.12.2007 Walsberswick (Suffolk)
Controlled 5.11.2008 Heysham 360 km WNW
One of a very few records of a Twite to visit both the west and east coasts.
Reed Bunting
X227181 3F 8.10.2008 Leighton
Controlled 3.11.2008 Broxton (Cheshire) 123 km S
One of a very few Reed Buntings to move over 100km.
Bearded Tit
A new British longtevity record of seven years and 22 days. Now exceeded by a male this year of 7 years and 92 days.
John Wilson.
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Sunday, 20 December 2009
True Grit (3)
The Bearded Tit gritting season is just about over for another year. Thanks to all who sent in colour ring sightings especially Keith Kellet who spent many hours watching the trays.
In total 79 different birds were recorded between September 11th and December 19th. (Although this does not include at least 2 un-ringed birds.) The table below gives the number of days that birds were sighted. Of course these are minimum figures as the trays were not watched all the time. Although numbers only visited once or twice a lot paid multiple visits to the trays with an adult making the record 14 visits. Interestingly four of the birds which gritted early in September came back in December presumably to top up their grit supplies. The same pattern of previous years was repeated this year with adults coming early in the period and birds of the year somewhat later. Also very noticeable how pairs visited together. Bearded Tits form pairs shortly after fledging and seem to remain faithful through to the next breeding season if they both survive.
Number of Days Individual birds were Recorded on the Grit Trays 2009
No of Days Sighted Adult Juvenile
1 7 16
2 3 12
3 3 7
4 1 4
5 1 1
6 3 5
7 2 1
8 2 3
9 1 4
10 1
11 1
14 1
Total 24 55
In total 79 different birds were recorded between September 11th and December 19th. (Although this does not include at least 2 un-ringed birds.) The table below gives the number of days that birds were sighted. Of course these are minimum figures as the trays were not watched all the time. Although numbers only visited once or twice a lot paid multiple visits to the trays with an adult making the record 14 visits. Interestingly four of the birds which gritted early in September came back in December presumably to top up their grit supplies. The same pattern of previous years was repeated this year with adults coming early in the period and birds of the year somewhat later. Also very noticeable how pairs visited together. Bearded Tits form pairs shortly after fledging and seem to remain faithful through to the next breeding season if they both survive.
Number of Days Individual birds were Recorded on the Grit Trays 2009
No of Days Sighted Adult Juvenile
1 7 16
2 3 12
3 3 7
4 1 4
5 1 1
6 3 5
7 2 1
8 2 3
9 1 4
10 1
11 1
14 1
Total 24 55
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
North Harbour Wall Twite
The first autumn passage/wintering birds appeared quite early this year, on 15th October. Since then up to a maximum of c70 have been frequenting the feeding site interspersed with periods elsewhere, probably Ocean Edge foreshore, local salt marshes to the south and the Lune Estuary.
Catching them this year has seemed rather like planning a small war (although I have never actually planned a war, big or small). The feeding site is rather public and the birds cannot be relied upon to be there at specific times, although they do seem to be more reliable around high tide - presumably there is less salt marsh area to forage on at this time - although they can be around at any time of the day. The day also needs to be dry (wet whoosh nets and small birds do not go together well) and not too windy.
Unfortunately, high tide during the morning/midday plus decent weather also attracts other less welcome visitors such as unruly dogs being walked, noisy fishermen, ship watchers, birders, walkers and motor bikes etc. etc. Of course, all these people have just as much right to be there as me but it can make things frustrating!
However, 5 catches have been achieved to date, the first on 28th October. In all 89 new birds have been ringed and colour marked, approximately 40 different birds retrapped (5 from spring 2009, 14 from autumn 2008 & 21 from the current period) and 2 controls caught. These last were one bird ringed on the Duddon Estuary on 15/12/2008, and one possibly ringed on Birkdale Beach (this yet to be confirmed).
(ajd)
Catching them this year has seemed rather like planning a small war (although I have never actually planned a war, big or small). The feeding site is rather public and the birds cannot be relied upon to be there at specific times, although they do seem to be more reliable around high tide - presumably there is less salt marsh area to forage on at this time - although they can be around at any time of the day. The day also needs to be dry (wet whoosh nets and small birds do not go together well) and not too windy.
Unfortunately, high tide during the morning/midday plus decent weather also attracts other less welcome visitors such as unruly dogs being walked, noisy fishermen, ship watchers, birders, walkers and motor bikes etc. etc. Of course, all these people have just as much right to be there as me but it can make things frustrating!
However, 5 catches have been achieved to date, the first on 28th October. In all 89 new birds have been ringed and colour marked, approximately 40 different birds retrapped (5 from spring 2009, 14 from autumn 2008 & 21 from the current period) and 2 controls caught. These last were one bird ringed on the Duddon Estuary on 15/12/2008, and one possibly ringed on Birkdale Beach (this yet to be confirmed).
(ajd)
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Singing the praises of the "unsung heros"
Congratulations to two of our active members:
Richard De Feu was recently elected to the BTO's National Ringing Committee - congratulations, Richard
Alan Draper was reported in last week's Lancaster Guardian as having been named an "Unsung Hero" of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust because he "has bolstered staff in North Lancashire for more than 10 years with vast numbers of daybreak birdringing". It will be characteristic of Alan's modesty to want to keep this to himself, but I'll congratulate him anyway!
Richard De Feu was recently elected to the BTO's National Ringing Committee - congratulations, Richard
Alan Draper was reported in last week's Lancaster Guardian as having been named an "Unsung Hero" of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust because he "has bolstered staff in North Lancashire for more than 10 years with vast numbers of daybreak birdringing". It will be characteristic of Alan's modesty to want to keep this to himself, but I'll congratulate him anyway!
Monday, 14 December 2009
Continetal Blackbirds
There seems to be good numbers of Blackbirds around this autumn, or perhaps it seems that way because there are so few Fieldfare and Redwing attracted to the good supply of Hawthorn and other berries.
A Holly tree in may garden regularly has up to 8 Blackbirds feeding there. Many are probably of course our local birds. But as the map shows quite a number of Scandinavian Blackbirds winter in our area.
The dots on the map shows the recovery locations during the breeding season of Blacbirds ringed in our area. Some had been ringed while on spring or autumn passage at Heysham Nature Reserve but quite a few have been ringed either at winter roosts or a garden feeding stations. So you are never ceratin wether the Blackbird in your garden is a local or a Scandinavian visitor. To date we have ringed almost 8000 Blackbirds to get these results.
John Wilson
John Wilson
Saturday, 12 December 2009
first time for a while
hurrah! Ringing weather at the weekend, for a change. One 30ft net, caught in the garden at Hala, caught 24 birds, 18 of which were Blue Tit, most of which were already ringed including one of Ian Hartley's from the University which was ringed as nestling on 20/5/03 - which makes it 6 years 7 months old - probably the oldest I've caught.
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