With all the data now in it was another successful year for the group with total handlings of 15,940 made up of 9152 new fully grown, 2950 nestlings and 3838 retraps or recoveries.
Top of the pile as usual was Blue Tit with 2399 handlings of these 994 were nestlings from our various nest box schemes and 472 retraps. Our RAS schemes featured highly with Pied Flycatcher having their best year ever with 944 handlings made up of 754 nestlings, 115 retraps and 75 adults. Sand Martins had a reasonable year with 757 handlings but Reed Warblers at 389 were down due to access difficulties
We have five colour ringing schemes. Nuthatch with 773 records of which 651 were re-sightings was the most productive. Bearded Tits with 437 records of which 405 were sightings. These are both local species with only very occasional movements out of the area. Our Grey Wagtail scheme based mainly at Heysham BO is designed to study their movements through our area.We colour ringed 83 this year but had only four sightings out of the area, but our knowledge of the birds wintering area is building up after ten years of study.Stuarts study of Dippers on the Upper Lune resulted in 33 new adults and 193 nestlings being colour ringed . He has started a new study with Thomas, studying Common Sandpipers in the same area, the first year was highly productive with 50 adults and 42 young birds ringed.
Finches feature highly with Mark and Daves garden ringing in the east of our area producing the most. Goldfinch at 944 was amazing when you consider that 10 years ago we ringed only 88. That year we ringed 457 Greenfinch this year we 451. Goldfinch have increased as a breeding bird in our area and really moved into gardens. Other finches included 381 Siskin 386 Lesser Redpoll and 125 Bullfinch .
John
