Weekend Ringing

Priory Country Park CES visit 5 - 18/06/11

48 birds of 13 species (retraps in brackets):

Whitethroat 3 (2)
Robin 3 (1)
Wren 3 (1)
Chaffinch 1 (1)
Dunnock 2 (2)
Blue Tit 3 (0)
Blackcap 3 (1)
Marsh Tit 1 (0)
Great Tit 5 (1)
Chiff Chaff 1 (0)
Bullfinch 0 (1)
Reed Warbler 2 (0)
Long Tailed Tit 9 (2)



Above: Marsh Tit (only the 4th of this species ringed at Priory CP).



Above: Thanks to Dave Kramer for this photograph of me (with the Marsh Tit in the hand) and David Howes, onlooking trainee. Oh yes, and the back of my car!

Thanks to John Anderson for scribing whilst we were processing a large 'tit flock', and to Dave Barnes and Dave Kramer and John again for helping David and myself release all the long tailed tits at the same time so that the family party remained together.

The good numbers on CES seem to be holding up - so long as a passing tit flock leaves behind a good few members of its party!

Sandy Smith Nature Reserve - 19/06/11

64 birds of 14 species: (retraps in brackets)

Great Tit 12 (6)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (1)
Blackbird 2 (0)
Dunnock 0 (3)
Wren 0 (1)
Chaffinch 1 (3)
Blue Tit 7 (2)
Sedge Warbler 0 (1)
Whitethroat 7 (6)
Chiff Chaff 4 (1)
Garden Warbler 1 (0)
Goldfinch 3 (0)
Grasshopper Warbler 0 (1)
Willow Warbler 1 (0)



Above: A juvenile Great Spotted Warbler. Mum was also caught. Dad has been a regular visitor recently though not retrapped this time.

It seems to me that the number of Great Tit juveniles is greater compared to Blue Tit juveniles. Maybe time will even this number out but I'll have to compare this against previous ringing records. More work needed!

March synopsis

5 ringing sessions last month at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve (SSNR) and 3 new species caught.

Session 1: 05/03/11

Totals: 15 birds of 8 species (retraps in brackets)

Coal Tit 1
Great Tit 1 (1)
Blue Tit 2 (1)
Dunnock 1
Chaffinch 2
Long Tailed Tit 1 (3)
Siskin 1
Marsh Tit 1



Above: A Marsh Tit

Session 2: 12/03/11

Totals: 10 birds of 4 species (retraps in brackets)

Goldfinch 6
Blue Tit 1 (1)
Chaffinch 1
Wren 1

Session 3: 18/03/11

Totals: 15 birds of 7 species (retraps in brackets)

Coal Tit 1
Siskin 1
Goldfinch 2
Chaffinch 5 (1)
Lesser Redpoll 1
Blue Tit 0 (3)
Reed Bunting 1



Above: Lesser Redpoll



Above: Front view of this Lesser Redpoll. The pointed tail indicates that this bird was born last year (2010).



Above: A male Reed Bunting.

Session 4: 21/03/11

Totals: 17 birds of 7 species (retraps in brackets)

Blue Tit 2 (2)
Siskin 2
Goldfinch 5
Chaffinch 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Reed Bunting 1
Dunnock 1 (1)

Session 5: 25/03/11

Totals: 3 birds of 3 species

Goldfinch 1
Coal Tit 1
Dunnock 1

Synopsis over.

In the snow at Cardington

Though today started out with snow still on the ground, hard and icy, a thaw has at last set in. Temperatures reached 3 degrees Centrigrade by 1pm.

Small numbers of Fieldfares were around the area, a Buzzard flew over, two Marsh Tits were in the bushes. There seemed to be fewer Blue and Great Tits around, which was reflected in the ringing totals.

Between 10:30am and 1:50pm, 13 new birds and 11 retraps (shown in brackets below) were caught:

• Blue Tit 2 (1)
• Bullfinch 1
• Goldfinch 4 (1)
• Greenfinch 2
• Long-tailed Tit 1 (4)
• Marsh Tit 1
• Robin 1 (1)
• Song Thrush 1
• Dunnock (3)
• Great-spotted Woodpecker (1)

The female Bullfinch (see left) was only the 2nd ringed at the site this year (the first being ringed in May).

The retrap Great-spotted Woodpecker was first ringed on 30th October.


It was good to actually retrap a Goldfinch at last - this was the first bird retrapped, with a total of 27 now having been ringed so far this year.



Lastly, the Marsh Tit (see left) was the 2nd ringed at the site so far this year.

Incoming!

I popped into Bromham Mill first thing this morning. The plan was to put a net up for 30mins, just to sample birds using a small feeding station I've been running there for the past few months.

First bird was a Robin. While ringing the Robin, a Marsh Tit went into the net. I extracted the Marsh Tit and suddenly a flock of Blue Tits and Great Tits appeared, 14 birds went into the net in about 2 minutes. I ringed them, noting their age and sex, measured their wings and released as quickly as possible.

There was a small party of Long-tailed Tits on site also.

The trees around the Mill were looking fantastic this morning. Covered in hoar frost, it was a real Christmas card image.

Totals ringed today were:

• Robin 1
• Marsh Tit 1
• Blue Tit 8
• Great Tit 6