NOA Ringing Blog

Ringing totals for Observatory January 2012

2012-02-01T02:32:00.000-08:00

A not unsurprisingly quiet month, with the weather and obvious lack of birds to blame. Totals as follows: Woodpigeon, Blackbird 3, Song Thrush 15, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch 4, Goldfinch.
Our duck trap yielded two new Moorhens and a Teal, with the Moorhens quickly learning that they could feed in there then be released, with several retraps from previous years also caught on several occassions.

A few interesting recoveries

2012-01-24T03:06:00.000-08:00

A few interesting recoveries we have had, include two of the brood of six Willow Warblers ringed at Pensthorpe in May 2011. First of these was retrapped during a CES session at Pensthorpe on 15th June and the second was controlled/recaught by another ringer on its journey south later in the year on the 23rd July at St Osyth, Essex.

A Common Gull ringed in Sophie's Garden in Holme on 11 January 2011 met an untimely end, being shot at Copenhagen airport, Denmark to prevent airstrikes on the 01 July 2011.

With the duck trap now in operation we have been catching small numbers of Moorhen, one of these birds a retrap, caught on 17/01/2012 was originally ringed in 17/11/2005. Whilst this bird is over six years old, is still has long way to hopefully go, with the oldest recorded age for this species in the wild being 18 years old.

Another dazzling trip and obs totals for December.

2012-01-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

Another wader dazzling trip, resulted in a single Redshank being caught, lots of other birds present, but very flightly and reluctant to allow us to approach, better luck next time !!

DECEMBER OBSERVATORY RINGING TOTALS.
A quiet month from a ringing perspective, with the wind and apparent lack of birds not helping ! Species ringed were as follows : Dunnock, Bullfinch, Robin, Blackcap (2), Song Thrush (3), Blackbird (8) and Greenfinch (2).

Pensthorpe Ringing trip with a difference

2011-12-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

A Saturday morning visit to ring at Pensthorpe, gave Sophie and I an opportunity to meet Ray Mears and appear on national television ! Always a worry just how these occasions turn out, but I'm pleased to report it's recent airing has been seemingly, received overwhelmingly well.

Novembers Observatory Ringing totals

2011-12-06T01:53:00.000-08:00

Sparrowhawk 2, Woodcock 1, Wren 7, Dunnock 6, Robin 72, Stonechat 2, Blackbird 149, Song Thrush 23, Redwing 5, Blackcap 12, Hume's Warbler 1, Chiff Chaff 2, Goldcrest 25, Long tailed Tit 6, Blue Tit 4, Chaffinch 9, Greenfinch 19, Goldfinch 21, Lesser Redpoll 1, Bullfinch 4, Reed Bunting 26 : Total 397.

Hume's Leaf Warbler

2011-12-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

A rather nice surprise for the assistant warden as he returned to work on Monday 28th November. Presumably the same bird seen briefly by Sophie the previous Wednesday which had eluded everybody until it turned up in the net.

October Observatory Totals

2011-11-29T06:01:00.000-08:00

New ringed birds for the month as follows: Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Meadow Pipit 28, Wren 14, Dunnock 17, Robin 19, Red-Flanked Bluetail 1, Stonechat 1,Blackbird 63, Song Thrush 31, Redwing 2, Cetti's Warbler 2, Garden Warbler 1, Blackcap 31, Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 34, Bearded Tit 5, Long-tailed Tit 26, Blue Tit 12, Great Tit 4, Chaffinch 23, Greenfinch 100, Goldfinch 25, Redpoll 1, Yellowhammer 1, Reed Bunting 34. Total 479.

Red-Flanked Bluetail

2011-10-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

With unfavourable winds for the majority of the autumn, a brief rest bite from westerly winds during the latter half of the week lead to an arrival of several eastern surprises in the county, and we were not left out, with the discovery of this cracking first year male Red-flanked Bluetail in the nets on Sat morning (15th). The bird was released at 7.45 am and showed on and off to the assembled masses primarily from the public footpath on the dunes side of the reserve.

Sept Totals at the Observatory

2011-10-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

New bird totals for the month were as follows 235 birds of 30 species : Little Egret 1, Wryneck 1, Great spotted Woodpecker 2, Swallow 1, Meadow pipit 42, Wren 6, Dunnock 18, Robin 12, Redstart 2, Stonechat 4, Song Thrush 1, Cetti's Warbler 5, Sedge Warbler 2, Reed Warbler 12, Whitethroat 7, Garden Warbler 1, Blackcap 33, Chiffchaff 12, Willow warbler 3, Goldcrest 5, Bearded Tit 2, Long tailed Tit 18, Coal Tit 1, Blue Tit 14, Great tit 5, Chaffinch 2, Goldfinch 3, Common Redpoll 1, Redpoll sp 4, Reed Bunting 15.

One Ringed Plover

2011-09-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

A speculative evening trip out to experiment dazzling waders at Wells, was on the one hand relatively successful with the first bird we encountered caught, an adult Ringed Plover. But waders were seemingly thin on the ground though, explained later in the fact we had read the tide tables incorrectly ! An encouraging start all the same and an exercise we will be repeating again in the future.

Observatory totals August

2011-09-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

A total of 269 new birds were ringed at the observatory during August. Highlights included 3 Cetti's Warblers, 33 meadow Pipits 4 Garden Warbler, 2 Treecreeper and a Green Woodpecker.
Remaining birds are as follows Woodpigeon 3, Swallow 6, Wren 7, Dunnock 3, Robin 8, Sedge Warbler 25, Reed Warbler 31, Lesser Whitethroat 6, Whitethroat 50, Garden Warbler 4, Blackcap 15, Chiffchaff 10, Willow warbler 11, Coal Tit 2, Blue Tit 20, Great Tit 1, Chaffinch 4, Greenfinch 5, Goldfinch 3, Linnet 2, Reed Bunting 14.

Additional CES visit at Pensthorpe

2011-09-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

With our twelve ces visits completed this year we had the option of fitting an additional one in. Things didn't quite go to plan though, and a later start than usual meant we had to settle for a reduced number of nets and a shorter visit. On the plus side we managed to catch 36 new birds and 7 retraps, that included three Lesser Whitethroat, nine Reed warbler and eight Chiffchaff. The Reed warblers were a bit of a surprise, all new juvenile birds other than one female adult bird, presumably moving through the site rather than locally bred. Totals as follows both new and (retraps), Wren 1, Dunnock 1, Robin 1, Sedge Warbler 1, Reed Warbler 9, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Whitethroat 1(2), Blackcap 5(1), Chiffchaff 8, Goldcrest 1, Long tailed Tit 3(4), Blue Tit 2.

Juvenile Lesser Whitethroat. which has lost and is replacing its fifth tail feather, with a white tipped adult type feather.

Nice surprise on a Friday morning !

2011-09-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

A routine net round by Sophie early on Friday morning produced the first surprise of the Autumn, in the form of a Wryneck, which is the third to be ringed at the Observatory in the last three years. Not something that was fully expected with the wind direction that morning, but with the wind more favourable the evening before we can only presume it arrived on the back of those.

CES 12

2011-08-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today saw us completing our last CES visit, which resulted in a total of 56 new birds and 15 retraps, this total including birds from two additional nets. A kingfisher seen several times unfortunately refused to land in a net, though a retrap juvenile Cetti's wabler and two new juvenile Treecreepers were some consolation.

Totals as follows, new (re traps) :Wren 1 (1), Dunnock (1), Robin 2, Blackbird 1, Cetti's Warbler (1), Sedge Warber 1, Reed Warbler 9 (1), Lesser Whitethroat 2, Whitethroat 3 (1), Blackcap 16 (3), Chiffchaff 7 (1), Blue Tit 4(2), Great Tit 8(4), Treecreeper 2.

July Obs totals

2011-08-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

The total of new birds ringed at the Observatory during July was 145, highlights included a young male sparrowhawk, a Cetti's Warbler and a Tree Sparrow, with a second colour ringed Tree Sparrow also caught.
Monthly totals and highlights for the observatory will in future be posted here.

2011-08-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

The feeling Autumn migration is just around the corner, was reinforced today with a total of 27 birds ringed at the Observatory which included 4 Meadow Pipits, 3 Blackcaps, 5 Whitethroats, and 4 Reed Warblers. The biggest surprise today though was the pictured Tawny Owl, which when extracted from the net was found to be wearing a ring. On the checking the ring it was discovered the bird had been ringed as an adult at the Observatory on 19th March 1996 making it a minimum of 16 years old!
Apparently resident on the reserve throughout this time, the bird has also been caught on 18th September 2001 and again in October 2004. The current longevity record for Tawny Owl is 21 years, so this bird only has to survive 5 more years to become a contender !

Ces 11

2011-08-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

A surprisingly quiet morning with only 33 new birds ringed and six re traps, with the CES nettage
supplemented with two extra nets. On the plus side we caught our fifth Kingfisher of the CES season, and there was an obvious upsurge in the number of Reed Warblers, the majority young birds, which presumably are still locally bred birds. Other species caught this morning included Greenfinch , Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat.
Totals as follows new (re trap): Kingfisher, Wren 2, Dunnock 3, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler 11(2), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat 2, Garden Warbler, Blackcap 1(1), Chiffchaff 5(1), Willow Warbler, Blue Tit 2, Great tit (1), Chaffinch , Greenfinch, Bullfinch (1).

Spotted Flycatchers

2011-08-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

A brood of Spotted Flycatchers in Kettlestone, was the first ringed by us this year and a welcome addition.

This was the second brood raised by this pair this year, with the male fathering a third brood with a second female as well.

An update from Dawn, that all four fledged successfully, last two above nearly there !!

Pensthorpe CES 10

2011-08-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

After last weeks statement that all the sedge Warblers had gone, they returned this week with eight new birds caught plus two re traps, giving a feel that migration had already started. A very successful morning saw 115 birds caught in total, the majority on the ces site, with a staggering 63 warblers caught and our fourth Kingfisher of the year. Several of the young Sedge and Reed Warblers showed fault bars in their tails, a reflection on the recent poor weather.

Totals as follows (re traps) in brackets : Kingfisher, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Sedge Warbler 8(2), Reed Warbler 7(3), Whitethroat 5(1), Garden warbler , Blackcap 10(2), Chiffchaff 18, Willow Warbler 4, Long tailed Tit 10(5), Coal Tit, Blue Tit 22(4), Great Tit 6(1),Chaffinch.

Barn Owls

2011-07-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

With problems with permissions to check several of our nest boxes near Holme, we went along with the intentions of clearing out the boxes and doing some routine maintenance on them, believing any breeding birds would have fledged their young by now. Much to our surprise three of the boxes had well grown young in them, resulting in us ringing six birds.

Pensthorpe CES 9

2011-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

A slow start but lots of extra nets meant we eventually ended up with a reasonable total for the day.
Ideal conditions but a surprising lack of birds, with Sedge warblers totally absent, presumably already on the way south. No more than a handful of young Reed warblers were caught, presumably signally a poor breeding season for the species at Pensthorpe. On the plus side another Greenfinch, our first Swallow, Lesser Whitethroat, Jay and Goldcrest meant a good variety of birds were caught.

Totals as follows New (Retraps) : Kingfisher (1), Swallow 1, Wren 2, Dunnock 2, Blackbird (1), Song Thrush 1, Cetti's Warbler (1), Reed Warbler 9(2), Lesser Whitethroat 2, Whitethroat 4(3), Blackcap 4,
Chiff chaff 6, Willow Warbler (1), Goldcrest 1, Long tailed Tit 2, Blue Tit 6 (3), Great Tit 5 (2), Jay 2,
Greenfinch 1, Bullfinch (1)

Pensthorpe CES 8 and swifts !

2011-07-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

A brief lull in the weather meant we were able to complete visit 8 at Pensthorpe, with a few nice surprises in the form of two young Cetti's Warblers, another Kingfisher, a Greenfinch and a Jay. A total of 57 birds were processed, with one extra net erected as well as the CES nets.
Totals as follows, new/(retraps): Kingfisher, Wren 2, Robin, Cetti's 2, Sedge Warbler 5 (4), Reed Warbler 6 (9), Whitethroat 4, Garden Warbler 1(1), Blackcap 7 (1), Willow warbler 2 (2), Great Tit 2, Jay, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff 2. Blue Tit 3.

The CES project at Pensthorpe is run in conjunction with the NOA

After we had finished at Pensthorpe we went onto East Barsham, where courtesy of the White horse Pub, we managed to ring 4 swift pullus of varying ages.

Other extractions included Emperor and Brown hawker dragonflies, fantastic creatures, even more so in the hand!!

Pensthorpe CES 7

2011-07-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

A successful morning again at Pensthorpe, though once again we were restricted to the CES nettage due to the number of ringers. Totals were as follows, which included a healthy number of Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers, though Reed Warbler numbers at this stage seem low. Another juvenile Kingfisher, and a young Song Thrush and Bullfinch were also nice. Totals as follows 64 birds in total 53 new and 11 retraps : Garden Warbler 3, Blackbird 2(1), Willow Warbler 5(1), Reed Warbler 4(3), Whitethroat 12 (2), Great Tit 1, Chiffchaff 2, Kingfisher 1,Wren (1), Sedge Warbler 12 (2), Blackcap 7, Bullfinch 1, Blue Tit 1(1), Song Thrush 1, Robin 1.

Pensthorpes CES is run in conjunction with the NOA

2nd July, Terns and Sand Martins

2011-07-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

A busy Saturday for us, a boat trip out to the Tern raft at Pensthorpe revealed three healthy young Terns chicks, that were duly fitted with rings. Whilst we were at the site we erected a few nets and caught 15 birds, 8 new and 7 (retraps). These were Reed Warbler 3 (3), Wren (1), Whitethroat 1(2), Sedge Warbler 1 (1), Willow Warbler 2, Treecreeper 1.
A return visit to catch Sand Martins was the evenings plan, and we succeeded in catching 73 birds comprising of 51 new birds, 20 re traps and two controls.

CES 6 Pensthorpe

2011-06-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Excellent morning's ringing though with only the ces nets operated, due to the number of ringers present. The highlight this morning with out a doubt was a juvenile Cetti's Warbler caught, confirming that the species had bred successfully on the site. Totals for this morning are as follows new birds and (retraps).

Blue Tit 6, Sedge Warbler 6 (1), Reed Warbler 10 (5), Blackcap 7 (1), Chiffchaff 2 (1), Whitethoat 4 (5), Reed Bunting 1, Cetti's Warbler 1, Garden Warbler 1 (1), Willow Warbler 3, Great Tit 6, Bullfinch (2) Dunnock 1, Blackbird 1.

Picture left: fresh juvenile sedge warbler wing, worn adult.

Sand Martins

2011-06-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat hesitant start, we had an excellent evening catching Sand Martins at Coxford Quarry. A very healthy colony is in place this year, and this our first visit resulted in 63 new birds being caught plus 3 re traps and two controls.

CES 5 Pensthorpe

2011-06-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

A successful morning with 57 birds processed, including two Oystercatcher pulli and a juvenile Kingfisher. The kingfisher was the first bird we had seen this year let alone caught, with the previous two harsh winters thought to have been the cause of this species demise.
Complete totals for the mornings visit is as follows, new and (retraps) : Oystercatcher 2, Kingfisher 1, Dunnock 3, Robin 1 (1), Sedge warbler 2 (1), Reed Warbler 11 (3), Whitethroat 12 (1), Garden Warbler (1), Blackcap 4, Chiffchaff 4, Willow Warbler 1 (3), Goldcrest 1, Blue Tit 2 (1), Great Tit 2.