Help the Notts Mammal Atlas

A provisional mammal atlas for Nottinghamshire has been produced by the county recorder, Michael Walker. The atlas is a collation of all the mammal records currently held in Nottinghamshire and can be viewed or downloaded here: http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/images/uploads/Notts_Mammal_Atlas_2014.pdf

There are a large number of gaps in the data and the aim of its provisional publication is to encourage people to record and submit mammal records, including widespread and common species. Details of how to do so are included on the pdf.

Notts BTO Conference

The BTO are holding a regional conference in Nottinghamshire in November. Click here for details.

Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 21 September

Duncan, Pete and I made a visit to the Grange end of Holme Pierrepont today. A fine, clear morning with very little breeze, we got 7 nets up quickly and then found 2 tents erected, one at the end of one of our usual net rides so we made do with just a couple more nets. As the morning went on, we decided there was either no one inside the tents or they were out for the count.

The site seemed relatively quiet (apart from the singing Cetti’s) but the first few catches were quite good before the breeze got up a little and the sun rose high in the sky. The warblers seem to be mostly gone but it was surprising to get only one Blackcap after the numbers caught in previous weeks.

We finished with 51 birds including 4 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 1/0, Robin 2/1, Wren 2/1, Dunnock 2/0, Reed Warbler 5/0, Whitethroat 1/0, Blackcap 1/0, Chiffchaff 5/0, Long-tailed Tit 9/1, Blue Tit 2/0, Great Tit 1/1, Bullfinch 4/0, Reed Bunting 12/0. The retraps were all from the this year except the Great Tit which was from 2013.

Overhead passed a few Skylark and Meadow Pipit, two Ravens, two Buzzards, a couple of Grey Wagtails but no hirundines. A few Teal, Wigeon and Gadwall were on the water along with a family of Little Grebes and a Snipe was flushed from the reeds.

Kev

 The back pit still has water cover throughout (just) despite the dry summer, though in most places it is only a few inches deep.

 Five years ago this path had little more than the odd scrubby willow beside it and some group members remember when it was the grassy shoreline of the gravel pit.

 A young Whitethroat having almost completed its post-juvenile moult. The replaced covert is more chestnut than the adjacent juvenile feathers. (All photos PML)

Twite

On Tuesday 16 September I joined Jamie Dunning and Steve Christmas at their moorland site near Manchester to assist in their project to colour-ring Twite.

They, along with a local bird enthusiast, have been baiting the site in an attempt to whoosh net the birds. A previous session resulted in 3 Twite being colour-ringed, today we managed to colour-ring 15 and also to ring 3 Linnet.

As they are generally a moorland and coastal bird it is unlikely that we will spot any colour-ringed birds in Nottinghamshire but please keep a look out whenever in suitable habitat.

For more information please contact Jamie jamiedunning8@gmail.com

Mick P

Swans

Kev, Mick T, Duncan and I went to Rushcliffe Country Park today and lured in a family of swans with some bread. We managed to ring 4 young birds.

Tom

Holme Pierrepont, Saturday 13 September

Tom, Alex, Duncan and I made a visit to the new Skylarks end of Holme Pierrepont on Saturday. With a much reduced team compared to our last visit and overcast and relatively calm conditions, we only erected 8 nets, we did not want to get caught out with a massive catch again! It started well with good numbers on the first few net rounds but then catches quickly dropped off.

We finished with 59 birds including 6 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 2/0, Robin 3/3, Sedge Warbler 1/0, Reed Warbler 3/0, Whitethroat 3/0, Blackcap 22/0, Chiffchaff 13/1, Willow Warbler 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 0/1, Chaffinch 0/1, Goldfinch 3/0, Reed Bunting 2/0.

The retraps were all from the previous visit except the Long-tailed Tit which was from 2012. Interestingly the 12m net that caught about 25% of the birds on the last visit had just 1 retrap Robin this visit! Overhead passed a small number of hirundines, two Raven and a couple of Snipe.

Kev

Cormorant news

Though we only managed to ring 3 Cormorant chicks this year, ' CVA' has already been seen at two sites in South Yorkshire: Rother Valley Country Park on 05/07/14 and Orgreave Lakes on 04/09/14 - both about 50km away. Thanks to Alan Bateman for the photograph.

Jim

Vale Barn Owl News

Friends of SNRG, The Vale of Belvoir Barn Owl Conservation Group are presenting a conservation evening on Friday 12th December 2014 at Waltham Village Hall. Professor Ian Newton, OBE, FRS, Vice President of the RSPB and recent past Chairman of the BTO will be giving a talk on the Sparrowhawk. Three other talks are on bat detectors, Lincolnshire and Vale of Belvoir Peregrines and the ecological benefits of maintaining the Grantham canal. There will also be a number of conservation related information stands. Cost only £6. for full details see the new VBOC blog: www.valebarnowls.blogspot.co.uk