Jim
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Barn Owls still going...
Since August I've gone back to boxes where Barn Owls either bred, failed or often breed. So far I've ringed over 50 chicks and I haven't finished checking them all. This included 27 chicks in the Vale of Belvoir last week. Also, two possible broods in mid October. Mick P also ringed a brood of 5 the other day and Howard has reported much the same. It's been a good second half!
Jim
Jim
Sunday, 22 September 2019
Ringing Round-up: September
Here's a round-up of September's ringing activities. The warblers have virtually all gone now and we finished our operations at the Blotts end of Holme Pierrepont yesterday.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 01/09/19 – The team consisted of Tom, Duncan, Holly, Sophie, Mick T, Gary and me. It was sunny with an increasing breeze. Warblers made up the majority of the catch with 65, 40 of them being Blackcaps. The subsequent encounters were all birds ringed this year, plus a control Blackcap.
Ramsdale Park Golf Centre 03/09/2019 – Breezy and sunny conditions, not ideal for this site but a relatively decent catch made considering the conditions. Duncan, Mick T and I put up the usual line of nets. Warblers made up the majority of the catch again with 28. The oldest subsequent encounter was a Blue Tit from 2017.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 08/09/19 – Carried out by Duncan, Holly, Sarah, Sophie, Alan, Mick T, Gary and me. Plenty of warblers again in the still and sunny conditions. Warblers made up the majority of the catch again with 45. The subsequent encounters were all birds ringed this year, plus a control Reed Warbler.
Holme Pierrepont Grange 10/09/19 – Carried out by Gary, Mick T and me. Still but mostly sunny conditions. The first time for some weeks that warblers did not make up the majority of the catch with just 23 caught. We did have another new Cetti’s Warbler which is the 17th new bird of the year and with three retraps from previous years making twenty individuals - our best ever yearly total by some margin. The oldest subsequent encounters were a Long-tailed Tit and Blue Tit from 2018.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 15/09/19 – Carried out by Holly, Alan, Duncan, Sarah, Mick T, Gary and me. A still morning that started sunny but then became overcast later on. Warbler numbers were much lower with only decent numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff and the only other warbler caught being a single Willow Warbler. The oldest subsequent encounter was a Blue Tit from 2016. Nice to get a Spotted Flycatcher, the first at the sight since 2011.
Ramsdale Park Golf Centre 19/09/2019 – Very still and sunny conditions but a relatively decent catch made again. Duncan, Mick P, Gary and I put up the usual line of nets. Much as last Sunday the warblers were all Blackcap and Chiffchaffs apart from a single Willow Warbler but they did make up half the catch. The two subsequent encounters were both from the previous visit.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 21/09/19 – The last visit to this end of the site this year was carried out by Mick T, Gary and me. A light breeze and clear skies to start the morning, the breeze picked up as the morning went on but never got troublesome - but the sun did and it was very warm by the time we finished. Warbler numbers were well down with just a few Blackcap and Chiffchaff, the only other warbler caught being a late Reed Warbler. The oldest subsequent encounter was a Blackcap from 2015. A Hobby flew low overhead. Nice to get a Kingfisher and another two Cetti’s Warblers, now up to 22 individuals for the year.
Kev
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 01/09/19 – The team consisted of Tom, Duncan, Holly, Sophie, Mick T, Gary and me. It was sunny with an increasing breeze. Warblers made up the majority of the catch with 65, 40 of them being Blackcaps. The subsequent encounters were all birds ringed this year, plus a control Blackcap.
Ramsdale Park Golf Centre 03/09/2019 – Breezy and sunny conditions, not ideal for this site but a relatively decent catch made considering the conditions. Duncan, Mick T and I put up the usual line of nets. Warblers made up the majority of the catch again with 28. The oldest subsequent encounter was a Blue Tit from 2017.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 08/09/19 – Carried out by Duncan, Holly, Sarah, Sophie, Alan, Mick T, Gary and me. Plenty of warblers again in the still and sunny conditions. Warblers made up the majority of the catch again with 45. The subsequent encounters were all birds ringed this year, plus a control Reed Warbler.
Holme Pierrepont Grange 10/09/19 – Carried out by Gary, Mick T and me. Still but mostly sunny conditions. The first time for some weeks that warblers did not make up the majority of the catch with just 23 caught. We did have another new Cetti’s Warbler which is the 17th new bird of the year and with three retraps from previous years making twenty individuals - our best ever yearly total by some margin. The oldest subsequent encounters were a Long-tailed Tit and Blue Tit from 2018.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 15/09/19 – Carried out by Holly, Alan, Duncan, Sarah, Mick T, Gary and me. A still morning that started sunny but then became overcast later on. Warbler numbers were much lower with only decent numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff and the only other warbler caught being a single Willow Warbler. The oldest subsequent encounter was a Blue Tit from 2016. Nice to get a Spotted Flycatcher, the first at the sight since 2011.
Ramsdale Park Golf Centre 19/09/2019 – Very still and sunny conditions but a relatively decent catch made again. Duncan, Mick P, Gary and I put up the usual line of nets. Much as last Sunday the warblers were all Blackcap and Chiffchaffs apart from a single Willow Warbler but they did make up half the catch. The two subsequent encounters were both from the previous visit.
Holme Pierrepont Blotts 21/09/19 – The last visit to this end of the site this year was carried out by Mick T, Gary and me. A light breeze and clear skies to start the morning, the breeze picked up as the morning went on but never got troublesome - but the sun did and it was very warm by the time we finished. Warbler numbers were well down with just a few Blackcap and Chiffchaff, the only other warbler caught being a late Reed Warbler. The oldest subsequent encounter was a Blackcap from 2015. A Hobby flew low overhead. Nice to get a Kingfisher and another two Cetti’s Warblers, now up to 22 individuals for the year.
Kev
Kingfisher, Holme Pierrepont, 21-9-19 (K. Hemsley)
Spotted Flycatcher, Holme Pierrepont, 15-9-19 (A. Hurst)
September ringing totals - summary table
Thursday, 19 September 2019
Ageing Dunnocks
As the season progresses and eye colour becomes a less reliable character, I have been referring to an article from Ringing & Migration (Vol 28 (1): June 2013) on ageing Dunnocks, written by Stephen Menzie and Bjorn Malmhagen. I have found it very useful but the copy I made of the illustrations of the wings weren't very clear.
Today we managed to photograph the wings of a juvenile, complete with 5 old greater coverts, and an adult in main moult, which illustrate really well some of the ageing features highlighted in the article.
Mick P
Today we managed to photograph the wings of a juvenile, complete with 5 old greater coverts, and an adult in main moult, which illustrate really well some of the ageing features highlighted in the article.
Mick P
Sunday, 15 September 2019
Barn Owls
When I checked a usually successful Barn Owl box in June and two adults flew from the box I was a bit surprised that the box was empty. I was unsure if their nesting attempt had failed due to all the rain around that time, but the owners think they may have had an early brood as they had heard lots of Barn Owl activity earlier in the year following the good, warm spring.
We decided to check the box again for a replacement, or second brood. The keen owners contacted me yesterday to tell me they could hear hissing coming from the box so today we checked it and found 5 healthy chicks.
Mick P
We decided to check the box again for a replacement, or second brood. The keen owners contacted me yesterday to tell me they could hear hissing coming from the box so today we checked it and found 5 healthy chicks.
Mick P
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