On our latest session in Calverton, a lovely sunny morning was enjoyed by all, though the conditions were not always ideal for ringing. Nevertheless, we finished with a total of 36 birds, including 2 re-traps (birds previously ringed by SNRG), with 11 seperate species in all, comprising: 14 Redpoll, 9 Redwing, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Robin, 2 Blue Tit, and single Wren, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Dunnock and Song Thrush.
Kev B
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| A Great Tit with suspended moult (JP) |
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| Autumn netting (HJ) |
This weekend felt very autumnal, with perfect conditions for our mist netting trip to the golf club. Whilst there, we tried to attract finches and autumn migrants with tape lures. These attempts were successful, which led to a busy morning of ringing. 42 birds were caught, including 3 retraps.
We caught three Redwings and two Redpolls (as pictured) – our first encounters this year with these species after their migration over to our shores. All three Redwings were aged as adults; notable as juveniles are more frequently caught. We are hoping that this was just because of the timing this year, instead of being indicative of a poor breeding year for them.
Four Greenfinch and seven Goldfinch were also caught in the nets. The proportion of feathers moulted by the juvenile Goldfinch were on average less than the populations our group catches in more urban areas. This may be because of food availability at artificial feeders giving them more energy and allowing a greater extent of post-juvenile moult.
Additionally, one of the juvenile Great Tits appeared to have moulted more feathers than we would usually expect. As shown in the photos, the outermost primary covert and innermost secondary feather were a different generation to any others. Something to look out for in the future.
The totals for the day were: 3 Goldcrest, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Blue Tits, 8 Great Tits, 7 Goldfinch, 4 Robins, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Dunnocks, 4 Greenfinch, and 3 Redwing.
Josh
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| Redpolls (JP) |
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| Great Tit moult (JP) |
In September, Kev H, Gary and I travelled to Vilamoura on the south coast of Portugal for 10 days. We joined ringers from the West Midlands, Leicestershire and Greater Manchester to monitor birds on passage migration before they cross the Mediterranean over to Africa. Our ringing site acted as a refuelling station, with new birds continuing to filter through each day to feed up.
After a very wet start setting up the nets, the weather for the rest of the trip was a sunny 25 degrees, and at times quite breezy. Our catches were quite variable, with 27 on the slowest day and 144 on the best. Our trip coincided with extensive storms across Northern Europe which will no doubt have affected birds' ability and willingness to travel.
There were large numbers of Reed Warblers, Blackcaps and Garden Warblers moving through. The Garden Warblers were notable for their weight! Low-to-mid 20g with fat scores of 5-7 were not uncommon. To put that into context, the majority of Garden Warblers I’d ringed just before I went away were 16-18g.
On a couple of nights we tried for roosts of Red-rumped Swallow and Spotless Starling (which were largely unsuccessful) and Red-Necked Nightjar with a mega catch of 6 in one evening.
There were some highlights sprinkled throughout the week such as Iberian Grey Shrike, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Woodchat Shrike, Little Bittern and Common Sandpiper.
We caught a number of Reed Warblers that had been ringed in France, Belgium, Poland, plus a Whitethroat and Bluethroat both from France.
I confess to spending some of the time trying to catch the Portuguese subspecies of Goldfinch to look at the extent of their post-juvenile moult in the field of teasels by the ringing base. I didn’t manage to catch any juveniles that appeared to be undergoing a complete moult, but we did get a handful of Greenfinch that had moulted a few inner primaries.
Huge thank you to Colin McShane from Belvide Ringing Group for organising the trip, as well as our fellow ringers Kate, Craig and Mike. Special thanks to expats Carl and Julie for clearing rides and bringing coffee, and also to Christine for scribing.
Holly
In addition to these common species, I have recorded several notable and unusual captures, including Grasshopper Warblers (3) and a Redstart (1). Moreover, some of the birds I have ringed at the reserve have been controlled further south along the British coast, and even in France, as they migrate southwards for the winter. This emphasises the importance of Manor Floods as a stopover site for migratory species. Every bird I ring contributes to valuable data on migration and population health, crucial for the wider conservation effort. The diversity of habitats makes Manor Floods an incredible site for both birds and people. As I continue my work here, I’m excited by the discoveries that lie ahead, knowing that this site has so much more to reveal.
Alex P
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