Long-eared Owl nest baskets

Don Pritchett and myself spent a pleasant couple of hours roaming a thicket in the Vale of Belvoir in the late sun yesterday afternoon putting up the LEO nest baskets he'd made from various garden centre products. LEOs are regularly seen here in the winter, so fingers crossed...

 

 (LEO's view from the nest!)

Is bird ringing still necessary?

Good read on the subject here:

http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/article/bird-ringing-still-necessary/

Holme Pierrepont, Tuesday 30 September

Duncan, Jim, Gary and I made a final visit to the Skylarks end of Holme Pierrepont on Tuesday. Another fine, clear morning with very little breeze, we erected most of the usual nets and set 4 tapes playing. At this time of year we do not expect to catch many birds as the warblers have generally moved out. There were a couple of Chiffchaffs singing but other than that the site seemed relatively quiet.

However catching started at a brisk pace before the breeze got up a little and the sun rose high in the sky. We caught only two species of migratory warblers but these were in good (and surprising) numbers. We finished with 70 birds including 7 retraps and a control, made up of (new/retraps and controls): Robin 5/2, Wren 3/0, Dunnock 1/1, Blackcap 13/0, Chiffchaff 12/1, Cetti’s Warbler 0/1, Goldcrest 2/0, Treecreeper 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 8/3, Blue Tit 5/0, Great Tit 1/0, Bullfinch 2/0, Chaffinch 2/0, Goldfinch 6/0, Reed Bunting 1/0.

The oldest retraps were the Cetti’s Warbler and one of the Robins that were both from 2012, we also had a control Chiffchaff. Overhead passed a few Skylark, a Swallow, two Buzzard and a couple of Jays. At the end of the session we removed all of the poles and guys, effectively closing this site for the winter.

Kev

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

Holme Pierrepont Ringing Demo photos

Many thanks to Geoff Prett for sending us these photos from our Ringing Demo.

Holme Pierrepont Ringing Demo, Sunday 24 August

Having not had particularly good catches at the ‘new’ Skylarks end of the Holme Pierrepont site in recent weeks I was a little anxious that we would have enough birds to show the groups of visitors that were due on the hour from 0800 to 1100. I suggested an earlier start to the team so that we could get up a few extra nets which would stretch us slightly keeping them checked, but with a team of nine out we should be ok.

So at 0530 Gary, Jim, Duncan, Alex, Tom, Sue, Linda, Nick and I met in the car park on a very cool and calm morning but clear skies suggested catching may be restricted as the morning went on. We quickly set 9 of the usual nets and 3 new nets with a view to putting up a few more when we had had a chance to gauge the catching rate. As ringers we all know that even on good netting days we sometimes catch very little and sometimes the extraordinary happens.

Well today was one of those extraordinary days. After setting the nets we did put on a number of tape lures but these only accounted for a small percentage of the 201 birds caught in the morning including just 9 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Great Spotted Woodpecker 1/0, Wren 2/2, Dunnock 2/2, Robin 11/0, Cetti’s Warbler 1/0, Reed Warbler 10/0, Lesser Whitethroat 9/0, Whitethroat 25/2, Garden Warbler 4/0, Blackcap 42/0, Chiffchaff 17/0, Willow Warbler 15/0, Long-tailed Tit 9/2, Blue Tit 7/1, Great Tit 4/0, Chaffinch 1/0, Goldfinch 29/0, Bullfinch 1/0, Reed Bunting 2/0.

The two oldest retraps were a Dunnock and a Wren both from 2012. Unfortunately the amount of birds gave us less time to spend with the visitors but they seemed to enjoy seeing such a lot of birds at close quarters. It will certainly be a day that is remembered for a long time by all the ringers present... And we never did get chance to put up those extra nets!

Kev

Holme Pierrepont, Saturday 9 August

We opted to go ringing on Saturday as the weather forecast suggested that it was going to be the better day for ringing - and as I sit here typing this report on Sunday morning with the rain pouring down outside it was correct, for once.

A small team of Gary, Sue and I set nets at the ‘new Skylarks’ end of Holme Pierrepont with clear skies and a light but increasing breeze. We decided, because of the small team and the breeze, not to use some of the usual net sites but to try some new sites ready for the ringing demonstration later this month. We got just four of the usual nets up, one new net and was about to start on a second new net when Gary rang, he had gone on a net round as it was a while since the first net had been erected. The first net, a 12m, had 20 birds in it. We stopped putting up nets at that point and helped extract. The first two net rounds produced 51 birds but by then the breeze had increase to strong and the catching rate dropped dramatically forcing an early finish. Chris popped in and spent some time with us, he was down to check for any passing waders on the big lake.

We finished on 55 birds including 2 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 1/0, Song Thrush 1/0, Dunnock 1/0, Robin 1/0, Wren 1/0, Reed Warbler 1/0, Blackcap 13/0, Whitethroat 7/0, Lesser Whitethroat 2/2, Willow Warbler 3/0, Chiffchaff 4/0, Blue Tit 3/0, Great Tit 4/0, Long-tailed Tit 9/0, Goldfinch 2/0. The two retraps were both from the previous visit.

Kev

Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 3 August

The weather forecast was wrong again! Saturday was going to be wet all day so we opted for Sunday which was going to be bright and breezy. Saturday morning turned out to be still, overcast and dry (perfect for ringing!), but by then we had opted for Sunday which they got correct and we had to take the nets down a little early because of the breeze.

A team of Duncan, Alex, Sue, Gary and I set all but one of the usual nets but a slow start to catching continued into the morning and we finished with only 29 including 7 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Robin 1/1, Wren 3/1, Reed Warbler 8/2, Blackcap 7/1, Cetti’s Warbler 0/1, Willow Warbler 1/0, Great Tit 1/1, Bullfinch 1/0.

Of the retraps we did get, the oldest were the Wren and Cetti’s Warbler, both from from 2012. The conditions undoubtedly effected the catch but the site did seem very quiet anyway. Overhead a couple of passing Ravens gave us something to look at.

Kev