Attenborough Nature Reserve Grey Herons

In 2013, South Notts Ringing Group began monitoring the Grey Heron nests at Attenborough Nature Reserve (ANR) and colour-ringing the chicks.

This was seen as an extension to the project which North Notts Ringing Group had been running at Besthorpe Nature Reserve for many years.

Part of the study, and one of the reasons we are fitting colour rings, is to better understand at what age they breed and how far they disperse from their natal site to breed.

In some ways we thought the ANR nests would be physically easier to check than the Besthorpe nests because there were fewer nests in smaller trees. However, at ANR the nests were scattered around the many small islands so we needed to be in and out of the boat, with the ladder and kit, multiple times each visit.

Our initial thought was that the nests would be pretty permanent and used year after year so a large, numbered plaque was attached next to each nest. This would assist in identifying the nests between visits and help with nest recording.

Also, in theory, we could then monitor the nests from the footpaths surrounding the gravel pits. This worked on the odd occasion before the trees burst into leaf. We also discovered that the nests were not as permanent as we thought. We anticipated that some nests would be blown out over winter but discovered that most Heron nests moved from the West to the East of the reserve over the years, as shown in the maps below.



27 active Grey Heron nests in 2013

12 active Grey Heron nests in 2018

4 active Grey heron nests in 2023

The graph below highlights the decline in the number of active nests. Covid prevented any visits during 2020 and only one brief, early visit in 2021.

During the study period, along with the decline in nests, unsurprisingly the number of chicks ringed also declined, as shown below. Covid prevented any visits during 2020 and only one brief, early visit in 2021.



 

Population change

Our findings at ANR are consistent with the National trend determined by the British Trust for Ornithology » home » understanding-birds » birdfacts » Grey Heron, which says:

'The BTO Heronries Census, which has monitored Grey Herons since 1928, shows the species to have been more abundant in the early 2000s than at any time in the last 90 years. In the full survey of UK heronries, carried out in 2003 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Heronries Census, a record total of more than 10,441 Grey Heron nests were counted, around 75% of the estimated total population for that year. In the most recent full survey in 2018, a higher number of sites were visited than in 2003 but fewer nests were counted, reflecting a subsequent downturn”.

Mick P.

Attenborough CES - Visit 2: Sunday 14 May

This week SNRG conducted its second Constant Effort Site (CES) Scheme session at Attenborough Nature Reserve.

Due to the amount of rain the past month, wellies were still very much needed! A total of 10 different species were encountered, including our first juvenile bird of the season at this site.

What is the Constant Effort Site Scheme (CES)?

The CES scheme is the first national standardised ringing programme within the BTO Ringing Scheme and has been running since 1983. Ringers operate the same nets in the same locations over the same time period at regular intervals through the breeding season at approximately 120 sites throughout Britain and Ireland.

The Scheme provides valuable trend information on abundance of adults and juveniles, productivity and also adult survival rates for 24 species of common songbird. 

Jake

Great Spotted Woodpecker and flooded net rides (J. Holness)

Attenborough CES - Visit 1: Sunday 7 May

Not a promising start as it was drizzling as we met and the vegetation was sodden, but the rain stopped by the time we were ready to open the nets. It was difficult setting the nets in the main ride because the water level was higher than I have seen it before. Only 3 of the 8 nets did not have water under them. The bottom end of the ride also needed some clearance as willows had fallen into the ride. Once up, the nets were looking good as there was little wind and generally overcast conditions. However, the birds did not oblige and fill the nets and we ended on just 24 birds which included two returning Chiffchaffs, one from 2021 and one from 2022.

Kev

Tawny Owls

Tawny Owl box checks are mostly complete with just a few late broods to return to. First impressions are of a slightly late and below-average year with quite a few single chicks/eggs. Here's a chick in the Vale of Belvoir.

BTO Seabird ringing trip to Skokholm

Last year, I was lucky to receive a BTO Seabird ringing grant which allowed me to go on a
week-long ringing trip to the island of Skokholm, off the coast of Pembrokeshire.

Seabirds are a fantastic bellwether for the health of the ocean and as their numbers are
declining, I felt that getting involved with seabird ringing lets me do my bit for marine
conservation.

Skokholm was the UK’s first bird observatory, established in 1933 by Ronald Lockley who
nicknamed it ‘Dream Island’. It has internationally important populations of Manx Shearwater
and Storm Petrel, which were our priority on the trip, as well as other colony nesting seabirds.

It’s difficult to choose a favourite moment - ringing Puffins was totally different from what I
expected, and using the gull trap was fun too - but I think my most memorable part of the trip
was ringing Storm Petrels.

I’m a morning person, so going out to ring at 10:30pm was a challenge, but I had plenty of
coffee and chocolate to get me through. I have a vivid memory of sitting in a harbour with
Stormie calls blasting out from an amp while working in darkness to extract these soft, smelly
creatures that unfathomably survive at sea. I had dreaded attempting to extract from mist nests
at night but actually, I found it quite meditative and it helped to improve my technique.

I got to ring 10 new species* at Skokholm, which was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about
seabirds, how to age them, their behaviour and ecology. It was really interesting to try the
different methods of catching birds - walking transects with hand nets for Shearwaters, spring
traps for Wheatears, night ringing, heligolands, etc. I hope to use this trip as a springboard for
other seabird ringing opportunities in the future.

I learned about the value of spending time with other ringers who are so knowledgeable and
keen to pass on their knowledge, supporting trainees to become better ringers.

Thank you very much to the BTO for giving me this opportunity and to the Northants and Tring
ringing groups who made me feel so welcome, particularly Kenny for organising, and to Richard
and Giselle the observatory wardens.

Holly James

*New species: Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrel, Puffin, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull,
Great Black-backed Gull, Wheatear, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail.

2022 Report

The 2022 SNRG report is now published and available. If you would like a copy, please email the address at the top of the 'Reports' page - see tab at the top.

 

Reed Bunting

Things have been really quiet lately, including today (15/3/23). Though I did retrap a 4 year old Reed Bunting, ringed on 26/3/2019. They can be a difficult species to age but we know this is an adult female.

Mick P 

Autumn Ringing

With no early sign of it being another Redpoll autumn, just a few visits were made to Ramsdale Golf Centre, at intervals, to check for them. Apart from the odd individual, including one Common Redpoll, only one significant catch was made. This was on 16 November and totalled 84 birds, including 3 controls. The visits also produced a few other birds including 28 Redwing.

The main effort of the Autumn was to set up a new winter feeding site at Trowell. The feeders were put on site on 22 October and the first netting session was on 6 November. It was great to have Sue out with us again, after such a long time away, helping set up the site and on a subsequent visit. We have visited to net at the site every weekend since 6 November, somewhat disappointingly all catches have been low in number and of a limited species range. We have tried sound-luring Redwing which has been very successful at bringing them into the hedges and trees surrounding the site but unfortunately they have been very reluctant to come as low as net level, so few have been caught. Hopefully once we get a few frosts the feeders will bring in more birds.

Towards the end of October we heard that we had been nominated in the Environmental Group/Project of the Year category for the Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards and were shortlisted for the award along with Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park 2022 Bioblitz and FarmEco Community Farm. The awards evening was held on 24 November and was attended by Holly, Mick P and myself. We had provided a video of activities, some photographs and an interview which the team at Rushcliffe Borough Council had turned into a great informational film about the group. This, along with films of all nominees in each category, was shown at the event. It was great to be nominated but on the night we were pipped at the post by the FarmEco Community Farm, congratulations to them.

Kev

 

Blue Tit with a pure white primary at Trowell (Sue Lakeman) 

 

The new feeding site at Trowell (Kev Hemsley)

Our certificate (Holly James)