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

Vale Hobbies, Monday 28 July

Friend of SNRG, Ian Kirton, has been working on farms in the Vale of Belvoir during harvest and the other day he found an active Hobby nest in a large hedgerow oak. Today Jim, Mick P & I met up with him to investigate further. As we arrived, we flushed the female from the nest which was a large, fresh Carrion Crow structure. After a fairly swift and expert climb, Mick lowered down three small chicks as mum patrolled overhead. These were ringed and weighed before being returned safely to their nest.

Pete

Holme Pierrepont, Saturday 26 July

The forecast said still and overcast for Saturday, bright and breezy for Sunday, so we decided to make the first visit of the year to the A52 end of Holme Pierrepont on Saturday. We may have to start referring to the site differently as we no longer have to park on the A52 and make the long walk up the old concrete road since Tom got us a key to the ‘new’ Skylarks reserve car park, well done Tom.

A good team of Duncan, Tom, Alex, Sue, Linda, Gary and I arrived on site to find the still conditions that had been forecast but not the overcast conditions, there was hardly a cloud in the sky all morning. We set about clearing the rides and had a decent first catch but the rising sun and what appeared to be low numbers of birds at the site soon saw the catch diminish.

We finished slightly early because the conditions, finishing on 41 (including 4 retraps) made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 1/1, Robin 7/0, Wren 1/2, Reed Warbler 6/1, Blackcap 8/0, Garden Warbler 1/0, Whitethroat 3/0, Lesser Whitethroat 4/0, Chiffchaff 1/0, Willow Warbler 3/0, Blue Tit 1/0, Reed Bunting 1/0. Of the retraps we did get the oldest were the Wrens, both from from 2012.

Kev

Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 20 July

After hearing the forecast for the weekend a few days before I decided that Sunday would be the best day for another session at the Grange end of Holme Pierrepont. It certainly turned out to be the best day after the torrential rain we had on Saturday. Sunday started still and overcast but the sun soon came out as Gary, Alex, Linda, Clare and I set all the usual nets. Linda was paying us another visit from South Lincs and Clare came along to see what ringing was all about.

We caught steadily throughout the morning in very humid conditions, although the catch was down on last week's total. We finished with a total catch of 72 birds including 10 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Dunnock 2/0, Robin 3/1, Wren 6/3, Reed Warbler 18/2, Sedge Warbler 3/0, Blackcap 11/0, Garden Warbler 3/0, Whitethroat 0/1, Cetti’s Warbler 0/1, Chiffchaff 1/0, Willow Warbler 2/0, Blue Tit 2/0, Great Tit 2/2, Long-tailed Tit 2/0, Goldfinch 3/0, Reed Bunting 4/0.

Of the retraps we did get, the oldest was a Wren from 2011. The only warbler retraps we had were 3 adults, all the juvs we have ringed in the last few weeks seem to be passing straight through.

Kev

Attenborough terns, Thursday 17 July

I was joined by Duncan and Pete S for the second visit to two of the tern platforms at ANR. It had been four weeks since our first visit so I think we may have missed a few chicks that were hatching last time. A few chicks took flight as we approached so we missed them. We ringed 19 more chicks, 12 on Conneries and 7 on the Main Pond platform bringing the total this year to 67 chicks ringed and only one dead chick was found. Chicks were still hatching while we were there, but not enough to warrant a third visit.

Gary

Holme Pierrepont, Saturday 12 July

The third summer ringing session of 2014 at the Grange end of Holme Pierrepont was carried out today by Gary, Duncan, Tom, Sue and I along with Linda Lowndes visiting us from the South Lincs R.G. The nets were quickly erected on a warm, muggy but still morning, with the forecast predicting it to get hot. We caught steadily throughout the morning until it really started to get hot about mid-morning. The Blackcap numbers were well down on last week but we did get the first Sedge Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats of the summer. A Woodpigeon and Green Woodpecker added a little extra to the mix, as did the capture of 3 more Cetti’s Warblers.

We finished with a total catch of 108 birds including 16 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Woodpigeon 1/0, Green Woodpecker 1/0, Blackbird 2/0, Song Thrush 1/0, Dunnock 1/0, Robin 4/1, Wren 2/2, Reed Warbler 16/3, Sedge Warbler 5/0, Blackcap 8/1, Garden Warbler 4/1, Whitethroat 2/1, Lesser Whitethroat 3/0, Cetti’s Warbler 3/0, Chiffchaff 5/0, Willow Warbler 4/0, Blue Tit 11/1, Great Tit 10/1, Long-tailed Tit 1/1, Treecreeper 1/1, Bullfinch 3/0, Reed Bunting 4/3. Of the retraps we did get, the oldest was a Garden Warbler from 2011. As I headed for home the car temperature gauge told me it was 27 degrees outside, definitely the right time to end a great morning's ringing.

Kev

 Cetti's Warbler, Green Woodpecker (T. Shields) and Treecreeper (S. Lakeman)

Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 6 July

The second summer ringing session of 2014 at the Grange end of Holme Pierrepont was carried out today by Gary, Duncan, Tom, Nabegh and I. I thought the water level was such that we could get extra nets up into the reeds this week, so we tried, however the two wellies full of water that Gary received suggested I was incorrect! A great start with overcast and still conditions resulted in a first round catch of almost 50 birds. The catching continued in good numbers until the sun came out about mid-morning.

We finished with a total catch of 94 birds including 11 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 2/0, Song Thrush 1/0, Robin 7/0, Wren 3/1, Reed Warbler 15/6, Blackcap 26/0, Garden Warbler 1/0, Whitethroat 3/1, Cetti’s Warbler 1/0, Chiffchaff 3/1, Willow Warbler 5/0, Blue Tit 3/1, Great Tit 5/0, Treecreeper 2/0, Reed Bunting 6/1.

It was nice to get a juvenile Cetti’s and with today's catch we have now had 36 Blackcaps in two visits without a single retrap! Of the retraps we did get, the oldest was another Reed Warbler from 2011. There seem to be very few returning Reed warblers so far.

A Cuckoo was calling and a recording appeared to attract it into the net judging by the large half-digested caterpillar in there but by the time we checked the net the bird had flown.

Kev

Reed Warblers and Cuckoos at Holme Pierrepont

Last year, I joined Ian wading through the reedbeds at our ringing site at the Grange, looking for Reed Warbler nests. We found a few but it wasn't as successful as we'd hoped. This year I was keen to get back in the reedbeds again and have another look, but various things kept getting in the way and it got to 7 June before I finally borrowed some waders and got stuck in. What really prompted me to put some effort in was the fact that cuckoos seem to be a big presence around Holme Pierrepont this summer, with up to 3 individuals being seen and at least as many calling from various territories round the area. I hoped that with so many about, that maybe I'd be lucky enough to find a reed warbler nest with a big fat cuckoo chick in it.

On the 7th I donned the waders and wandered through the reedbeds, but was disappointed to not find any nests within the first hour or so of searching. After waiting through a heavy rain shower, I finally jumped back in and just before giving up, finally stumbled across a nest. I couldn't beleive it when I poked my nose in to see a reddish-brown egg which was slightly larger than the 3 greyish brown speckled eggs sitting next to it. Some shaky-handed photography followed and I cycled home with a smile on my face.

I made another visit on the 15th, expecting to see some change in the nest, but still nothing had happened and there was some minor damage to one of the supports holding the nest in place, so I did worry that the nest had been abandoned, as the eggs didn't feel massively warm. However on 21 June I had another go with the Reed Warblers and located a couple more nests. I also visited the cuckoo one last time, just in case I had been wrong. Luckily I had, as when I looked this time, there was a naked, blind cuckoo there... and no Reed Warblers.

On Sunday, I met up with Ian so we could have a go at ringing the bird. We needed to time the visit right as we didn't want it too small, but we also didn't want it so big that it could damaged the nest by taking the bird out. It seemed we timed it just right as I managed to ring the bird at FS stage. Hopefully the bird will carry on as successfully as it has been and it's fantastic that everything seems to have gone perfectly.

We've found a few more Reed Warbler nests too, so it's good to have some nest records for the year and hopefully we should be ringing the chicks soon.

Thanks to Ian for coming down and supervising the ringing of this amazing bird!

Tom

 Photos by T. Shields and I. Blackmore

Holme Pierrepont, Saturday 28 June

The first summer ringing session of 2014 at the Grange end of Holme Pierrepont was carried out today by Gary, Alex and I. We expected to have to do fair bit of clearing because of the phenomenal vegetation growth we had seen locally but we were still surprised at what we found on site. The nettles were above head height in places and the brambles had gone crazy. The weather was overcast and quite still as we attacked the vegetation with various implements and erected nets as we cleared it, it was 3 hours after arriving on site before we had the last net up!

We still managed a decent catch of 66 birds including 8 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 2/2, Song Thrush 1/1, Robin 4/1, Wren 4/1, Dunnock 2/0, Reed Warbler 13/2, Blackcap 10/0, Garden Warbler 1/0, Whitethroat 5/0, Chiffchaff 4/1, Willow Warbler 5/0, Great Tit 3/0, Treecreeper 1/0, Goldfinch 1/0, Reed Bunting 2/0. The oldest retrap was a Reed Warbler from 2011. Up to three Cuckoos were around most of the morning, calling and chasing but managing to avoid the nets!

Kev

Attenborough CES Visit 6, Sunday 22 June

Gary, Alex, Duncan, Sue, Tom and I completed the sixth and final CES visit of the year at Attenborough on Sunday. The weather was still and sunny throughout which no doubt affected the catch as most of the nets were in full sun. We have been fortunate this year to have carried out every visit in very still conditions, something I can’t ever remember happening in previous years.

We managed to catch 33 birds including 8 retraps, the breakdown was (new/retrap): Bullfinch 1/2, Wren 1/1, Reed Warbler 3/3, Reed Bunting 2/1, Great Tit 2/1, Chiffchaff 1/0, Blue Tit 1/0, Blackcap 8/0, Robin 3/0, Dunnock 3/0. The oldest retrap was the Reed Warbler from 2007 that we have regularly caught this year and a Great Tit from 2008 that was recaptured for the first time since ringing.

Around, but not in the nets, were a Tawny Owl, a Nuthatch and some Peacock caterpillars (see below). The poles and guys were all removed at the end of the visit as the Trust are to turn the cattle out on the Delta now. 

Kev

 Nets 1 & 2 (Sue Lakeman)

 Peacock caterpillars (Sue Lakeman)

Little Grebe nest

Following an unproductive ringing session at Bestwood this morning I decided to check on a Little Grebe nest I am monitoring for the BTO Nest Record Scheme. I found the nest last week and as the adult covers the eggs when leaving only 2 were visible. This morning the eggs were uncovered, revealing 4 and a newly hatched chick!

Mick P

Kestrel recovery

An interesting recovery from new box site at Epperstone. A long dead male Kestrel with its head missing - and it was ringed! I would imagine its assailant was either a Tawny Owl or a stoat. EN series rings were first used in the 1980s so it will be interesting to hear of its origins in due course.

Jim