Ringing Round-up - late July & August

Holme Pierrepont Grange 29/06/19 – carried out by Mick T and me in sunny and breezy conditions. A relatively quiet morning with limited nets due to conditions and team size but a nice catch of Reed Warblers was made and another 2 new Cetti’s Warblers. The oldest retrap was a Reed Warbler from 2017.

Holme Pierrepont Blotts 04/08/19 – carried out by Duncan, Richard, Holly, Sarah, Alan, Gary and me. Plenty of warblers again the breezy conditions keeping the catch down. Nice numbers of Reed Warblers but not many sylvias. The oldest retrap was a Reed Warbler from 2018.

Ramsdale Park Golf Centre 08/08/2019 – still but sunny conditions. Duncan, Sarah, Holly, Mick T, Gary and I put up the usual line of nets. A steady morning the only real surprise being a Tree Pipit. The oldest retrap was a Blackcap from 2016.

Holme Pierrepont Grange 13/08/19 – carried out by Sarah, Jim, Gary and me. Still but mostly sunny conditions. A very good catch of Reed Warblers was made. The oldest retrap was a Robin from 2018.

Holme Pierrepont Blotts 18/08/19 – a morning ringing demonstration for the South Notts branch of NWT. We had arranged to do this demo last year but managed to pick the only Sunday that it rained in the driest summer for decades! Better luck this year though in one of the wettest summers for years! We had a great team out, Cliff, Alex, Duncan, Holly, Sarah, Mick T, Gary and me. By the end of the morning that was sunny and breezy we had plenty of happy visitors, a possible new recruit and 123 birds caught (80 of them were warblers, 33 of them Blackcaps). Great job done by Cliff and Mick T who did the bulk of the talking to the visitors. The retraps were all birds ringed this year.

Holme Pierrepont Blotts 21/08/19 – an afternoon ringing demonstration held in the ‘new’ Skylarks reserve in support of the NWT Skylarks Woodland Gathering event that was being held across the road in the ‘old’ Skylarks reserve. Cliff, Jim, Holly, Duncan, Mick T, Gary and I were kept busy again despite the session being in the afternoon. Alan was around as well acting as photographer for the Trust. The weather was mostly sunny but getting quite breezy as the afternoon went on. We managed to have birds to show visitors all afternoon but unfortunately there were not many visitors that came over from the main event. The retraps were all birds ringed this year.

Holme Pierrepont Blotts 25/08/19 – Carried out by Holly, Alan, Duncan, Tom, Mick T, Gary and me. We were also joined by Heather who we met at the demo last Sunday. A still morning that started overcast but then became clear, sunny and very hot. We caught 43 Blackcaps which was almost 50% of the 94 birds caught in total! Again the retraps were all birds ringed this year.

Kev

 Magpie & Tree Pipit, Ramsdale Park Golf Club, 08/08/19 (K. Hemsley)

 Demo table & Great Tit release, Holme Pierrepont, 18/08/19 (Sarah Bowler)

 Ringing Demo with Blackcaps and Great Tit, Holme Pierrepont 21-08-19 (Alan Hurst)

Ringing totals summary table

Recent ringing at Holme Pierrepont

We have paid three more visits to Holme Pierrepont recently on 14, 16 and 21 July. The visit on 16 was to the Grange end the other two to the Blotts end.

Weather was relatively good for all visits but strangely on 21 when it was ideal we caught the least birds!

The team on the 14th consisted of Holly, Sophie, Alan, Kate, Sarah, Richard, Alex, Mick T, Gary and me. We finished on 106 birds including 15 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Song Thrush 1/1, Blackbird 2/0, Robin 3/0, Wren 2/0, Dunnock 1/0, Willow Warbler 7/1, Chiffchaff 8/2, Blackcap 5/2, Garden Warbler 3/1, Whitethroat 3/0, Lesser Whitethroat 1/0, Reed Warbler 18/1, Sedge Warbler 3/2, Cetti’s Warbler 0/1, Blue Tit 5/1, Great Tit 4/0, Treecreeper 1/0, Bullfinch 2/2, Greenfinch 6/0, Goldfinch 7/1, Reed Bunting 10/0. The most interesting recaptures were a control Reed Warbler and a Goldfinch from Tom’s garden in Colwick.

The team on the 16th consisted of Holly, Sophie, Alan, Kate, Sarah, Richard, Alex, Mick T, Gary and me. We finished on 96 birds including 12 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Wren 6/2, Willow Warbler 2/1, Chiffchaff 2/3, Blackcap 18/2, Garden Warbler 3/0, Reed Warbler 14/4, Sedge Warbler 2/0, Cetti’s Warbler 3/0, Goldcrest 1/0, Blue Tit 6/0, Great Tit 2/0, Long-tailed Tit 5/0, Greenfinch 2/0. The oldest retrap was a Reed Warbler from 2012.

The team on the 21st consisted of Holly, Sophie, Alan, Kate, Sarah, Richard, Alex, Mick T, Gary and me. We finished on 65 birds including 14 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Kingfisher 1/0, Blackbird
1/0, Robin 1/1, Dunnock 1/0, Willow Warbler 5/0, Chiffchaff 2/5, Blackcap 4/0, Garden Warbler 6/0, Whitethroat 5/1, Lesser Whitethroat 1/0, Reed Warbler 18/3, Sedge Warbler 1/2, Cetti’s Warbler 0/2, Great Tit 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 1/0, Bullfinch 3/0, Greenfinch 1/0. The oldest retraps were from 2018.

Kev

 A juvenile Whitethroat (showing a moult limit in the greater coverts) and a Kingfisher (Alan Hurst). It should be noted that the Kingfisher was not injured or behaving strangely in any way in the first photograph. Their natural reaction to a predator is to go into what seems like a trance, from which they will suddenly emerge and fly off (presumably when the predator has put them down, assuming them to be dead!).

Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 7 July

We had another session at the Blotts end of Holme Pierrepont this morning. The team consisted of Holly, Alan, Helen, Gary, Duncan and myself. A very busy morning with calm conditions, no doubt it would have been even busier if the predicted overcast conditions had not turned out to be mainly bright sun! No Willow Tit caught this week but we did have a good catch of 119 birds including 15 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 1/0, Song Thrush 1/0, Robin 6/1, Wren 9/2, Willow Warbler 10/2, Chiffchaff 19/2, Blackcap 12/0, Garden Warbler 3/0, Whitethroat 3/2, Lesser Whitethroat 1/0, Reed Warbler 3/0, Sedge Warbler 2/1, Blue Tit 16/1, Great Tit 7/0, Long-tailed Tit 4/2. Bullfinch 4/2, Goldfinch 3/0. The oldest retraps were from 2017. No Cuckoo calling this morning!

Kev

Ramsdale Park Golf Centre, Wednesday 3 July

We paid the second visit of the summer to Ramsdale this morning and the weather was sunny but calm. The team consisted of Holly, Gary, Mick T, Mick P and myself. We had a first round that was fairly hectic but the warm sun getting higher in the sky slowed things down a little as the morning went on. We finished with a reasonable total of 66 birds including 2 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Robin 3/0, Wren 4/0, Willow Warbler 1/0, Chiffchaff 12/1, Blackcap 4/1, Garden Warbler 1/0, Whitethroat 4/0, Treecreeper 2/0, Blue Tit 29/0, Great Tit 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 2/1, Coal Tit 1/0. A little disappointed with the low number of warblers but Blue Tits there seem to have had a good breeding season. The oldest retrap was a Chiffchaff from 2017.

Kev

Late June, Holme Pierrepont

We paid a visit to the Grange end of Holme Pierrepont on Thursday 27/06/19 and to the Blotts end on Sunday 30/06/19.

On 27 June the weather was bright but a little breezy and we had a bit of a job tidying up the net rides after not visiting for about 8 weeks. The team consisted of Gary, Holly, Sarah, Alice, Mick and myself. The catch rate was steady throughout the morning and we finished with a good total of 78 birds including 14 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 1/1, Robin 2/0, Wren 3/0, Dunnock 0/1, Willow Warbler 3/0, Chiffchaff 12/1, Blackcap 16/2, Garden Warbler 1/0, Reed Warbler 13/7, Cetti’s Warbler 1/1, Treecreeper 1/0, Blue Tit 4/1, Great Tit 4/0, Reed Bunting 3/0. The oldest retrap was a Reed Warbler from 2017.

On 30 June the weather was generally sunny but with a stiff breeze blowing which no doubt adversely affected the catching rate. We had bumper team out consisting of Gary, Holly, Sarah, Sophie, Richard, Kate, Alan, Tom, Duncan, Mick and myself. There were plenty of birds around and despite the stiff breeze we still ended with an excellent catch of 93 including 11 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Song Thrush 1/0, Robin 2/1, Wren 3/1, Dunnock 2/0, Willow Warbler 5/1, Chiffchaff 8/2, Blackcap 23/3, Garden Warbler 5/0, Whitethroat 6/1, Reed Warbler 4/0, Sedge Warbler 1/0, Cetti’s Warbler 1/0, Willow Tit 1/0, Blue Tit 13/1, Great Tit 2/0, Long-tailed Tit 1/0, Bullfinch 1/1, Greenfinch 1/0, Chaffinch 1/0, Reed Bunting 1/0. The most surprising bird of the day was a juvenile Willow Tit, the first at Holme Pierrepont for 8 years. The oldest retrap was a Bullfinch from 2017. We were also a little surprised to hear a Cuckoo calling this morning.

Kev

 

Willow Warbler & Willow Tit (Alan Hurst)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Thursday 27 June

I caught this juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker at Bestwood this morning. As stated in the “Identification of European Non-Passerines” by Jeff Baker, juveniles undergo a partial post-juvenile moult (which begins in the nest) including body feathers, primaries, some or all upperwing coverts, and tail. Primary moult begins in or just after the fledging period.

Mick P

Attenborough CES visit 6, Sunday 23 June

We carried out the sixth and final CES visit of the year at Attenborough today. An overcast sky with a light breeze to start but the sun did come out for the second half of the session and the breeze picked up. The team consisted of Gary, Duncan, Holly, Mick, Alex, Alan and myself. The catch rate was steady throughout the morning and we finished with a total catch of 46 birds including 14 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 0/2, Song Thrush 0/2, Robin 2/1, Wren 9/1, Dunnock 3/0, Chiffchaff 2/1, Blackcap 8/5, Reed Warbler 2/0, Treecreeper 0/1, Blue Tit 4/1, Great Tit 2/0. I have not delved into the records yet but I think this must rate as one of our best (if not the best) ever year for captures on the CES at Attenborough. The oldest retraps were from 2017. A Hobby circled overhead as we walked from the site at the end of the session.

Kev

 Blackcap, Treecreeper, Song Thrush, Blackbird (Alan Hurst) Blackcap release video below by Alex Phillips.

Attenborough CES visit 5, Sunday 16 June

We were due to hold a ringing demonstration for the Notts Wildlife Trust today at Holme Pierrepont to coincide with a ‘wild camping’ event they were holding there over the weekend. Unfortunately the event was cancelled on Friday after the week of rain that we have just endured. So we decided to carry out CES visit 5 at Attenborough instead. Heavy rain the previous night meant the vegetation was dripping with water first thing but the sun was out and there was a slight breeze. The clear skies only lasted for a couple of hours then ominous looking cloud and a strengthening wind took over. However, for once, we were spared and the rain only started as we were about to leave the site at the usual time. The team consisted of Gary, Duncan, Holly, Mick and myself, we were also joined by Kath and Alan who had come along for a taster session.

I thought the wet vegetation would subdue the birds a little but we started steadily and as the vegetation dried out a little the catch picked up. The total catch was 69 birds including 9 retraps comprising (new/retrap): Great Spotted Woodpecker 2/0, Robin 6/0, Wren 10/0, Dunnock 0/1, Chiffchaff 4/2, Blackcap 10/2, Reed Warbler 2/0, Sedge Warbler 1/0, Cetti’s Warbler 2/0, Treecreeper 3/0, Blue Tit 3/0, Great Tit 3/2, Long-tailed Tit 14/2. The oldest retrap was a Dunnock from 2017. A Cuckoo was heard calling again.

Kev

 Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sedge Warbler and Wren (Kath Ward)

 Blackcaps, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Alan Hurst)

Recent Recoveries

The first recovery round-up in a while - this covers the first 5 months of this year!

A Mute Swan, ringed at Markeaton in Derby in August 2010 was seen at Attenborough in April this year. Another bird, ringed in 2007 at Rushcliffe Country Park, was also seen at Attenborough on the 6 January.

Also at Attenborough, a couple of Egyptian Goose recoveries. The first had its ring read in February, having originally been ringed on site in 2009. The other was unfortunately found dead in May, and was ringed on the reserve in 2015.

An Attenborough Common Tern chick, ringed at the nest in 2014, was caught in September last year at Marismas del Odiel in Huelva, Spain.

The Attenborough Sand Martin Colony continues to produce recoveries and controls. A bird ringed as a chick in June 2016 was controlled at Redhill Marina in June this year. Another bird, mist-netted at the colony as a juvenile in July last year, was controlled by ringers in France at Marais-des-Moisin in September of the same year. A bird ringed as a chick in Rutland last June, was also netted at Attenborough in May this year.

Bestwood Tree Sparrows remain a staple of the recovery round-up, showing that they are relatively mobile between colonies in the region. However some local recoveries are also received. A Birklands-ringed bird, caught at Bestwood Country Park in September 2018, was controlled at Mick's Bestwood site in April This year. Birds from further afield that have been controlled here recently have come from Retford Sewage works, Overend (Derbyshire) and Cropwell Bishop.

A ring found in January at Holme Pierrepont by metal detectorists, had originally been placed on a Blackbird there, over 12 years previously, in September 2006. Another Blackbird met its fate in the claws of a cat in April this year in Ilkeston. The bird had been ringed in Alex's Garden the previous Spring.

A Starling, ringed in the Meadows in 2016, was found dead in Clifton in April, whilst another ringed at the same site in 2018 was taken by a Sparrowhawk in Calverton in March.

A Reed Warbler, caught in August last year at Holme Pierrepont, had originally been ringed at a site near Coimbra, Portugal in September 2011.

A Chiffchaff, ringed in the Autumn of 2017 at Stanford Res in Northants, has been controlled by the group at Ramsdale Golf Club in May.

A Long-tailed Tit, ringed at Manor Floods, Ilkeston in October, was found dead in the town, killed by a cat in April.

A Greenfinch, ringed in Sibthorpe in March 2018, was found dead in Potterhanworth near Lincoln in February.

And finally, a Sutton Bonington Yellowhammer, ringed in March 2016 was found dead nearby in May this year.

Tom

Holme Pierrepont, Sunday 9 June

The first visit of the year was made to the Blotts end of Holme Pierrepont on Sunday by Duncan, Mick T, Gary, Sue, Sarah, Helen, Holly and me. We managed to get a brief window in the poor weather and set up the site ready for next weekend's ringing demo. A calm and sunny start to the morning later gave way to a gentle breeze and some cloud. We finished with a respectable catch of 100 including 13 retraps, made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 4/1, Song Thrush 2/1, Wren 1/2, Dunnock 7/2, Robin 6/0, Cetti’s Warbler 0/1, Blackcap 21/0, Garden Warbler 3/0, Whitethroat 5/1, Lesser Whitethroat 1/0, Chiffchaff 7/0, Willow Warbler 2/3, Reed Warbler 2/0, Sedge Warbler 2/0, Blue Tit 4/1, Great Tit 9/1, Long-tailed Tit 7/0, Greenfinch 3/0, Chaffinch 1/0. The oldest retraps were a Dunnock and Wren from 2016.

Kev

A first summer Lesser Whitethroat showing contrast in the tail between original and replaced feathers (K. Hemsley)

Attenborough CES visit 4, Sunday 2 June

CES visit 4 at Attenborough was carried out today in mainly calm and overcast conditions but a rain shower at 1030 made us close a couple of nets for 20 minutes. The rain then came back stronger as we were about to take down at 1200. A bumper-sized team of 10 this week consisted of Gary, Duncan, Alex, Sarah, Sophie, Alice, Holly, Helen, Richard and myself. Despite what were predominantly good mist-netting conditions the catch was smaller than I thought it would be but we did have the first juvenile warblers of the year, a couple of Blackcaps.

The total catch was 35 birds including 15 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 0/1, Song Thrush 0/1, Robin 3/1, Wren 1/0, Dunnock 3/7, Chiffchaff 0/1, Blackcap 5/3, Reed Warbler 1/0, Goldcrest 2/0, Treecreeper 1/0, Blue Tit 1/0, Long-tailed Tit 2/0, Bullfinch 1/1. The oldest retrap was a Dunnock from 2012. A Cuckoo was heard calling again.

Kev

Nest box monitoring - Sunday 19 May

Nest boxes at Brackenhurst & beyond proved very productive on Sunday. At one point, Vicki and I found seven different species in seven boxes around Brackenhurst – Tawny, Barn and Little Owls, Kestrel, Stock Dove, Blue Tit and Nuthatch. The Nuthatch pulli (see pic) were the first ringed by the group since 1997! They were in a bat box, which took some working out to safely access the chicks. Elsewhere, at NWT’s Duke's Wood we ringed our last Tawny Owl chicks, the female (see pic) was ringed as an adult in the same box in 2006, and was also caught breeding in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Current Group members – Gary & Pete – have met her. Nearby, at Kirklington we also caught another female Tawny for the seventh year running. Duke's Wood and adjacent woodlands have good shrub and plant layers, and this is likely to be providing plenty of prey - small mammals and birds - for the Tawnies.

Jim

 Nuthatch pulli (JL)

 The O.A.T.! (JL)

Attenborough CES visit 3, Saturday 25 May

We carried out CES visit 3 at Attenborough today in decent weather, a light breeze and sunny conditions. The team consisted of Gary, Mick T, Sarah, Sophie and myself. We were also joined by Holly on a first taster session and Richard who is an A permit holder who has recently moved to Derby and is looking to join a ringing group.

We had a catch of 37 birds including 14 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 3/2, Song Thrush 1/1, Robin 5/1, Wren 5/1, Dunnock 2/1, Chiffchaff 0/3, Blackcap 4/1, Reed Warbler 2/0, Cetti’s Warbler 0/1, Blue Tit 0/1, Long-tailed Tit 0/2, Bullfinch 1/0.

The oldest retrap was a Blackbird from 2016. All the new Robins and Dunnocks were juveniles as this year's youngsters are now well into fledging. A Cuckoo was also heard calling again.

Kev

Ramsdale Park Golf Centre, Sunday 19 May

With a gap in the CES schedule this weekend and a triathlon closing roads around Holme Pierrepont, we held the first ringing session of the year at Ramsdale this morning. The weather was good with no wind and variable cloud cover. The team consisted of Alice, Gary, Duncan and myself. A little bit of ride clearance was required to put up the seven 18m nets in the positions higher up the hill that we started using towards the end of last season.

The catch rate was steady throughout the morning and we ended with a total of 42 including 8 retraps made up of (new/retrap): Blackbird 1/2, Dunnock 3/0, Wren 1/0, Robin 1/1, Blackcap 6/2, Garden Warbler 2/0, Whitethroat 1/0, Lesser Whitethroat 1/0, Chiffchaff 2/2, Willow Warbler 3/0, Blue Tit 4/0, Great Tit 4/1, Linnet 4/0, Chaffinch 1/0.

The oldest retrap was a Blackbird and Blackcap both from 2015. Numbers of resident species were higher than on the first visit made last year no doubt because of the milder winter. Nice to get a few Linnets at the only site we regularly catch them. We also had a control Chiffchaff.

Kev

Male & female Linnets (K. Hemsley)

Lapwings

Last winter, Kev and I followed up on a lead from Alex and investigated the possibility of ringing at Erewash Meadows Nature Reserve.

Erewash Meadows forms part of the largest area of floodplain grasslands and wetlands in the Erewash Valley. It straddles the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire county boundary and is jointly owned by the two county Wildlife Trusts. The reserve is in three parts. The southern part is known as Aldercar Flash and Meadows and the central part is Brinsley Meadows. Leading off from the north west corner of Brinsley Meadows is a 3/4 mile section of the old Cromford Canal. During our site visit with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Erewash Valley Regional Manager, she mentioned that Brinsley Meadows held good numbers of breeding Lapwing.

On 3 May I carried out a recce of Brinsley Meadows and counted 10 Lapwing chicks and 5 adults sitting on nests, so today Kev, Gary, Duncan, Sarah and I made a visit. We had a productive morning ringing 12 Lapwing chicks and finding a nest with 4 eggs.

Hopefully it's something we can repeat next year.

Mick P