Thursday, 11 February 2010

News of 2 of my birds!

I know they are not really my birds but they have been handled by me and the rings were placed there by me! So the news about X767541 (great tit) and LB78345 (blackbird) was welcomed but a little sad.

The BTO report arrived via my trainer Steve Hales; the blackbird, a female born last year lived another 127 days after ringing before flying into a window. technicall it flew 2 km at 181 degrees - but in reality it was just down the road. The great tit was taken by a cat some 15 days after being ringed - technically he didnt travel quite so far into the village but still at 181 degrees.

Needless to say I am absolutely on tender hooks to get my first control  - I keep telling myself its not long to the spring and migration!

Sunday, 7 February 2010

The weekend catch


A gentle weekend. Saturday started with some ringing with some duck ringing with the Radiploe Ringing Group, Terry had set the aberton trap (this probably has a DT2 post code!) and 4 mallards were processed, 2 were retraps from the summer. It certainly helps knowing the age when ageing mallards at this time of year! ww.radipoleringinggroup.co.uk

Sunday was a busy day with the mini-diiger working all day as we prepare for more vegetables this year. The mist net catch suffered from all the activity but 3 new robins were a nice surprise  there have been no new robins since the begining of November - are these local birds or is this the start of returning birds for the spring.




Chaffinch
Taken with the new camera!

Thursday, 4 February 2010

January 2010

My first January as a C ringer resulted in 9 mist net sessions of a couple of hours each - split 50:50 or there abouts between the farm at Kingston Maurward and the Martinstown Allotment.

Ringing at the farm centred on the maize silage clamp which acted as a magnet to birds during the harsher weather. 44 birds caught of 9 species;  meadow pipit 1, wren 2,  dunnock 2, robin 7, backbird 7, great tit 1, starling 7, house sparrow 3 and chaffinch 14.

The allotment catch never ceases to amaze and surprise, 62 birds of 10 species; dunnock 6, blackbird 6, redwing 1, blue tit1, house sparrow 6, chaffinch 14, greenfinch 9, goldfinch 6, bullfinch 1 and yellowhammer 4.