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WELCOME TO THE SORBY BRECK RINGING GROUP BLOG FOR 2012
Our group blog includes interesting anecdotes and photos to illustrate the group's ringing activities throughout 2012. Blogs for previous years can be accessed via the links below or if you are interested in a particular species, use the links on the 'Index' page.
Quick Links: '2008' '2009' '2010' '2011' 'Jan' 'Feb' Worth getting up for (01/02/12) My daughter, Amelia, is bird ringing as part of her Duke of Edinburgh silver award. Although she enjoys ringing and bird watching, she is not so keen on the early starts, especially on a cold morning! However, two adult Great-spotted Woodpeckers made last Saturday morning worth getting up for. We were fortunate enough to catch a pair.
Adult male Great-spotted Woodpecker (above), female (below)
Sean
Meet Bertie the Blackbird (29/01/12) We are not becoming 'all soft' at Sorby Breck, in fact, here is a preview of a serious advance in owl lure technology. George would like to unveil publicly his latest bird-catching innovation, namely 'Bertie the Blackbird', who George hopes, will induce a Short-eared Owl into one of George's nets. Having heard that the distress call of a Blackbird was irresistible to Short-eared Owls, George made Bertie the decoy Blackbird out of a couple of socks and bits of rubber band. George reports, "I gave it a try today, but probably had the nets positioned too far from the moor and in short grass." Not one known for giving up on a task, George goes on, "I intend to try again, but in long rough pasture close to the moorland over which I have noticed the owls actually hunting." George admits that although Bertie might fool the quarry, it is more likely that the CD lure will do the actual job. When it happens, you will read about it here first...
Bertie the Blackbird
Frost, Fieldfares and female Sparrowhawks (19/01/12) Geoff, Jodie and I travelled to an apple orchard to the east of Retford earlier in the week at the invitation of North Notts Ringing Group. We arrived to a still frosty dawn to join ringers who had also travelled from Hampshire, North Yorkshire and Nottingham. I suppose you could consider this trip 'luxurious' as dozens of nets were already erected in the hope of catching large numbers of Fieldfare. The orchard was carpeted in fallen apples and some were still on the trees.
Net ride through orchard We were immediately dispatched to the nets and by the end of the day 177 birds were caught, 92 of which were Fieldfares with circa 2/3rds aged as 5s and 1/3rd aged as 6s, so for the less experienced amongst us it was excellent for comparison to determine sex and age.
Ringing station
Fieldfare aged 5 showing rufous-brown inner greater coverts and unmoulted outer bleached greater coverts
Fieldfare aged 6 showing evenly shaped and coloured greater coverts with outer webs rufous-brown Animated discussion took place concerning aging of Fieldfare. We were reminded that three senior ringers present had accumulated circa 130 years of experience but still pondered over a few birds. Our host, Adrian Blackburn, is now in his 49th year of ringing. When 3 female Sparrowhawks were brought from one early net round to the ringing station, the senior ringers commented, "Maybe one or two, but never had three before". Two were aged as 5s and the other aged as a 7, so again an excellent opportunity for comparison.
Geoff with three female Sparrowhawks
Wing of a female Sparrowhawk aged 5
Wing of a female Sparrowhawk aged 7 Geoff was able to demonstrate with all three birds how to pull in the wings and lay them on their backs on top of the scales to obtain an accurate weight.
Weighing a Sparrowhawk the easy way We continued ringing until about 1pm then assisted in the taking down
and packing away of the net equipment. Scrumping was allowed. A notice
at the entrance told you to taste but not make a meal from the apples!
Winter on the moor (17/01/12) I have been out ringing for the last two or three days and although I haven't caught very much, interestingly there are already Meadow Pipits back on the moor. I saw 6 on Friday and 7 on Saturday with two birds sitting on the top of the nets. I have put a couple of Nyjer feeders at the 30ft net position hoping that some finches will be attracted to them. I intend to do even more mist netting on Big Bumper Piece Moor and on the lane.
Early morning on moorland
Skein of circa 200 Pink-footed Geese flying SE to SW at 10.30 hrs on Saturday George
January gales (06/01/12) The wind strength during the last week has been frustrating. Yet again yesterday, Geoff and I had to cancel a proposed site visit, so instead we travelled to Rother Valley Country Park to try for geese. We caught one Canada Goose but it took a whole loaf of bread! This was my first goose, so improved my field craft and added to my species list total. Today we visited Fairholmes with Steve and Phil. Siskin was the target bird. Just like the winds of the past week, the birds stayed frustratingly high in the trees merrily calling to one another or maybe mocking us! Another species, Coal Tit, provided us with an excellent opportunity to compare birds alongside one another with over 30 caught in the nets. Again, I was lucky to add to my species list catching a male Sparrowhawk. After packing up the nets we watched well over 80 Chaffinches descend from the surrounding trees to ground feed and the bird feeders teemed with other bird species. Chris
Blue Tit (06/01/12) Whilst ringing in Phil's garden on New Year's Day, Jill and I caught a Blue Tit with a single white primary feather. Even the commonest of birds can show interesting markings.
Dave
Treecreepers (06/01/12) Catching a retrapped adult Treecreeper allowed Geoff and Chris to compare birds aged as 5 and 6.
Happy New Ringing Year! (01/01/12) Another day ringing instead of being put off by a dreadful forecast.
Bakewell sewage works always has an abundance of flying insects so ringing
a Blackcap there today wasn’t a surprise. Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests,
Treecreepers and Pied Wagtails made for an interesting morning. The Great
Grey Shrike showing at Ramsley rounded off another ringing morning badly
forecast by the weathermen! Geoff
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