Swallow to Malta

Nice to see one of our Swallows controlled in Malta.

http://btoringing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/return-of-hirundo.html

Barn Owls

Our first post winter check of four Barn Owl boxes produced a pair at a site where they've not bred before. The female, pictured, was already ringed and a control GC85185 (from memory). Fingers crossed for pulli later in the year.

Barn Owl

Some days you just get lucky

A bit windy here this weekend so I thought it about time I updated you on our luck last Sunday. Once again, a small group of us were out targeting the corn feeders at Bishop Monkton. It was much warmer this weekend so four nets were opened. Up until 10:30 it was an average morning.

Green Woodpecker

Our 30 minutes of luck then started. We were pleased with an unexpected Kingfisher on our planned net round (ringing tick for Anita). I then set out to try and tape lure a Green Woodpecker into the far net. But, flushed it in on the way there (ringing tick for me). Whilst ringing these we got great views of a fox that walked out into the open right in front of the shed. And then, while still ringing the last net round, Dave somehow manages to spot a female Sparrowhawk heading in the direction of our feeder nets – He runs off and returns with said Sparrowhawk (ringing tick for Natasha).

Anita with her first Kingfisher

Natasha with her first Sparrowhawk

42 New birds and (20) retraps – Yellowhammer 16(2), Reed Bunting 9(8), Dunnock (7) Chaffinch 5, Blackbird 4, Great Tit 1(2), Tree Sparrow 1, Wren 1, Fieldfare 1, Songthrush 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Kingfisher 1, Sparrowhawk 1,Blue Tit (1).

Sledgehammers

After a disappointing start to the season, I was determined to get out ringing at the weekend. Saturday morning was out due to other commitments and with the big snow event on Saturday evening the chances of getting to our site Sunday were not looking good.

Freezing cold

An early drive, on roads you could have sledged down, paid off as all the muppet drivers were still in bed. On arrival it was -9, by far the coldest I’ve ever ringed in, so I decide just the one net would suffice today. Targeting Yellowhammers at one of our large corn feeders I managed to pick off 14 more with 7 retraps from previous years. Hopefully, it’ll be cold but not quiet so cold next weekend.

18 New birds and (15 retraps) – Yellowhammer 14(7), Dunnock (4), Chaffinch 1(1), Tree Sparrow 1(1), Great Tit 1, Reed Bunting 1, Robin (1), Blackbird (1).

Something a little different

I know this is my ringing blog. However, with it being a tad windy for a mist net today I joined Chris and a few of his students down one of our sites for a spot of mammal trapping. Of the 60 traps set overnight about half had success (numbers were apparently very good), with Wood Mouse, Bank Vole, Field Vole and Common Shrew all putting in an appearance. Unfortunately, the Harvest Mouse remained elusive.

Bank Vole

Swallow controls

On the final day of August things started well and it looked like we were going to get a proper ringing session in for a change. There were plenty of Swallows swirling around the net. But, after the good start, numbers dropped off and the rain moved in so it was yet another early night. On the plus side, we did manage to control 2 Swallows and as they were both off the same ring string I’ll be checking them with our friends at the East Dales Ringing Group prior to submitting the data to the BTO, as on occasion they ring close by.

51 New birds, [2] controls and (1) retrap – Swallow 46[2], Reed Bunting 3(1), Reed Warbler 1, Sand Martin 1.

July update

A busy few months so hence an update for July when we’re almost in September!

July turned out to be a funny month - It’s normal for us to be inundated with hundreds of Sand Martins but this year they just didn’t seem to turn up, or went early. Not through a lack of trying our Sand Martin tally for the year is less than some single evenings we had last year! We hear others found this too.

That said, while we didn’t get the quantity we did get the quality. Reed Buntings became our staple and Linnet often made its way into the net too. And, of course, there was much excitement when we ringed two Green Sandpiper and two Yellow Wagtail, both new for our site and ringing ticks all round for a change.

Over at our Scarborough site Dave managed a single Storm Petrel, always a dedicated achievement to catch them in Yorkshire.

Green Sandpiper

Yellow Wagtail

706 New birds in July at our Bishop Monkton sites - Green Sandpiper 2, Sand Martin 220, Swallow 130, House Martin 4, Meadow Pipit 5, Yellow Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail 17, Wren 8, Dunnock 6, Robin 5, Redstart 2, Blackbird 5, Song Thrush 1, Grasshopper Warbler 3, Sedge Warbler 49, Reed Warbler 8, Whitethroat 46, Garden Warbler 1, Blackcap 4, Chiffchaff 14, Willow Warbler 37, Marsh Tit 3, Blue Tit 4, Great Tit 2, Treecreeper 2, Jay 1, Jackdaw 1, Tree Sparrow 3, Chaffinch 3, Greenfinch 1, Goldfinch 18, Linnet 5, Bullfinch 17, Yellowhammer 3, Reed Bunting 74.

Sand Martin session 5

Just the one ringing session over the past week. A little breezy to start, but it soon calmed down to give better conditions. Once again, species other than Sand Martin made for a large proportion of our ringing session. It’s looking like we’ve either missed the Sand Martins or that they’re just not around in the numbers they were last year. Greenfinch was a bonus ringing tick for Alun – It’s been a while since we’ve caught one!

60 New birds and (2) retraps – Sand Martin 15, Swallow 14, Sedge Warbler 10, Reed Bunting 7(1), Pied Wagtail 5, Whitethroat 1, Reed Warbler 2(1), Greenfinch 1, Goldfinch 1, Chiffchaff 1.

Monthly Totals

A few nets were opened this morning. But, with only three birds caught rain was on the horizon so it was back home to update IPMR and our website - Where monthly totals for 2011 have been added.

http://www.bishopmonktonbirders.co.uk

2 New birds and (1) retrap - Dunnock 1(1), Whitethroat 1.

A fine start

The forecast blue sky didn’t materialise. However, the overcast conditions made for perfect ringing until torrential rain brought proceedings to an end a little earlier than we would have liked. Plenty of 3Js around today and young David managed two ringing ticks – Redstart and Jackdaw.

3J Redstart

58 New birds and (10) retraps – Whitethroat 8(1), Sedge Warbler 8, Willow Warbler 5(2), Blackbird 5, Chiffchaff 4(1), Bullfinch 4, Robin 4, Blackcap 3(1), Grasshopper Warbler 2(2), Wren 2(1), Dunnock 2(1), Marsh Tit 2, Yellowhammer 2, Chaffinch 1(1), Jackdaw 1, Great Tit 1, Redstart 1, Reed Bunting 1, Blue Tit 1.

Dave gets a ringing tick (a rare thing these days)

Convinced the Green Sandpiper would be back Dave started a long night of net checking. By dawn he only had a single Swallow to show for his efforts so he called it a night and went to take the net down. At which point the bird flushed and Dave got a ringing tick on his own patch.

On joining Dave for our planned mornings ringing session we then headed down to our main site to prepare some net lanes for the autumn ringing season.

11 New birds and (3) retraps – Sedge Warbler 4, Whitethroat 3, Willow Warbler 1, Jay 1, Green Sandpiper 1, Swallow 1, Grasshopper Warbler (1), Reed Bunting (1), Reed Warbler (1).

Sand Martin session 2

Conditions were much better but it was looking like another slow evening. A flypast from a Sparrowhawk didn’t help so a trip to the chip to the chip shop in Boroughbridge ensued. Two Green Sandpiper flew in at about 20:00 to feed on the mud that shows in dry conditions, so another net was hastily put up to cover this. It remained quiet until about 21:45 when the Sand Martins swarmed and hit the net as they came into roost. There were a few retraps from last year and 2 controls - I suspect these controls are from the East Dales Ringing Group who occasionally ring Sand Martins in the area too.

Unlike the Pipistrelle bats the Green Sandpiper bounced the new net as we returned. It was first time I’d seen a bat in the net and now there were five!

152 New birds, (7) retraps and [2] controls – Sand Martin 131 (5) [2], Reed Bunting 12 (1), Sedge Warbler 3, Reed Warbler 2, Whitethroat 1, Chiffchaff 1, Swallow 1, Blackbird 1.

Sand Martin session 1

This was our first Sand Martin session of the year and to be honest, with the weather being a little breezy and on the cool side, it was a little slow. We did have a good turn out though and we welcomed Claire who joined us for her first taste of ringing.

For me, the evening's highlight was the second flypast of a Hobby; several times it banked and dived steeply over our pond.

19 New birds – Sand Martin 8, Reed Warbler 3, Sedge Warbler 3, Whitethroat 2, Reed Bunting 2, Swallow 1.

Net lane preparation

It was raining when I awoke this morning so I set off to strim a couple of net lanes in the rain. Somewhat surprisingly, the rain hadn’t touched the ringing site so a couple of nets were hastily erected. 7 New birds and 7 net lanes strimmed – Including one for Sand Martins later this week.

7 New birds and (2) retraps – Robin 2, Long-tailed Tit 1 (1), Whitethroat 1 (1), Sedge Warbler 1, Chaffinch 1, Blackbird 1.

Phew! Rain at last

With the exception of bringing you the breaking news on the Nightjar I've been too busy to update my blog of late. So here's a photographic snapshot of my ringing over the past week.

What's with the white egg?

Oh how cute

Krazy with a K

Feel the pain

Our new line of insect houses

Makes all the Blue Tits worth while

Slim chance of ringing these

How can you fall in love with this?

The best of neighbours

Seeing red

This one had some buzz about it

With thanks to Pete, Colin, Andy, Kane, the climbers, and everybody else that came along too.

Return of the Nightjar

With the exception of a brief churr last year, Nightjar have been absent from our area for a number of years. But this year, a small number are back in the Washburn Valley. Both male and female have been sighted so hopefully we’ll have a breeding pair. On this occasion it was the male that was ringed.

Nightjars are back

Long-eared Owl pulli

It’s looking like the Long-eared Owls have bred at very different times depending on the location this year so while we some pulli are now fledged other potential parents are wing clapping and still to breed so this means we’ve probably missed a few this year. However, on Wednesday I did manage to ring my first Long-eared Owl pulli of the year – Its brother/ sister had already fledged and could be heard in trees close by.

Long-eared Owl ringed on 26 May 2011

Barn Owl bonanza

On Friday I was out with Andy and Adrian checking a few more Barn Owl boxes. After the harsh winter we weren’t expecting much but it felt like there were Barn Owls everywhere we looked. With boxes still to check we’re up to eight pairs confirmed with most on five eggs. Four Barn Owls were ringed yesterday and there were two retraps – one female in the same box for the third year and another female that’s moved a couple of miles since being ringed last year.

In addition there were three sites with Kestrels all on five eggs and a Stock Dove.

Kestrel - Ringed on 29 April 2011

A proper bird

Our first Chiffchaff of the year today.

39 New birds and (20) retraps - Yellowhammer 31 (5), Reed Bunting 3 (6), Chaffinch 2, Robin 1, Treesparrow 1, Chiffchaff 1, Dunnock (6), Goldfinch (2), Marsh Tit (1).

A day of two halves

I was optimistic for more Yellowhammers at Bishop Monkton this morning. But, with it looking like rain when I got there only one net was opened - Ten minutes later it was shut again. Breakfast was had, the feeders were topped up and I was back home by nine.

1 New bird and (1) retrap – Yellowhammer 1, Reed Bunting (1).

The afternoon brought a dramatic change in the weather with some glorious sunshine. I joined Andy and others in Wharfedale to put a net up for the Fieldfare we’d seen coming into roost earlier in the week. A nice little catch was had but numbers were nowhere near what we were getting in the Autumn.

8 New birds – Lesser Redpoll 4, Fieldfare 2, Robin 1, Goldcrest 1.