Some Recent Recoveries from BTO HQ

This week I received some good news in the form of five ringing recovery/control sheets back from the BTO. Two were of birds that I had ringed, and three were of colour ringed birds that I had see whilst out birding. 

With regard to the two recoveries, the two birds in questions were both reed buntings that I ringed in my garden on 11th March 2012. The birds appeared to be a pair and were feeding on some millet that I had scattered around under the feeders. I was aware of one of these birds being recaptured, since it was trapped by Barry Duffin at Titchfield Haven, in the Quinoa field. However I was surprised to see that he had also caught the second bird, at the same site, one month later.

Species: Reed Bunting          Scheme: GBT          Ring no: Y303175

Ringing details

Age: 5  Sex: male  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -

Colour marks added: -  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Ringing date: 11-Mar-2012

Finding details

Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: M  Sex meth: -

Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: T  Act2: -

Finding date: 30-Oct-2012

Reg code: TFH  Place code: TFH  Site name: Titchfield Haven, Hill Head, Fareham, Hampshire

County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU5302   Co-ords: 50deg 49min N  1deg 15min W

Hab1: B7  Hab2: C7

Biometrics: Wing: 82 mm.   Weight: 18.6 g.   Time: 1030hrs

Finding condition: 8:20  Movement: --

Controlled    Intentionally Taken

Remarks:

Duration: 233 days    Distance: 7 km    Direction: 203deg (SSW)

Species: Reed Bunting          Scheme: GBT          Ring no: Y303176

Ringing details

Age: 4  Sex: female  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -

Colour marks added: -  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Ringing date: 11-Mar-2012

Finding details

Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: F  Sex meth: -

Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: W  Act2: -

Finding date: 30-Nov-2012

Reg code: TFH  Place code: TFH  Site name: Titchfield Haven, Hill Head, Fareham, Hampshire

County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU5302   Co-ords: 50deg 49min N  1deg 15min W

Hab1: E3  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: 76 mm.   Weight: 18.8 g.   Time: 1330hrs

Finding condition: 8:20  Movement: --

Controlled    Intentionally Taken

Remarks:

Admittedly a movement of seven kilometres, was not that noteworthy, but nonetheless it was a 100% recovery rate for reed buntings ringed in my garden in 2012.

The next bird was a colour-ringed redshank that I saw at Bunny Meadows on 6th October 2012. I think I may have speculated at the time that this bird was probably ringed at Hamble Point, since that is a regular ringing location on The Solent, and sure enough, that was the case.

Species: Redshank          Scheme: GBT          Ring no: DD51278

Ringing details

Age: 6  Sex: unknown  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -

Colour marks added: I  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Colour marks left below knee: W, right below knee: W,Y, left above knee: M, right above knee: W

Ringing date: 27-Mar-2011

Reg code: HAM  Place code: HAM  Site name: Hamble Point, Southampton Water, Hampshire

County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4805   Co-ords: 50deg 50min N  1deg 19min W

Hab1: H3  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: 177 mm.   Weight: 172 g.   Time: 1455hrs

Remarks:

Finding details

Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: -  Sex meth: -

Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: -  Act2: -

Finding date: 06-Oct-2012

Reg code: ---  Place code: BUNMED  Site name: Bunny Meadows, Warsash, Hampshire

County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4808   Co-ords: 50deg 52min N  1deg 19min W

Hab1: H3  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Finding condition: 89:81  Movement: --

Sight record by a ringer    Identified by Colour Ring(s)

Remarks:

Duration: 559 days    Distance: 4 km    Direction: 0deg (N)

Again this bird doesn't break any records on the distance or longevity scale, having been ringed 599 days previously and only four kilometres away, but it highlights the value of colour ringing birds again. I will be looking out for this bird in the future.

Then next two birds were mute swans, both of which were seen at Weston Shore, near Southampton. The birds were both adult, and were part of a family party of five birds. Many mute swans are ringed on the south coast, with the majority ringed in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset by Dave Stone, during the annual swan round up. As it turned out, that is where these birds were ringed.

Species: Mute Swan          Scheme: GBT          Ring no: W22151

Ringing details

Age: 1  Sex: unknown  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: 4  P.alive: 4  Condition: -

Colour marks added: I  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Colour marks left below knee: ON(J5A)

Ringing date: 01-Oct-2006

Reg code: XCH  Place code: XCH  Site name: Christchurch, Dorset

County code: GBDOR  Grid ref: SZ1692   Co-ords: 50deg 44min N  1deg 46min W

Hab1: H3  Hab2: G7

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Remarks:

Finding details

Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: -  Sex meth: -

Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: -  Act2: -

Finding date: 09-Dec-2012

Reg code: ---  Place code: WESTON  Site name: Weston Shore, Southampton, Hampshire

County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4409   Co-ords: 50deg 53min N  1deg 22min W

Hab1: H1  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Finding condition: 89:81  Movement: --

Sight record by a ringer    Identified by Colour Ring(s)

Remarks:

Duration: 2262 days    Distance: 33 km    Direction: 60deg (ENE)

As you can see this bird was ringed as a chick (age code 1) six years and 69 days previously. Again this is by no means a record, in fact the maximum recorded age for mute swan is 27 years, 6 months and 27 days, so it has a long way to go before being a recovery of note.

Species: Mute Swan          Scheme: GBT          Ring no: W26469

Ringing details

Age: 5  Sex: unknown  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -

Colour marks added: I  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Colour marks left below knee: ON(N7L)

Ringing date: 19-Sep-2009

Reg code: XCH  Place code: XCH  Site name: Christchurch, Dorset

County code: GBDOR  Grid ref: SZ1692   Co-ords: 50deg 44min N  1deg 46min W

Hab1: H3  Hab2: G7

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Remarks:

Finding details

Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: -  Sex meth: -

Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: -  Act2: -

Finding date: 09-Dec-2012

Reg code: ---  Place code: WESTON  Site name: Weston Shore, Southampton, Hampshire

County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4409   Co-ords: 50deg 53min N  1deg 22min W

Hab1: H1  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Finding condition: 89:81  Movement: --

Sight record by a ringer    Identified by Colour Ring(s)

Remarks:

Duration: 1178 days    Distance: 33 km    Direction: 60deg (ENE)

W26469 was ringed as a second year bird (age code 5) three years and 81 days previously. When recording colour rings it is worth remembering to note the colour of the ring, the lettering, if present, the colour of the letters and the location of the ring on the swans leg, since there are so many colour combinations around at present.

At Last - Back Ringing at Manor Farm CP

Finally, after what seems to have been an age, the conditions were right for some bird ringing.  I was going to be light-handed, and the two helpers were relatively inexperianced, one trainee (Mark) and one on his first ever bird ringing session (Chris), so I only put up three nets. My plan was to site the nets so that they would provide a good range of species, but not the volume.

The day started well with the first bird being a first year song thrush, and the next two being two adult redwings. Blue tit, wren and robin, a retrap from 2 years 44 days previously, followed, and then a couple of blackbirds, of which one was an adult male, the other a first winter female. Two more blackbirds followed, another adult male and a first year female, before we caught our first goldcrest. So far this year I have only retrapped previously captured birds and Manor Farm, but today there were two new birds and one retrap. The retrap was another old bird, an adult male, that was previously caught as first year male in November 2010, 2 years and 58 days previously.Out of interest the oldest retrap I have recorded for this species is 3 years 45 days, this bird was also captured at Manor Farm.

A couple more robins, a great tit and three house sparrows, two new and one retrap, later and we were done. We ended the session having captured 26 birds of nine species. Mark was able to ring all the birds, except that is the house sparrows since they needed colour-ringing as part of my RAS project. Whereas Chris was able to see first hand, what bird ringing was all about, how to age and sex a range of species and see first hand the effort required if he wants to take up bird ringing.

Later in the afternoon I opened a net in the garden for a couple of hours. There was not too much going on, but I did catch a retrap blue tit, that was first ringed 2 years and 59 days previously, and a new goldfinch.

First year Female Goldfinch - the white nasal feathers at the base of the bill and the extent to
which the red feathers above the eye extend beyond the eye (or not tin this case), were the features used for sexing.

The bird was evidently a first year female, which was sexed by the white nasal feathers at the base of the bill, and the fact that the red feathers above the eye do not extend past the eye.

Abraded Goldfinch Primary Tips

Ageing this bird was achieved by the presence of one old greater covert (retained juvenile feather), abraded tips to the primaries, and the pointed and abraded tail feathers. 

Pointed and Abraded Goldfinch Tail Feathers

Finally I wanted to say thanks to Mark and Chris for their help today, and welcome Chris to the ringing scheme, since after his first experience he has confirmed that bird ringing is something that he wants to learn, so a welcome new pair of hands to help in the future.

In Search of Winter Birds, Norfolk 2013 - Day 4

Day 4 was our final day of this years trip, and as with day 1, a large proportion of our time was spent travelling. After completing our chores at the cottage, leaving it spic and span so that we would be welcomed back in the future, we headed off. Our first stop was a second visit to Choseley, where bramblings, chaffinches and yellowhammers were still present in good numbers, and a barn owl hunting the roadside verges gave excellent views.

Marsh Tit Poecile palustris

Abbey Farm at Flitcham was our next stop, a guaranteed stop for tree sparrows. A small wildlife hide at this site looks our over a large pond and an area of grazed pasture. Mallard and common teal were present on the pond, whilst goldcrest, marsh, blue and great tits frequented the surrounding scrub. Last year we had recorded a little owl at this site, but there was to be no repeat of that this year.

The tree sparrows are usually found in the hedgerows either side of the road, and we could hear them as we walked back up the farm access track to the road. In total there were about six birds present, but they proved really difficult to get a clear view of, there was no chance of grabbing a photo.

The farmer was ploughing the field north of the road so we stopped in a gateway to scan; lapwing, common and black-headed gulls were feeding on the freshly ploughed earth and six common buzzards and a ring tail hen harrier were hunting over the field behind.

The final stop of our trip was Lynford Arboretum, in search of the elusive hawfinch. We have previously seen the species here, but not in recent years. This year though, as we approached the paddock, two birders signaled that they had one in the scope....success! There are now several bird feeders here and so common woodland birds were abundant, blue, great, coal, marsh and long-tailed tits were present along with siskin, chaffinch, brambling and bullfinch, the latter a species that had eluded us so far.

So after four days birding we had seen 119 species of bird, well 120 if you count the red kite that we saw as we were driving back around the M25. A reasonable tally, but well down on the 135 species seen last year. Birding was extremely difficult due the strong winds that blew from the north and south west, we all agreed that it had been the windiest winter trip we had done to date.

In Search of Winter Birds, Norfolk 2013 - Day 3

For day 3 of our trip we decided to start at Burnham Overy Staithe in search of the rough legged buzzard that had been in the area. We set off just after sunrise, but en-route our attention was drawn to a large flock of geese that appeared to be dropping into a nearby field around Choseley. We immediately changed direction and headed inland towards them.

Pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus

We had yet to encounter a large flock of pink-footed geese on this trip but the spectacle of thousands of geese flying over calling, then wheeling around as they fall from the sky, really makes these trips worthwhile. Today we must have timed it perfectly, as the geese were moving inland from their overnight roost before dispersing across the landscape.

Pink-footed Geese

It was so difficult to count how many birds were present since they were constantly on the move, then dropping out of sight into a distant field. We estimated that there were at least 7,000 birds in this one flock.

Pink-footed Geese

When on the deck the geese were quite nervous, taking to the wing as soon as any potential predator approached. In most cases they needn't have worried, as what was approaching was a brown hare. The hares seemed unperturbed by the presence of the geese and would just carry on their daily routines, often running straight across a field through the middle of the flock, making the whole flock take to the wing.

Brown Hare Lepus europaeus with Pink-footed Geese

We arrived at Burham Overy Staithe as the tide was falling. A few waders (ringed plovers, redshank, bar-tailed godwits and a knot), were scattered sparsely over the mud, and marsh harriers hung in the wind. A quick look out to sea from the dunes produced a couple of red-throated divers, common scoter and eider, and a flock of white-fronted geese grazed on the fresh marsh behind the dunes.

If there is one rule in birding it is always to expect the unexpected, and today that rule was re-enforced by the presence of a purple sandpiper on a freshwater pool, in the middle of a meadow at Cley. Typically in winter this is a species of coastal, wave-washed, seaweed covered rocks, well at least that is their habitat in Hampshire. The bird at Cley was on a freshwater pool, along with a lapwing and a redshank, not the sort of habitat I have seen them in before. It was feeding in a similar style to the black-bellied dipper, submerging its head and walking forward in search of food....very bizarre!

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima with Redshank and Lapwing on a Freshwater Pool

After our brief visit to Cley, we decided to head back to an area where we had recently seen some barn owls feeding. Visitors to North Norfolk in the winter will be very well aware of how visible and approachable this species can be, and subsequently how easy they are to photograph. Unfortunately, the light today was not so good and therefore I had to set a high sensitivity level on the camera to stand a chance of getting even a half decent photo. 

Barn Owl Tyto alba (male)

As we headed towards our destination we were greeted by a stunning male barn owl hunting along the roadside verge, a precarious place for this species to hunt. The bird seemed oblivious to our presence, making several close passes before heading off across the field.

Barn Owl (male) 

This individual was a male, which can be seen by the pure white, unspotted underparts, females tend to have a more yellowish tinged breast with fine dark spots.

Barn Owl (male)

With not much light left for birding, we headed back to our accommodation for a short break before another well earned visit to the local pub.

In Search of Winter Birds - Norfolk 2013 Day 2

Our day began with a re-calculation of last nights species total, from the lowly 63 species that we thought we had recorded, to the dizzy heights of 68. There is no reason for the miscalculation other than over indulgence in ale from the nearby pub followed by a couple of healthy drams of Talisker before bed....not the wisest thing to do when you have a full day's birding ahead of you!

After a hearty home cooked breakfast we ventured out into the crisp morning air. Overnight  light snow was still lying on the ground so we knew it was going to be cold, but the brisk north-westerly wind was unexpected. 

Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra

We began our day with a trip to Choseley Barns, a former site for tree sparrow, but sadly no more. Nonetheless, there are still good birds to be seen in this area and today was no exception. Yellowhammer, brambling, chaffinch, linnet, and the now very difficult corn bunting were present in the hedges whilst grey partridges were unusually present in good numbers in the fields.

Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra

In Hampshire, species such as corn bunting and yellowhammer have disappeared from many of the their former haunts, which makes these trips to Norfolk even more enjoyable; not only do you get to see the range of species, but in good numbers too.

Brambling Fringilla montifringilla and Chaffinch's F. coelebs

The farm has recently entered a High Level Stewardship scheme and it seems to be paying dividends, since the number and diversity of species was great, and this in turn attracted interesting predators, the most noteworthy being a hunting merlin which headed low over the fields in search of food.

Brambling and Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

Our next stop was the RSPB reserve at Titchwell, a great place for wintering ducks and waders and for looking out to sea for sea ducks and divers. We arrived in glorious sun but before long a very ominous dark cloud appeared on the horizon. The pasture to the west of the reserve was excellent, golden plover, curlew, lapwing, black-tailed godwit and ruff were all present, a great start to our visit.

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata, one drake and two ducks 

In contrast to the pasture, the scrapes were much quieter. The usual species were present, shoveler, shelduck, mallard, gadwall and teal, with a single female red-crested pochard putting in a surprise appearance. Wading birds were relatively thin on the ground, with pied avocet and a single spotted redshank the most noteworthy.

Sanderling Calidris alba

Our timing was not great because before we reached the second hide the storm arrived, and with it a deluge of hail and sleet and an increase in wind speed. After it had passed we headed out to look at the sea, the strong wind and rough sea made viewing difficult, but we still managed common scoter, only four though, loads of goldeneye, great-crested grebe and red-throated diver. Thousands of gulls were roosting on the beach whilst sanderling, redshank and bar-tailed godwit fed amongst them.

Snow Buntings Plectrophenax nivalis

Whilst at Titchwell, we were told of a flock of snow buntings that were frequenting the dunes at Holme, so you can guess where our next stop was. We parked in the car park, walked out across the golf course and before long we were watching a flock of around 80 birds, which had joined with even more goldfinch's and skylarks. It doesn't matter how often you see them snow buntings are spectacular, and when you have a flock of 80, you can see where the phrase a 'blizzard' of snow buntings comes from.

Dunlin Calidris alpina (left) Knot Calidris canutus (right)

Holme was also great for waders and the dunlin and knot were extremely approachable, giving the ideal opportunity for photography. The image above provides an excellent change to compare two species that can be easily confused by the inexperienced birder.

Knots in flight

After Holme we headed to Wells harbour, where a common seal had hauled out on the sand, before heading to our final destination of Holkham Park.

Common Seal Phoca vitulina

There was not much to report from Holkham, and with no large flocks of geese to see dropping in at Lady Anne's Drive, we headed back to our lodgings and some freshly caught mussels.

In Search of Winter Birds - Norfolk 2013 Day 1

So here we are again back in Norfolk for a spot of winter birding and a chance to catch up with birding friends from around the country. Our trip would normally begin at Lakenheath Fen, but this year we decided to start in Thetford. An odd place to start one might think, but this year a black-bellied dipper, the nominate (European) race of the British sub-species, had decided to take up residence on a small stream next to BTO headquarters. 

Black-bellied Dipper Cinclus cinclus cinclus, Thetford, Norfolk, the nominate  race from 
Northern Europe and North-western France. The resident race in the UK is 
Cinclus cinclus gularis, which is distinguished by the presence of a reddish brown 
colouration beneath the white throat.

During previous visits to Norfolk when this sub-species has been present, we have spent hours looking, but to no avail, this year however, we spent seconds looking and there it was! Unfortunately, the light was very poor and combined with steady rain photography was difficult. We spent a good half an hour enjoying what proved to be a very confiding individual, in stark contrast to the birds I normally see in Valency Valley, Cornwall. The British sub-species of dipper has a rich reddish brown colouration between the white breast and the dark brown belly. This individual lacks this reddish brown patch, as can be seen on the picture above.

Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra feeding along the river bank on the Little Ouse, 
Thetford Photo A. Mason

Before heading on to our next stop we had a quick stroll along the Little Ouse in Thetford is search of a resident otter. Initially we were unsuccessful before an animal was spotted feeding along the opposite shore. The otter was feeding directly under the bank and when submerged it could be followed by a line of air bubbles breaking the surface. In recent years the otter population has seen a marked recovery and many individuals, as this one can be very approachable.

Whooper Swan - Lakenheath Fen

Content with our views of otter and dipper we headed on to Lakenheath Fen. The birds have not been guaranteed at Lakenheath this year, probably due to a combination of the high water levels and the mixed weather conditions (one day mild, one day freezing). We did manage to see the usual species, such as marsh harriers, bearded tits and a brief view of a flying bittern. 

A lone whooper swan, which was associating with the local mutes swans, was a welcome surprise, and a male barn owl gave us prolonged views for a while, but unfortunately it was the other side of the river so the the views were distant. A hunting peregrine provided us with  a brief but exciting view, whilst flocks of lapwing and fieldfare moved steadily overhead. 

Barn Owl (Male) - Lakenheath Fen

Having exhausted the birding opportunities at Lakenheath Fen we headed north to our accommodation at Great Bircham. Our journey was briefly interrupted for a flock of over 100 Bewick's swans, before pressing on to our destination. 

Bewick's Swans

So by the end of our first day we had seen 64 species of birds, the highlight for me was undoubtedly the black-bellied dipper, but for others the otter was the star. The most interesting thing was undoubtedly the large movement of lapwings and thrushes, movements such of these are usually associated with cold weather but there is no cold weather in the forecast....where are all these birds going?