Titchfield Haven Ringing Group Update - September 2016

Since my last post things have not really improved in terms of our ringing totals for this year, and a spell of bad weather during September has meant that our ringing effort has also suffered. The graphs below illustrate our totals for the usual species for the period 7th July to 24th September for the years 2011 to 2016. We have at least had a few sessions where we have ringed over 100 birds, but generally the numbers of birds have remained low, and the overall total has now dropped below that of 2012, our previous worst year.

There have still been some highlights and the latest one was the capture of our first Brown long-eared bat. We have previously caught Pipistrelles and Daubenton's so it was nice to add a new species. Being a licenced bat worker and very experienced at extracting bats from mist nets it was left to me to extract it.

Brown Long-eared  Bat - Titchfield Haven

To make the graphs easier to interpret I have grouped similar species onto a graph rather than put them all on one. Sedge and Reed Warbler totals remain low and well below average; for the period 1998 to 2015 for the whole season for these two species the total is 841 and 459, respectively, so it is looking like Sedge will be down but Reed may end up around the average.

Sedge and Reed Warbler totals between 7th & 24th September 2011 - 2016

Chiffchaff migration is in full swing at present and the numbers are not looking too bad but Willow Warblers are all but over. We did catch one new Willow Warbler this weekend, but the total of 74 is unlikely to grow much more, which will make this year's total our 4th worst since 1998.

Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler totals between 7th & 24th September 2011 - 2016

The totals of the three species of Sylvia warbler are significantly lower than the average. For the period 7th - 24th the average is 116 for Whitethroat, 55 for Garden Warbler and 471 for Blackcap. For each of these three species the totals are 50% below average.

Whitethroat, Garden Warbler & Blackcap totals between 7th & 24th September 2011 - 2016

Both Cetti's Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler numbers are below average; the Grasshopper Warbler total is at least already higher than last year's total of 135 but is still 62% down on the average.

Cetti's Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler totals between 7th & 24th September 2011 - 2016

Overall, this year is the lowest total in the period 2011 to 2016 but as mentioned earlier our ringing effort is down. This year we have only managed to ring on 29 days compared with 39, 35, 34, 32 and 31 for the period 2011 to 2015.

Titchfield Haven Ringing Update - August 2016

I have recently had a few enquiries from birders asking how things have been going with the ringing at Titchfield Haven this year so I thought it was time for a blog update. Subscribers to Birdguides or Rare Bird Alert will no doubt have seen the images of the Aquatic Warbler that we ringed back on 13th August, and that has unquestionably been the highlight of our season to date. This individual was the 17th to be ringed at the Haven and the first since 2009, so it was long overdue. It is great to see a few others turning up on the south coast so you never know, we may even get another, let's hope so.

Juvenile Aquatic Warbler - Titchfield Haven August 2016

Juvenile Aquatic Warbler  - Titchfield Haven 2016

Our ringing totals this year for most species have been disappointing and as I write this post there have only been three mornings where we have caught more that 100 birds. This morning (2nd September) we did catch nearly 150 but the totals in the graph and table below only cover to the end of August, so I will post about that on another day. Typically we would be expecting to catch between 150 - 250 birds at this time of year, but the distinct lack of migrants passing through or over our ringing area has been alarming. The figures for the usual selection of species (below) covering 2010 - 2016 show the total for this year as being the second lowest. When you consider that for 2010 - 2015 the totals are to the 23rd August, whereas the 2016 total is to the 31st August, it is likely to be the second lowest by some way.

Selected species ringing totals 2010 - 2016

Selected species ringing totals 2010 - 2016

You can see from the figures that all of the species totals we have selected are below average as is the grand total, which includes all birds ringed. Interestingly though I have been catching excellent numbers of Goldfinch and Greenfinch in my garden, and the totals to date have already surpassed my best ever annual totals for those two species. We have been discussing the possible reasons for totals being so low and can only really conclude that poor weather during May and June may have reduced breeding success for migrant species, but that is just our opinion.

As yet we have been catching very few adult birds, therefore it is possible that many species are still breeding so there is still the chance that some species totals will pick up, but for Willow Warbler we are pretty much done and dusted, so it is looking like a dismal year for this species.

Titchfield Haven - End of Season Update

The ringing season is now all but finished for us at the Haven, although there may be the odd session to target certain priority species. Overall it ended up being a pretty good season, which was not immediately apparent at the start of the season. A total of 3960 new birds were ringed of 38 species, a further 177 birds were retrapped or controlled, a handful of the resident species, several times.

The anticipated eastern mega turned out to be a Barred Warbler, which for many counties is a regular vagrant, but not for Hampshire, where it was the first ever ringed in the county. The total is a little misleading in that it shows two birds being caught, but that is due to it being retrapped two days after the original capture, fortunately for me. Other highlights include a Wryneck, our 3rd ever, Tree Pipit our 8th ever and our first ever Grey Wagtail for the site. It was surprising not to catch a Yellow-browed Warbler this year, given how many were recorded on the east coast, but the expected record total of Goldcrests did materialise. A total of 158 new birds were ringed, beating the previous best total by 49, a couple of controls were also trapped, so the actual total of birds not previously trapped at the Haven will be 160. Other new high totals included Lesser Redpoll, with 23 new birds ringed, and Blackcap with an amazing 973 new birds ringed, well above the 495 average.

I have previously posted about the selected species comparisons, so there is no need to cover that ground again in detail. So to summarise, the Grasshopper Warbler total remained low, with only 135 new birds ringed and well below the average of 264. The Sedge Warbler total also low at 799 new birds, again will below the average of 841. By contrast however, the Reed Warbler total was well above the 459 average; the Willow Warbler total was also above the 125 average. Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler and Robin totals were also all above average.

Our sixth year without an Aquatic Warbler is setting a very worrying trend.

Titchfield Haven Ringing Update - Early October 2015

Whilst I was galavanting around Fair Isle and Shetland, Barry and Duncan continued with the ringing sessions at the Haven, no doubt hoping to grip me off with a goody! They ringed on seven dates and had three days when they caught over 100 new birds, 116 on 17th September, 187 on 19th and 143 on 26th, otherwise the totals were below average. New species for the year included Lesser Redpoll, Firecrest and Spotted Flycatcher.  

My first session since, returning was 3rd October and we started with a haul of 202 birds, the next saw a total of 104, so still plenty of birds moving. As expected the Blackcap total continued to build and as of today it stands at a massive 885 new birds, beating the previous annual total by 79 birds, and well on the way to the 1000 target. On the flip side of that the Grasshopper Warbler total never recovered and now stands at a paltry 135 birds ringed. This is the lowest total for this species since 2003.

At one point we thought we were heading towards a record Reed Warbler total, but towards the end of September the numbers petered out and currently stands at 716. This is the highest total for the last six years and is only 62 birds short of the record; clearly a good year for this species. The Sedge Warbler total also remained low at 799, as did Garden Warbler at 44. The Willow Warbler total was good, although not as good as last year, and Whitethroat numbers have peaked at 112. Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler numbers remain quite high and assuming the weather holds we still have plenty of time to catch more.

The session of 2nd October as well as being very busy was also one of our public events. The visitors were very patient as we worked our way through the 106 Blackcaps and 64 Chiffs, and were rewarded with the capture of two Bearded Tits. Although Bearded Tits breed on the site, we rarely catch them in our ringing area since we outside of the main reed bed, these two birds were therefore greatly appreciated by all.

A Pair of Bearded Tits - Titchfield Haven

Visitors enjoying a Bearded Tit photoshoot (Photo Simon Ingram)

The last two sessions have also seen 25 new Goldcrests ringed bringing the total for the year so far to 36 and two new Robins bringing that total to 59. Having seen record numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers on Fair Isle it hopefully won't be too long before we catch another one down on the south coast.

Mid-September Ringing Update

I wasn't intending to do another mid-September update as the weather last weekend didn't look that great and so I thought any ringing was unlikely. However, as it turned out the conditions on Sunday 13th were perfect. It was evident first thing that it was going to be a good day as the nets were 'dripping' with birds on the first round. We were so busy that Barry and I alternated extracting and ringing whilst Maggie patiently scribed. By the end of the session we had ringed 267 new birds and had two controls, one Chiffchaff and one Blackcap and our second Common Redstart of the year, which was a cracking male.

Of course having caught so many birds, it dramatically altered the totals for the year to year comparisons, so I thought I should update the blog to reflect this, and bring it in line with the September 14th date used in previous years. The story with Sedge Warbler is still down, and well down at that, with this years total 40% below our average for the time of year. By contrast, the Reed Warbler is having a fantastic year, and the total is 58% up on the average, and heading towards our highest ever annual total. 

Summary of Key Species Ringing Total up to 14th September

Summary of Key Species Ringing Total up to 14th September

Grasshopper Warbler numbers are still trickling along, but with the total now standing at 118 numbers are over 260% below average. Other species totals below average are Willow Warbler, at 7% down, Garden Warbler at 34% down and Whitethroat at 2% down. 

The winners, as well as Reed Warbler, are Chiffchaff at 38% above average and the real winners Blackcap with a total of 448 birds ringed so far. This total is 116% above the average for the time of year, and if the pattern continues could see Blackcap elevated to the most numerous species ringed this year. In total we have ringed 2472 birds of 29 species, to date.

A hand-held Wryneck and mid-September bird ringing update

It has now been a few weeks since my last ringing update from the Haven, other than the Barred Warbler posts of course, so I thought it was time to do so. 

Our ringing totals have been steadily building and as is typical during September we have started to to see a shift from Acro's (Reed and Sedge Warblers) to Sylvia warblers, with the Blackcap being the commonest. Our daily ringing totals have been below average, with the highest total being 168 new birds on 7th August and 5th September. Grasshopper Warbler numbers have been more typical, but we have not recovered from the poor start, and the current total is 111 for the year. Our best days have been 18 on 28th August and 15 on 1st September.

A comparison of ringing totals from 2010 (up to 14th Sept 2010 - 2014, up to 11th Sept 2015) paints a very mixed picture with Reed Warbler numbers at their highest over the six year period, and already getting close to last years total of 693. That total was the second highest ever, the highest was 778 in 2002, but that was when we were ringing in two locations, and therefore cannot really be included in the comparison. 

Blackcap numbers are also very high and at this point in time are ahead of last years total, which ended up being our best year ever with 806 birds. Cetti's Warbler numbers are also above average for the time of year. Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler numbers are all slightly below average, but the biggest loser is the Sedge Warbler. To date its total is over 30% down and represents the second lowest total in the six year period, the lowest being the wet summer of 2012.

Summary of Ringing Totals for Key Species 2010 - 2015

Summary of Ringing Totals for Key Species 2010 - 2015

We have of course had quite a few highlights this autumn, and as well as the obvious, we also caught our fourth ever Wryneck on 1st September. With so many being reported along the south coast, we had hoped it was only a matter of time before one turned up in our ringing area. Unfortunately, it turned up on a week day so Duncan and I were at work and Barry got to enjoy the stunning bird.

Wryneck - Titchfield Haven 1st September ( B. S. Duffin)

September 5th delivered our ninth ever Tree Pipit, a species which always provides a challenge for our trainees, to ID and to age. Based on a combination of pale fringed wing coverts and pointed tail helped us age this bird as a juvenile.

Tree Pipit - Titchfield Haven

Tree Pipit - Note the pale fringing to the medium and greater coverts identifying the bird as a juvenile

Tree Pipit - the pointed tail feathers are a typical feature of a juvenile

We have also caught three Lesser Whitethroats this year, which doesn't sound many, but for us it represents a good year. I have checked the wing formula of each one, but they have all proven to be European Lesser Whitethroats Sylvia curruca curruca. One bird was an adult so we were able to compare the tails of the two birds which was good value.

Lesser Whitethroat - Titchfield Haven

Lesser Whitethroat - adult tail

Lesser Whitethroat - juvenile Tail

To date we have ringed 2212 birds of 29 species, which is below average but on a par with last year. I will be heading up to Shetland and Fair Isle for 10 days with a team from the BTO on Thursday 17th and so am hoping that nothing too exciting turns up in the nets whilst I am away.

Titchfield Haven Bird Ringing - Late August update

It has been a very mixed bag this season at the Haven which has not been helped by the very changeable weather. Fortunately Barry is retired which means that he can do some sessions during the week in order to keep our effort constant, but Duncan and I are getting limited opportunities to ring at weekends. If we are lucky we may be able to get one session a week, which is great for catching up with sleep, or doing general birding, so we can't complain, but we would rather be ringing.

Despite the inconsistent weather conditions the overall ringing total for the year is holding up reasonably well, but unless there is going to be a very late surge in the numbers of migrants it is looking like this year the totals will be at best average. That said there are some notable exceptions; on the down side, the Grasshopper Warbler total remains exceptionally low with only 36 birds ringed to date. For the period 2010 to 2014 inclusive, by 23rd August the average is 143 birds, so this year's total is significantly lower that we would have expected. It won't be the lowest total since 1998 as we have already passed that, but could be within the bottom five.

Juvenile Grasshopper Warbler

On the flip side of that, the Reed Warbler total currently stands at 450, which is the highest total for the period 2010 to 2014 by 23rd August, and well above the average for that period which is 293. The overall total for all species for the period up to 23rd August stands at 1310 birds of 20 species. 

A summary of selected species from 2010 - 2015 up to 23rd August

A summary of selected species from 2010 - 2015 up to 23rd August

The only unusual record is a Common Nightingale that is only the sixth ever ringed at the site. There has been very little evidence of visible migration over the last few weeks, with the odd Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail and on 2nd August a Marsh Harrier. 

Common Nightingale - Note the pale tips to the tertials confirming this bird to be a juvenile, also the first primary can be seen extending 
beyond the longest primary covert, thereby confirming it as a Common not Thrush Nightingale (B. S. Duffin)

On the morning of 22nd August we held one of our public ringing events, which was well attended as usual. The session was steady, with 78 birds ringed, Reed and Sedge Warblers were as ever the most numerous species, but five Grasshopper Warblers were very welcome. Once again there was very little evidence of visible migration, the most notable species being Yellow Wagtail, with two birds and a single Common Swift. Just as we closed the nets a couple of sparring Sparrowhawks put in a great aerial display before drifting off to the east.

Sparring Sparrowhawks

After the session I stopped for a quick look off the sailing club at Hill Head with Simon Ingram, who had joined us for the mornings ringing session. There was a flock of around 100 terns roosting on the shingle but unfortunately, as is a common theme these days, the level of disturbance was very high with kayakers, fishermen and dog walkers continuously flushing the birds to the point where there was nowhere for them to settle. Simon was intent of finding a Black Tern and after a quick scan through the flock, looked out to sea, I concentrated of the roosting terns as there was a constant turnover of birds. It wasn't long before I picked out a cracking adult Roseate Tern, I quickly got Simon onto it and then we put the news out. The speed at which we did that enabled Graham Barrett, who was on the other side of the harbour, to get onto the bird, before once again, the flock was flushed, this time they did not return.

Bird Ringing at Titchfield Haven - Early August 2015 update

Despite my lack of posts on the subject the autumn bird ringing has been progressing steadily at Titchfield Haven, and when I say steadily I mean just that. Throughout July the numbers of birds ringed were low compared with last year, and the most noteworthy thing was that in that period we only caught one Grasshopper Warbler, by the end of July last year we had ringed 30. Last weekend things picked up a bit with 120 birds ringed on Saturday and 98 on Sunday, but today things really got going, with 181 birds ringed.

It was a busy session with just Barry and I ringing and Colin who was our scribe for the morning. Clear and still overnight conditions are the best for our site and it was evident by the first round that it would be a bit busy. As expected for this time of year Reed and Sedge Warblers made up a bulk of the catch with over 130 birds between them. Willow Warbler was the next most numerous with over 20 new birds ringed. 

Juvenile Willow Warbler

The numbers of Sylvia warblers is slowly starting to build and today we were surprised to catch 10 new Garden Warblers, including two adult birds, which are always nice for comparison. Common Whitethroats and Blackcaps, were also ringed but in much smaller numbers.

Juvenile Garden Warbler 

The other species included our second Grasshopper Warbler of the year, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Blackbird, Robin, Cetti's Warbler and a juvenile Reed Bunting. This year Bullfinch numbers have been at an all time high, but that is because they have bred in our ringing area for the first time this year.

Juvenile Reed Bunting

One of our net rides is set over a purpose built boardwalk that leads down the the river Meon. At this time of year it is one of our busiest rides since it cuts down through an area of Phragmites reed bed. The end of the ride is a great place to stand and get a view of the river, especially when mud is exposed. 

The jetty net ride

This morning it was evident that we had had an overnight visitor as there were two very fresh Otter spraints and the end of the jetty was still wet where it had hauled out of the river. Despite being on the site at very unsociable hours of a regular basis, I have not yet seen an otter here, hopefully I won't have to wait much longer.

Fresh Otter Spraint

Titchfield Haven - End of Year Summary 2014

After what has been a generally successful season at the Haven, we have hung up our bird bags and migrated to other sites. The season ended with a total of 4651 full grown birds, one pulli, and 259 retraps of 44 species, bringing the grand total to 4911. The undoubted highlights were the Pallas' Grasshopper Warbler, the Cuckoo and the Yellow-browed Warbler. Besides the rarity highlights there were also some record catches for our standard fare, namely Robin, Blackcap and Willow Warbler. Other highlights included the first Woodcock for the site, the Wood Warbler and the Pied Flycatcher. Having now entered all the totals into IPMR there have been some slight amendments to the totals, with Willow Warbler slightly down to 268 and Grasshopper Warbler up to 341.

Table of Ringing Totals for 2014 in the autumn ringing area, the numbers
in red represent highest or equal highest totals for the site.

I have previously posted graphs showing species totals between 1998 and 2014, with trend lines to illustrate how the numbers have increased or declined over that period. For this post I thought I would show how similar species have fared over that same period, so below are comparisons for Whitethroat verses Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff verses Willow Warbler, Blackcap verses Garden Warbler and Reed Warbler verses Sedge Warbler.

Comparison of ringing totals for Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat

Comparison of ringing totals for Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler

Comparison of ringing totals for Blackcap and Garden Warbler

Comparison of ringing totals for Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler

It is interesting to see how the numbers of the different species have varied over the period, and how some species are just that much rarer than others. The most obvious being Common Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap and Garden Warbler. It is also interesting to note how the peaks and troughs for each species are mirrored in many cases, with fluctuations in numbers being more pronounced in species with the highest totals.

Our ringing studies will be continuing over the winter, with visits Manor Farm Country Park, Farlington Marshes and Walpole Park all planned, and from there we will see where things take us.

Times they are a changing, Titchfield Haven Ringing Update - October 2014

This post reflects changes on two levels at Titchfield Haven; the first is that after 42 years of bird ringing at the Haven we have decided to set up a ringing group. Titchfield Haven Ringing Group (the obvious name to choose) has been formed in the hope that we can build a keen group of bird ringers who will help continue with our ringing studies at the site in the future. We currently have a group of three qualified ringers, Barry Duffin, Duncan Bell and me (Trevor Codlin) and several trainees, who are progressing well towards their ringing permits.

The second change is the season; summer is now well and truly behind us and autumn has arrived, although the severe thunderstorms we have had this week have been a bit out of season. Bird ringing has become slightly more unpredictable during the first half of October, due to some very variable weather. Despite this, and the fact that we are now approaching the middle of October, bird numbers have been holding up well. On the 3rd October 114 news birds were ringed, on the 5th October 145 and today, 11th October, 84 new birds were ringed. Of course the species mix has changed and Reed, Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers no longer predominate the numbers, instead we are faced with large numbers of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Reed Bunting numbers have also picked up and we have now ringed 21 new birds.

Occasional gems also pop into our nets and so far this October they have been in the form of two Bearded Reedlings, one male and one female, and a Stonechat. Bearded Reedling is not an uncommon species at Titchfield Haven, but the reed bed is so vast that they rarely stray into our ringing area, so these two were a real treat and the first of the year.

Male Bearded Reedling - © B S Duffin

Female Bearded Reedling - © B S Duffin

Similarly, the Stonechat is another species that does breed along the Meon Valley, and is regularly seen by us as we carry out our studies, but not often caught. Only 31 Stonechats have been ringed at the Haven since 1972, this individual was the first ringed since 1996, so a bit of a rarity in ringing terms.

Stonechat - © B S Duffin

The total of new birds ringed for the July to October ringing period has now passed 4400, and as I have stated in previous posts, there have been some very notable totals. Willow Warbler was the first with a record number of 270 birds ringed, and the Blackcap total has also set a new record, with the magic number of 800 new birds fast approaching. The Sedge Warbler total of 1225, is the fifth highest total, whilst the Reed Warbler total of 689 is the second highest. The Grasshopper Warbler total of 340 in also the fifth highest, and Garden Warbler at 67 is the third highest. Common Whitethroat numbers were at their second highest and Cetti's Warbler numbers are also high. A species that I haven't really mentioned before is the European Robin; currently the total for the year stands at 80 birds, only four off equalling the previous highest total. I haven't mentioned Chiffchaff yet because the migration of this species is still in full swing, with over 50 birds ringed today. As we approach 600 new birds ringed this total is already the second highest ever, but is unlikely to surpass 2011 when 858 new birds were ringed.