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Juvenile Robin |
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Juvenile Blackbird |
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Ringing a Mute Swan |
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Weighing a Mute Swan. |
Ringed | Re-trapped | |
Blackbird | 2 | 2 |
Blue Tit | 1 | 1 |
Cetti’s Warbler | 2 | |
Dunnock | 1 | 1 |
Great Tit | 1 | |
Mallard | 1 | |
Mute Swan | 1 | |
Reed Warbler | 7 | 4 |
Robin | 3 | |
Sedge Warbler | 1 | |
Wren | 1 | |
17 | 12 |
Welcome to this blog, where you will find regular updates about the exploits and activities of the Axe Estuary Ringing Group. Please browse through all the pages on the blog, where you will find more information about the Group, the area, and how to get involved.
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Juvenile Robin |
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Juvenile Blackbird |
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Ringing a Mute Swan |
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Weighing a Mute Swan. |
Ringed | Re-trapped | |
Blackbird | 2 | 2 |
Blue Tit | 1 | 1 |
Cetti’s Warbler | 2 | |
Dunnock | 1 | 1 |
Great Tit | 1 | |
Mallard | 1 | |
Mute Swan | 1 | |
Reed Warbler | 7 | 4 |
Robin | 3 | |
Sedge Warbler | 1 | |
Wren | 1 | |
17 | 12 |
The last two sessions, held on 16/4/22 & 4/5/22, have been at the Colyford Common end of the reserve. At this time of the year, when the breeding season is underway, tape lures aren't used as they may disrupt breeding behaviour & thus numbers tend to be lower. However, both sessions still managed to produce some nice birds.
On 16/4/22 18 birds were processed, which included 4 Song Thrush nestlings (pulli). Ringing pulli in the nest provides good data as the exact age of the birds is known.
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Song thrush nest with 4 nestlings (pulli) |
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Meadow Pipit |
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Male Blackcap |
16/4/22 | Ringed | Re-trapped | |
Blackcap | 2 | ||
Blue Tit | 1 | ||
Cetti's Warbler | 1 | 3 | |
Great Tit | 1 | 3 | |
Greenfinch | 1 | ||
Meadow Pipit | 1 | ||
Reed Bunting | 1 | ||
Song Thrush | 4 | Pulli (chicks in nest) | |
12 | 6 |
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Wing of Cetti's Warbler |
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Juvenile Stonechat |
4/5/22 | Ringed | Re-trapped |
Balckbird | 1 | |
Blue Tit | 2 | 3 |
Cetti's Warbler | 1 | |
Great Tit | 1 | |
Greenfinch | 2 | |
Long-tailed Tit | 1 | |
Reed Warbler | 1 | |
Stonechat | 1 | |
7 | 6 |
The forecast for the day of our latest scheduled ringing session was for strong winds and rain showers so at very short notice we brought it forward a day and fortunately five members were able to make it. Wind was forecast to be light but picked up a little as we were setting up, so nets were restricted to the sheltered spots in and around the scrub at the top of Colyford Common.
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Ringing base at Colyford Common |
Ten birds were processed with some showing clear signs that the breeding season is well underway. Two male Dunnocks showed typically pronounced cloacae and a female Song Thrush a well defined brood patch (BP2).
Ringed | Re-trapped | ||
Cetti’s Warbler | 1 | Ringed 7.9.21 | |
Dunnock | 2 | ||
Goldfinch | 4 | 1 | Ringed 19.8.21 |
House Sparrow | 1 | ||
Song Thrush | 1 | ||
8 | 2 |
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One of the Goldfinches had an unusually speckled head. |
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Features which suggest this House Sparrow could have been hatched last year. |
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Net details being ironed onto new bags, colour-coded for length. |
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A long overdue job well underway....although not quite completed. |
Friday 18th saw the team out at Seaton Wetlands once more for a mist netting session. As is usual at this time of year we caught relatively few birds, but took the opportunity to stocktake some nets and cut and refresh net rides.
Examining nets during a quiet moment |
19 birds were processed. Among the more interesting birds was a chiffchaff, probably newly arrived from its winter quarters. A number of these birds were singing in the beautiful weather we had on Friday. Unfortunately the bird was released without photographs! Here are some of the team, however, processing some birds.
Newer members under instruction in the Discovery Hut |
Bullfinches were around in good number and we caught a few of these birds including these two. The male, with the attractive red chest and the female, less ostentatious but very smart nonetheless. Both were birds hatched last summer, which we can tell from differences in the age of feathers in the greater coverts (small feathers immediately above the flight feathers closer to the body of the bird). These show newer fresher feathers with broad white tips and a more glossy blue black colour compared with older feathers (a more grey/browner colour with less distinct white tips often buffish brown) which are found further out on the wing. These older feathers grew when the bird hatched last summer. The newer feathers are replacement of these older feathers when the bird moulted feathers in late summer/early autumn.
Male Bullfinch |
Male Bullfinch wing showing the differently coloured greater coverts. The carpal covert also has a buff tip, this would be white on an adult bird. |
Female Bullfinch |
Female Bullfinch showing differently coloured greater coverts & buff tipped carpal covert. |
A rather more common bird for us to catch is the Blue Tit. We ring birds that nest in the nest boxes around the Wetlands, and we caught a Blue Tit during the session which was originally ringed in one of the nest boxes nearby in 2018. Coming up to the end of its 5th year, this is a good age for a Blue Tit. Blue Tits rarely move far and we have caught the bird a few times since first ringing. Once in 2018 and three times in 2019, but then a big gap until 04/03/2022 and now two weeks later. One wonders where it has been hiding between December 2019 and now!
Overall then a productive morning, even if the number of birds was relatively low.
Ringed | Re-trapped | |
Blackbird | 1 | 3 |
Blue Tit | 1 | 2 |
Bullfinch | 3 | |
Chaffinch | 1 | |
Chiffchaff | 1 | |
Great Tit | 1 | 2 |
Robin | 1 | 1 |
Wren | 2 | |
Totals | 11 | 8 |
For various reasons, Saturday's cannon netting session was cancelled. The Group has been ringing Shelduck on Seaton Marsh since 2006. The Shelduck have been caught between November & March each year, and since 2010 each has been fitted with a yellow colour ring with black lettering on the left leg below the knee, in addition to the meal BTO ring. The post from the last cannon netting session can be read here. As the catch area had been baited with grain in preparation for the planned session, a couple of us made use of the gathering Shelduck to read colour rings.
More grain was put out just after 6am, and by 6.30am, we were in the hide with scope & camera at the ready. It was a slow start as the Shelduck seemed very wary, and only a few at a time made brief forays onto the grain before returning to the water. Two Canada Geese arrived and tucked in, which may have put off the Shelduck for a while. However, by about 7.30, larger numbers of Shelduck started feeding and soon every Shelduck in sight was busy on the grain. The maximum number of Shelduck we counted at any one time was 47, and we managed to read 43 colour rings.
Ring-reading from the Seaton Marsh hide |
Shelduck gathering at Seaton Marsh |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
No. present by year ringed. | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
Location of sightings of Shelduck FH |
Locations of sightings for Black-tailed Godwit Red Orange Orange |