Coronavirus

Please note due to covid-19 all Group ringing activities have been suspended until further notice.

Mike Tyler Leader AERG

Dry sunny day enabled bird ringing

With so many sessions cancelled due to the inclement weather of late, today allow us to attempt a mist netting session. It was sunny and dry after a cold start, but enabled us to catch 39 birds of ten species.An adult female Kingfisher was the highlight as well as two Cetti's Warblers, both females. Hopefully both will stay and breed. Thirteen Long-tailed Tits were caught still in their winter flock.

Hopefully now the weather will continue to improve enabling more monitoring to take place.

First mist netting session for 2020

Today the Group had its first mist netting session for this year and processed 21 birds. The highlight of the morning was a Common Snipe caught on one of the scrapes.

Adult Common Snipe (Photo Peter Bennett)

First duck catch for 2020

The Group's first catch of the year was a cannon netting session for duck at Seaton Marshes. The weather was kind, despite an increasing wind during the morning.

Thirty-two Shelduck were caught of which seven were new birds for colour ringing. Ringing has shown that the Shelduck is a long living bird and loyal to its wintering sites. Today showed that birds ringed more than ten years ago, when we started to colour ring the species, are still being caught.

In addition six Mallard were caught of which four were new birds.

Adult female Shelduck (Photo Mike Tyler)

Last ringing session for 2019

Today was the last day the Group carried out ringing until the New Year. After a doubtful start with light rain we were lucky for a break in the weather enabling a start. Despite a short session we caught 36 birds of ten species. No highlights on this occasion, but an enjoyable session nevertheless.

May I take the opportunity to thank our supporters throughout 2019 and to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Mike Tyler
Leader

First winter duck catch

Today the Group held its first winder duck catch at Seaton Marshes and 41 ducks were caught. These comprised of three Mallard   and 37 Shelduck. A team of over 20 members attended.

The catching team
Photo Mike Tyler

First winter visitors

Today the Group were lucky to find a day of weather ideal for mist netting. Little wind, dry and cloudy. It resulted in 64 birds being caught and processed of 15 species. Over wintering Chiffchaffs as well as two Redwings being the Group's first winter visitors, apart from the Chiffchaffs. A female Sparrowhawk was caught no doubt in the area looking for a meal with the high number of passerines. Two Cetti's Warblers were also caught hoping a mild winter will help to increase the survival rate of breeding next year.