The last session of 2020

 Whether it was the covid-19 restrictions or the weather, we were able to ring at our last session yesterday. Small teams of not more than six were formed to abide bythe regulations. This session was good for the time of the year with a catch of 21 birds of ten species. The highlights being a male Stonechat in winter plumage and a retrap of a leucistic Blackbird we originally ringed in January 2019.

The Group wish our supporters a better and healthier New Year.

                                                                        Male Stonechat

                                                              Leucisitic male Blackbird

Photos Mike Tyler

Ringing stopped again!

 If it is not the weather it is the Covid-19 that stops our activities. Never mind we were able to get a few ringing sessions at the Wetlands and the last two in October and yesterday 50 birds were processed. Highlights were a Kestrel in October and a Magpie yesterday. Not unusual, but of a difference than the usual wetland species.

Hopefully we will be back as soon as we are allowed.

Kestrel 
(Photo by Joseph Smith)

Kestrel
(Photo by Joseph Smith)

Magpie
(Photo by Mike Tyler)

Back ringing

 Yesterday was our second ringing session since lockdown and resulted with 64 birds of 11 species processed and only one retrap. Ringing took place in the crop field at the far end of Colyford Common.The main highlight was the catch of 26 Goldfinches, but migrants included, two Reed Warblers and two Blackcaps. Ringing was restricted to six members in accordance with Government Guidelines.

                                                   Two Male Blackcaps  (Photo Mike Tyler)

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)