Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 26/5/12

The team were keen this morning - or some of them anyway - with a 04:30 start! This proved worthwhile as a decent catch made.

Weather; cloudy start but clearing to give a fine sunny day, though not as warm as recent days.

In all, 34 birds of 10 species were processed:

1 Chiffchaff
19 Reed Warbler (6 retraps, 1 control)
2 Great Tit
3 Blackbird (1 retrap)
2 Dunnock (retraps)
1 Wren
1 Robin
3 Greenfinch
1 Chaffinch
1 Goldfinch

The control Reed Warbler was wearing a French ring, but it is one the Group has caught before, back in 2010.

French ringed Reed Warbler - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

The two Great Tits ringed were recently fledged young birds.

3J Great Tits - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

The weekend session, along with the nice weather meant plenty of passers by stopped to see the ringing activities.

Showing the punters - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

And the sun ensured it was a pleasant session for the ringers too.

Returning to base - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Though there were enough birds to keep them busy (or keep them looking busy anyway!).

Fields Studies Centre - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 11-13/5/12

The first ringing weekend of the year, when sessions are held on three consecutive days, starting Friday afternoon, continuing throughout Saturday and coming to an end midday Sunday.

Colyford Common and Black Hole Marsh - May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Over the three days 67 birds of 17 species were caught and processed. Please note though these are the combined totals of the three days, and some birds are included that were retrapped on different days.

1 Kingfisher (retrap)
5 Blue Tit (3 retap)
2 Great Tit (retraps)
2 Swallow (1 retrap)
1 Chiffchaff
7 Blackcap (3 retrap, 1 control)
1 Sedge Warbler
7 Reed Warbler (3 retraps)
5 Wren (4 retraps)
8 Blackbird (5 retrap)
3 Song Thrush (retraps)
3 Robin (2 retrap)
8 Dunnock (6 retrap)
1 Pied Wagtail
6 Greenfinch (1 retrap)
6 Goldfinch
1 Bullfinch

The Blackcap control was a bird that was originally ringed at Beachy Head, East Sussex, on 16th September 2010. We controlled it first on 16th April 2011, and it's back again this spring!

The control Blackcap - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

The first Reed Warbler ringed of 2012 - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Many of the group members were present at some point over the weekend.

Peter measuring the wing of the Swallow - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Even the boss made an appearance!...

Mr T updating the net rounds board - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

And lastly, some nifty camera and editing work from the man responsible for 80% of photos on this blog...

Kestrel composite - Stafford Marsh May '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 14/4/12

Today's session was a public demonstration session. Many turned up to watch the Axe Estuary Ringing Group in action - and to enjoy Doug's cooking! Yes, it wasn't just birds on the menu this morning - there were bacon and veggie butties too!

Fields Studies Base - Stafford Marsh Apr '12 (c) Peter Bennett

Weather: a cold but dry start, with a slight n e breeze. A mixture of sunny spells and periods of cloud cover throughout the morning.

Much to the enjoyment of the observers, 19 birds of 10 species were processed;

2 Blackbird (retraps)
2 Dunnock (retraps)
2 Wren (retraps)
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
2 Great Tit (retraps)
2 Blue Tit (retraps)
4 Greenfinch (1 retrap)
1 Goldfinch

Willow Warbler - Stafford Marsh Apr '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Showing the audience - Stafford Marsh Apr '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

And it wasn't just birds in the hand. Adrian found this Grass Snake - much to the excitement of many of the children present.

Grass Snake - Stafford Marsh Apr '12 (c) Adrian Bayley

Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 10/4/12

Another mist netting session for the AERG that coincided with unhelpful weather conditons for this patime. It was looking to be one of the poorest ever sessions for the group. Well that was until this blogger left!

Field Studdies Base - Stafford Marsh Apr '12 (c) Steve Waite

Weather: Sunshine and few clouds, with a breezy s w wind until late morning, when cloud rolled over and a few rain showers broke out - prompting the end of the session.

The mist net set by the bird feeders on Stafford Marsh 'saved' this session. On sunny days, mist nets are so obvious to the human eye...so they presumably are to birds' eyes too!

A sunlit mist net - Colyford Common Apr '12 (c) Steve Waite

Up until 10:00, the team had only caught one bird, but by the session's end at midday, 12 birds of 4 species were processed;

1 Blackbird (retrap)
1 Dunnock (retrap)
1 Chiffchaff
9 Greenfinch

Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 27/3/12

The summer-like weather continues, which makes for a lovely day out - just not if you're a bird ringer!

Weather: beautiful blue skies and unbroken sunshine, with a slight SE wind.

A bit of a breeze with bright sunshine is about as bad as it gets for mist netting. Sunlight reflects off mist nets which makes them a lot more visible to birds, but add to this the slight movement caused by even a gentle breeze, and they look about as obvious as a brick wall!

Another down side to this weather at this time of year is the numbers of migrants that make landfall. When there are light winds and a high pressure, migrating birds (i.e. warblers, thrushes, chats, etc) fly high and straight over the south coast of the UK. Only when there is cloud, ideally coupled with some light rain, do any numbers of migrating birds become grounded.

Still, 9 birds of 5 species were processed;

1 Song Thrush
3 Blackbird (2 retraps)
2 Dunnock (retraps)
2 Wren (retraps)
1 Great Tit (retrap)

A male Blackbird being ringed and measured - Stafford Marsh March '12 (c) Doug Rudge

The session leader totting up the final totals (it didn't take long!) - Stafford Marsh March '12 (c) Doug Rudge

Cannon Netting on Seaton Marshes - 24/03/12

The last cannon net catch of the season. Although many of the wintering wildfowl have left the Axe Valley for their breeding grounds, good numbers of Shelduck remain - a species the Axe Estuary Ringing Group are studying. At least 80 were feeding on the lagoon on Seaton Marshes on the morning of the catch.

Weather: always a murky haze, but above that blue skies and unbroken sunshine. No wind.

Only one species today;

23 Shelduck (19 retraps)

Although a high number of retraps, the new birds prove Shelduck are still arriving on the Axe Estuary (to breed?). Hopefully over time the colour-ringing program will show more about movements of Shelduck.

The Team - Stafford Marsh March '12 (c) Mike Tyler

Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 6/3/12

Another session based from the Fields Studies Centre on Stafford Marsh. Although the weather made it very pleasant to be out in, it was far from ideal for mist netting.

Weather: a glorious day with unbroken sunshine, although a NW wind began to pick up from mid morning. Visibility excellent.

21 birds of 10 species were trapped and processed;

1 Mallard
1 Kingfisher
5 Blackbird (2 retrap)
1 Song Thrush
2 Robin (1 retrap)
3 Dunnock (2 retrap)
3 Wren (2 retrap)
1 Great Tit
1 Blue Tit
2 Greenfinch (1 retrap)
1 Bullfinch

The Kingsfisher trapped and ringed was the 53rd ringed by the Group.

'Check out my orange underwings' - Stafford Marsh March '12 (c) Doug Rudge

At one point it got so quiet that some mist net repairing proved a good idea.

How to repair a mist net by Neil and Adrian - Stafford Marsh March '12 (c) Doug Rudge