Another nice catch

Unlike last year the colder weather has drawn several duck species to the Axe Estuary enabling the Group to make some useful catches. Shelduck have been using the site throughout the winter and many returning from previous years. How do we know? Well colour ringing since 2010 has proved ideal for confirming or otherwise of the same birds returning each year. So if you see any birds carrying a yellow ring containing two letters in black, as shown below, please let us know.

The catch of the weekend, included 19 Shelduck, 26 Teal, 4 Wigeon, 17 Mallard and one Black-tailed Godwit. Some of the Teal and Mallard were caught in two Abberton Traps we baited the night before. These birds helped to bring the total to 67.

Sample colour ring on Shelduck

Pair of Wigeon

Happy team of the day
(All photos - Mike Tyler)

A nice start to 2015

The weekend of 18th/19th January started the Group's new year with an attempt to catch wintering Chiffchaffs at the Borrow Pit on Seaton Marshes. Not quite as successful as hoped with only four Chiffchaffs with several others seen in the vicinity. Nevertheless 15 birds were caught, including a Water Rail in a prototype trap made by Group member Fraser Rush.

On the Sunday morning soon after daybreak a cannon net was fired over a small group of duck, which included a few waders. The catch comprised of one Teal, one Moorhen, 24 Shelduck and ten Black-tailed Godwits. The evening before two Abberton Traps were set at Colyford Common and surprisingly 12 birds were caught, which included  six Teal, two Moorhens and four Mallard. These traps helped to boost the numbers for ringing for both members and visitors. 

The Group's work on catching duck and waders over the years has drawn other ringers from as far away as Penzance, Falmouth, Bideford Portland and Weymouth. The Group feels really honoured that non-members are prepared to travel long distances so early in the  morning to meet our deadline of taking a catch.

A fine example of a female Teal (Photo Mike Tyler)

Christmas Bonus!

The Group held sessions on both last Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday mist netting session was programmed, but the cannon netting session the following morning was the first this winter, due to sheep grazing in November on the catching site. Once these woolly jumpers had been removed a start on our winter sessions of catching duck commenced in earnest.

Of the 135 birds caught over the weekend 75 presented us with a nice surprise on the Saturday, which included a Water Rail, two Cetti's Warblers, five Redwings, a Kingfisher and a Meadow Pipit. The Sunday also brought good results with 60 duck, including 28 Teal, 19 Shelduck and 13 Mallard. Not a bad weekend which certainly raised the spirits of both teams. A Christmas bonus!

One of the two Cetti's Warblers 

A fine looking Redwing

I am not trying to escape, just wondering when I get my ring

Male Teal in a duller winter plumage

Sunday's happy team

All photographs by Mike Tyler

Varied wader catch

Last night brave souls of the Group ventured onto a soggy deep marsh to set nets for the second autumn wader catch. Despite the mud a nice varied catch was made. Small, but well worth the effort. As with the last session a duck, not a wader, is first caught, this time a nice adult female Teal. Our smallest duck is always a delight to ring and process and this female Teal was no exception.

The wader catch resulted in five species, including a Jack Snipe we ringed last year, being a species very much site loyal. Other species included, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Redshank and an adult male Curlew.

Colourful wing of female Teal (Photo Mike Tyler)

Common and Jack Snipe (Photo Mike Tyler)

Fraser admiring the Jack Snipe (Photo Mike Tyler)

Another good ringing morning

This morning the Group caught 63 birds among which included: 11 Blackcaps; 12 Chiffchaffs; 7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Kingfishers; 2 Meadow Pipits; 1 Kestrel; 1 Treecreeper; and 1 Grey Wagtail. Several members of the public were present and enjoyed watching the birds up close and being ringed. The children were so thrilled by seeing a selection of 17 different birds.

That is not nice to treat Ian's finger as if it was a fish (Photo Mike Tyler)

The young male Kingfisher now behaving much better (Photo Mike Tyler)

A second year male Kestrel (Photo Mike Tyler)

First autumn wader catch

Autumn always gives the Group the opportunity to try and catch waders using mist nets at high tide and normally after dark. Can be tricky, but with an experienced team the sessions are always challenging, but enjoyable. Last evening was no exception.

Our catches are normally small, but the session was certainly better than expected. Apart from a non wader species, a Shelduck, fourteen waders were caught and processed. These included:

one Common Snipe; five Dunlin; two Curlew; five Redshamk and one Whimbrel. The latter was a new species for the Group. A pleasing varied catch.

Common Snipe

Our new wader - the Whimbrel

Curlew and Whimbrel comparison
(Photographs Mike Tyler)

Nice September catch

The second catch for September resulted in 50 birds caught of 14 species a nice varied catch. The usual autumn migrants were contained in the total, but 18 juvenile Greenfinches could not resist the local feeders, nor the interest of ringers.