Last catch of the year

Today the Group had its last session of the year combined with some festivities. There were no unusual highlights, but 10 Coldcrest and five wintering Chiffchaffs were in the total of 55 birds of 16 species.

A happy Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year to our members and supporters.

First catch for Project Wigeon

 

      Last Sunday morning the Group attended the grasslands and pools close to the Otter Estuary, where many species of duck congregate to feed during the winter months. The Project which is being sponsored by Devon Birds is to ascertain the numbers and movements of Wigeon over a period of four winters prior to any works that may take place by the Environment Agency as part of its flood relief scheme.

     Apart from fitting a British Trust for Ornithology metal ring a lime green Darvic ring was fitted at the same time. Each colour ring is engraved with two letters. This will give an observer an opportunity to relay back to the Group where and on which date the bird was seen.

     The catch was smaller than hoped, but with several pools it cannot be easy to judge where the birds may be at a particular time. Many hours of observing the movement of the birds by ringer Peter Bennett from his advantage point of his home showed that the birds are constantly on the move whilst feeding from pool to pool. As one needs to set the cannon net the evening before to be precisely accurate can be difficult. Nevertheless, we were able to catch 27 duck of which 19 where Wigeon, seven Mallard and one Shoveler.

     Photographs of one of two Wigeon we caught show a green glossy feathering behind the eye apparently indicating geographical location in this case from North West Europe and East Asia where about 10% of the birds show this variation. The Shoveler permitted a very close view of the lamellae in its upper mandible, something useful to record whilst the bird is in the hand.

First Wigeon to be colour ringed

Male Wigeon showing the glossy green behind the eye

The Lamellae from the upper mandible of the Shoveler

Group and Team Leader debriefing the Team

(All photographs copyright Mike Tyler)

First winter catch

Following severe storms and heavy rain the chance to catch and ring birds has been almost impossible. There was a small break today, coinciding with our programme and the session proceeded. Not bad a morning taking into account the bad weather of the last few days. Sixty four birds of 15 species were caught, including a Dusky Warbler at least according to the plumage. Other species included, Blackcap, nine Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler, Kingfisher and eleven Goldfinches.

Cetti's Warbler

Probable Dusky Warbler

Chiffchaff being released

All photographs copyright Doug Rudge

Last of the autumn wader catches

November can be a bit late to catch waders on migration, together with only a few on site last evening proved to be so. Nevertheless, we were not entirely disappointed with the only wader, that of a Jack Snipe. A very attractive adult as the photographs show.

Photo Allan Reese

Photo Allan Reese

Photo Mike Tyler

Autumn sessions

The Group have had two sessions this month with the view of catching the last of the migrant warblers and perhaps some early thrushes. Today five Song Thrushes were caught more than the usual number, so perhaps that is a good sign. Over the two sessions we processed 24 Chiffchaffs and 8 Blackcaps as well as a Cetti's Warbler one of many this year. It appears the population is increasing after a drop a few years ago. In all 108 birds were caught in two mornings.

Stormy session

This morning started clear and sunny an ideal condition for a good morning's ringing. Alas after less than storms started to brew from the east and activities soon came to an end. Seeing the conditions about to change birds were quickly extracted and nets furled. Nevertheless not all was lost in that we were able to catch 58 birds of 17 species, so not too bad.

A common Woodpigeon  given the limelight!

Cetti's Warbler one of two caught
(Photographs Mike Tyler)

A successful start to the autumn

This last weekend has been one of the most successful of the Group with ringing taking place on Saturday to Monday at three locations. The first two were on the Seaton Wetlands in the area of the Discovery Hut and on Colyford Common. A wide habitat of reed, scrub and hedgerow produced a good variety of birds. Saturday produced the bulk of birds, 79 in total, comprising of 14 Goldfinches, six Chiffchaffs, five Sedge Warblers, one Reed Warbler, four Willow Warblers, one Grasshopper Warbler, two Swallows, one Lesser Whitethroat, six Great Tits, eight Blue Tits, 24 Greenfinches, six Wrens, and one Goldcrest. The Grasshopper Warbler being the highlight of the morning. (See photo)

There were fewer birds on the Sunday, but a respectable  36 of 14 species. The additional species were ten Reed Warblers, one Cetti's Warbler, one Kingfisher, one House Martin as well as three Blackbirds and Robins and one Coal Tit. Chiffchaffs, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Swallows, Sedge Warblers, Wrens and a Reed Bunting making up the total for the morning.

Being a diverse ringing group, on the Monday evening well into dark, a catch of roosting waders was made on Colyford Marsh. Twenty-four waders comprising of one Lapwing, one Curlew, originally ringed by the Group at the site on 9th October 2013, one Whimbrel, two Green Sandpipers, three Redshank and 16 Dunlin. The reasonable number of Dunlin gave the members present an ideal opportunity to compare adult and juvenile birds. (See photo)  The Group have arrange for two further sessions to catch waders this year.

A total of 139 birds of 26 species.

Grasshopper Warbler (Rob Skinner)

Lesser Whitethroat (Tom Gale) 

Whimbrel (Allan Reese)

Curlew (Mike Tyler)

Lapwing (Mike Tyler) 

Dunlins juvenile on the left compared with an adult (Mike Tyler)