Roudsea, stuck in the gully

30th October 2010
Present: KW, JAF
25 birds processed until rain stopped play at 10.00am (retraps in brackets): Robin (1); Blackbird 1; Marsh Tit 1 (+4); Coal Tit (6); Blue Tit 3 (+5); Great Tit (1);  Nuthatch (1); Chaffinch 2.

Kim takes the opportunity to warm her fingers on her tea cup during a break 

when nets were furled between showers

In the gully at Roudsea

28th October 2010. Present: JAF
37 birds processed, 22 new (retraps in brackets): Great Spotted Woodpecker 1; Wren 1; Marsh Tit 2 (+1); Coal Tit 3 (+7); Blue Tit 7 (+3); Great Tit 6 (+4); Treecreeper 1; Lesser Redpoll 1.
Rain stopped play at 13.00.

Our site known as "The Gully" is sheltered from the wind on all sides 

and can be worked in almost any conditions except continuous rain

Wreaks Moss 25 October 2010

Present: JAF
26 birds processed, 18 new (retraps in brackets): Great Spotted Woodpecker 1; Robin 1; CoaL Tit 2 (+3); Blue Tit 6 (+5); Great Tit 2; Treecreeper 1; Chaffinch 3; Redpoll 2.

Wreaks Moss on a fine but frosty morning

Ringing station with hoar frost on the field behind

Askam Pits 24 October 2010

Present JAF
27 birds ringed, 25 new (retraps in brackets): Wren (1); Dunnock 1; Goldcrest 2; Coal Tit 4; Blue Tit 5 (+5); Great Tit 10; Treecreeper 1; Chaffinch 1.

The feeding station is in the willow scrub on the far side of the pond

Roudsea 20 October 2010

Present: KW, JAF
29 birds processed, 25 new (retraps in brackets):
Robin 2; Goldcrest 3; Long-tailed Tit 6 (+1);  Marsh Tit 1; Coal Tit (1); Blue Tit 5 (+1); Great Tit 7; Chaffinch 1 (+1).

Kim praying for a good catch at an improvised ringing station in Roudsea Woods

Eskmeals 16/10/2010

Present AM. JS. RG. KH
A total of 98 birds processed of 14 species.  They were as follows (re-traps). Wren 7(1), Dunnock 5(2), Robin 7(8), Blackbird 8(4), Song Thrush 3, Blackcap 2, Goldcrest7(1), Long-tailed Tit 7(5), Coal Tit 2(1), Blue Tit 5(4), Great Tit1(1), Treecreeper 1, Chaffinch 6, Bullfinch 9(1).
As can be seen "AA" species were the most abundant the thrushes having not arrived in numbers.

AM manages to escape shed but not net.

Roudsea: Lottis boost the catch

17th October 2010. Present KW, JAF
48 birds processed, 4 retraps, 1 control (retraps in brackets):
 Robin 1; Long-tailed Tit 4 (+3); Treecreeper 1; Coal Tit (1); Redpoll 31 (+1 control); Reed Bunting 6.

Roudsea in October, the streets paved with gold

Kim extracts a Reed Bunting...

...and rings it

Eskmeals 9/10/2010 & 10/10/2010

Present AM, JS, CG, RG.
A total of 149 birds of 15 species were processed of which (22) were re-traps.  They were as follows: Wren 6. Dunnock  2(2), Robin  20(5), Blackbird 12(2), Song Thrush  5, Blackcap  4, Chiffchaff  4, Golcrest 4, Lotti 7 (3), Coal Tit 2, Blue Tit 23(4), Great Tit 7(1), Treecreeper  4, Chaffinch 12, Bullfinch  15(2).

Kirksanton 12/10/2010 & 14/10/2010

Present AM, RG, CG, and JS, KH (part time)

Over the two days 70 birds were caught with (13) re-traps.  They were as follows: Wren 5(1), Goldcrest 3(1), Treecreeper 1, Blackbird 9(4), Grespo 2, Song Thrush 1, Robin 5(3), Reed Bunting 3(1), Redpoll 4, Dunnock 1, Bullfinch1(1), Chaffiinch 1, Blue Tit 8(2), Linnet 4, Coal Tit 2, Lotti 6, Song Thrush 1.  

Too busy to admire the view

Just a nice shot

Net Clips ( Patent Pending )

There are many different systems on all the ways we catch, and each ringer has his own personal techniques and some ringers are constantly trying to improve on perfection. So here is yet another one born out of frustration with tangled nets. The photos. below are of clips used to re-seal plastic bags. They are of minimal cost but get the ones with a mechanical hinge not the ones that clip together by bending at the end as they will eventually break.  When held this way the net loops will not feed through each other.  When taking down a net the clip is held in the up position at all times. This will ensure that you will not have to take twists out of the net length when next putting up the net.  The net can't  twist along its length as it is put into the bag.   

The two ends of a net firmly clipped ready for bagging

The clip in positioned whilst the net is still on the pole

Inner edges cut away to allow for the North Ron. net loops extra thickness

These clips can be used as an aid when furling, to hold the furled net together along the length.  If used in this way care must be taken to ensure the net will not part open by use of the appropriate number of clips.

THIS WAS A COLIN AND KEN CO-PRODUCTION

Ken's Garden First

Present KH.

Two firsts were achieved today .  Twenty birds in a day and a Tree Sparrow.  The birds were as follows; 7 House Sparrows, 1 Tree Sparrow, 7 Blue Tits, 4 Coal Tits, 1 Dunnock.  There were no re-traps

I have never seen one in my garden in 35 years

Roudsea 10 October 2010

Present: KW, JAF
55 birds processed, 46 new (retraps in brackets): Wren 2; Robin (1); Goldcrest 1; Marsh Tit 5 (+1); Coal Tit 7 (+2); Blue Tit 21 (+4); Great Tit 9 (+1); Treecreeper 1.

Kim extended her training experience with her first Goldcrest.

Wreaks Moss 9 October 2010

Present: JAF
A short maintenance visit, 20 birds captured, 19 new (retrap in brackets):
Coal Tit 3 (+1); Blue Tit 11; Great Tit 2; Treecreeper 1; Chaffinch 2.

Redpolls at Roudsea, 7th October 2010

Present: JAF
A nice Autumn day at Roudsea Woods and Mosses, specifically to target Redpolls with tape lures.
A successful morning with 84 Redpolls captured (including 1 control) among a total of 92 birds (retraps in brackets):
Dunnock 1; Robin (1); Goldcrest 2; Blue Tit (1); Siskin 1; Redpoll 79 (+4+1); Reed Bunting 3.

Adult male Redpoll

First winter Redpoll showing clear moult limit in secondary covert tract

Next Ness - Kingfisher saves the day

4 October 2010, Present: JAF
A disappointing 15 birds processed (10 new) probably because of feeders being filled in local gardens: (retraps in brackets).
Kingfisher 1; Coal Tit 1; Blue Tit 3 (+3); Great Tit 1 (+2); Treecreeper 1; Chaffinch 3.

Kingfisher at Next Ness

Roudsea 2 October 2010

Present: JAF
94 birds processed, of which 82 new (retraps in brackets):
Meadow Pipit 2; Wren 0 (1); Robin 4; Goldcrest 1; Marsh Tit 1 (2); Coal Tit 10 (5); Blue Tit 9 (1); Great Tit 10 (3); Nuthatch 2; Chaffinch 5; Redpoll 34; Reed Bunting 4.

First-winter Robin showing clear moult limit in secondary coverts

Male Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting tail feathers