Eyed Hawk Moth found when cutting rides

                                                                                                                           Photograph Rosalyn Gay

Record catch at Next Ness

13th August 2010
Present: KH, JAF
67 Birds processed, 65 new (retraps in brackets): Wren 1; Dunnock 2; Blackbird 1; Chiffchaff 3; Coal Tit 2; Blue Tit 31 (1); Great Tit 19 (1); Treecreeper (1); Chaffinch 6.
This represents the largest catch by far at this ringing site.

This juvenile Chaffinch undergoing post-juvenile moult has enough pink breast feathers 

growing thorough to be able to sex it as male

You can see more pictures and information about our Next Ness site here.

Siskin at Roudsea

12  August 2010
Present: JAF
30 birds processed (retraps in brackets): Marsh Tit: 1 (2); Coal Tit 6; Blue Tit 6 (1); Great Tit 8 (1); Nuthatch 1; Siskin 1; Redpoll 3.

This crazy young Siskin was attracted to a Redpoll tape!

This handsome male Redpoll was among the three that were caught

Growth bars at Askam Park

Present ES, JAF; 8 August 2010
Just eight birds processed before the kids got up and start playing in the park.
Blackbird 3; Dunnock 1; Robin 1; Chaffinch 1; House Sparrow 2.

Here are more pictures of Askam Park

Emily has to watch her head as she rings a Blackbird under the tailgate of my X-trail

This juvenile House Sparrow displays a conspicuous growth bar in the tail. 

Evidently there was a period of curtailed growth - perhaps during heavy rain

Getting into moult at Roudsea

4th August 2010
Present: KW and JAF
We erected 5 x 18m and 2 x 12m nets, one at a baited site.
We processed 32 birds of which 6 were retraps (in brackets) : Great Spotted Woodpecker (1); Wren 1; Robin 1; Blackcap 2; Chiffchaff (1); Willow Warbler 3; Marsh Tit 3; Coal Tit 3; Blue Tit 4 (1); Great Tit 4 (3); Redpoll 5.

A single black feather in the crown is sufficient to sex this juvenile Blackcap as a male

Kim undertakes her first primary moult score with this Great Tit

A rather moth-eaten looking adult Blackcap in active primary moult (three feathers in the centre are growing)

Friday Night Saturday Morning

Date 23/24/07/2010.  Present:  RG; CG; AM; JS and KH.

There were twenty species ringed and one-hundred and fifteen birds processed. They were as follows,( re-traps).   Wren 3(1),  Swallow 2, Dunnock 8, Robin 14(1), Blackbird 6, Song Thrush 1, Lesser Whitethroat 4, Whitethroat 4, Blackcap 7(1), Chiffchaff 10(1), Willow Warbler 9(1), Goldcrest 7, Long-tailed Tit 1, Coal Tit 5, Blue Tit 5(1), Great Tit 11(1), Jay 1, Chaffinch 2, Redpoll 4, Bullfinch 3.

As would be expected over 100 of the birds were aged "3" or "3J"

Below is a photo. of something that caused a minor diversion from ringing.  As ringers, some of the party, regard these as simply exotic bird food.

Brown-tailed Moth

Photograph A.M.

Dunnock admiring Colin.  Sorry Colin no room for photo. of you admiring the Dunnock

Final Foulney Figures

Present JS and KH.
The Foulney pullus ringing season lasts only 4 weeks and here are the final figures.
Little Tern 4, Ringed Plover 16, Attic Tern 20 and Oystercatcher 10. The number of birds fledged was considerably higher for all species than those ringed with Ringed Plover and Little Tern doing particularly well.  David this years warden was very dedicated and well done the rest of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust team.

Seaside Visit 30/06/2010

Present KH, JS and MW.
The following pullus were ringed. Oystercatcher 1, Artic Tern 10, Ringed Plover 8, Little Tern 2.
The Ringed Plover and Oystercatchers over the years have evolved faster sprinting speeds.  To counter this the net below has been developed and patented.

Maynall's back-hand cross beach stroke was that fast we were unable to take photographs so these stills will have to suffice

Among the 3Js at Roudsea

Present JAF; KH.

Our first significant catch of juveniles this year. A totals of 18 birds were captured (retraps in brackets): Wren 1 (1); Robin 6 (0); Blackbird 1 (0); Willow Warbler 2 (0); Marsh tit 1 (0); Great Tit 0 (1); Redpoll 2 (0).

Roudsea Wood on a June morning

Ken extracts a Blackcap

A 3J Robin is nicely enmeshed

Our first juvenile Marsh Tit of the year receives its colour rings for the RAS project

Waders at Priory Point (Morecambe Bay)

Present JS, AM, RG, CG and KH date 28/05/2010

A last minute assembly was called by the Master of Arms as an opportunity to catch some late migrant waders presented itself.

A mixed flock of these had been located

One Hundred and Thirty -eight of these were caught and processed. One of which was a re-trap from the same beach two years earlier. Another was a BTO control along with a control with a Belgium ring.

Sixty - three of these were processed.One control was made which had a French ring.

All these photographs were taken on the actual beach where the birds were caught prior to the tide pushing them up to the shingle area higher up the beach.

Eskmeals May Totals

Present; AM, JS, RG, CG and KH.

A  total of 103 birds were processed. The following are the species ringed with (retraps).  Wren 5(3). Dunnock 4(6), Robin 5(4), Blackbird 6(1), Song Thrush 2, Lesser Whitethroat 7(2), Whitethroat 2. Blackcap 12(2), Chiffchaff 1(3), Willow Warbler 12(5), Goldcrest 2(1), Long-tailed Tit (1), Blue Tit (1), Great Tit 1(2) Chaffinch 2, Goldfinch2, Redpoll 2, Bullfinch 2(1)
The photograph below shows what else can be seen at Eskmeals and was the reward for some ride clearance work.  Cumbria is on its Northern edge with only one record for Scotland

EYED HAWKMOTH

Two Saturdays in May

Present J.S. : A.M. ; C.G. ; R.G. and K.H. The following birds were processed,(retraps) on two typical  Saturdays in May. Wren 4(3), Dunnock 2(4), Robin 4(2), Blackbird 2, Lesser Whitethroat 5(2), Blackcap 8(2), Chiffchaff 1(3), Willow Warbler 10(5), Goldcrest 2(1), Coal Tit 2(1), Blue Tit  (1), Great Tit1(2), Chaffinch 2, Goldfinch 2, Redpoll 2, Bullfinch 1. The two retrapped  Lesser Whitethroats were returning birds ,but the two retrapped  Blackcaps had been caught earlier in this year