With the weather not suitable for mist-netting I thought I'd try my luck with a couple of Potter traps at Askam Pits, targeting the Moorhens, well fed by the landowner.
Two traps - two Moorhens. Well, what do you expect - Fowler is my name!
01229 Ringing Group is an alliance of bird ringers and helpers operating roughly within the 01229 telephone dial code region. This extends from about Haverthwaite in the east through to Walney in the west and Eskmeals (near Ravenglass) in the north. We operate an exclusion zone of 5km from Walney Bird Observatory at the south end of Walney Island. This is not a formal BTO Ringing Group.
One of the main research projects undertaken by the 01229 R.G. is a Retrapping Adults for Survival (R.A.S.) study of Marsh Tits. This long-term study began in 2002 in Roudsea Woods and Mosses NNR. To date, some 237 Marsh Tits have been colour ringed.
The overwintering survival of Marsh Tits in successive winters since 2002-03 is: 0.55; 0.73; 0.62; 0.59; 0.58; 0.67; giving a "mean survival" of 0.62 (62%). This suggests that the Marsh Tit has the highest overwinter survival rate of all the British Tits.
For more information about RAS please, please see here.
Marsh Tit (Photo by KH)
Colour-ringed Marsh Tit (Photo JAF)
Twite Research (Colour Ringing)
As part of a B.T.O. initiative, members of the group have taken part in a nationwide study of Twite to provide answers about why they are in decline, and to relate breeding and wintering areas. Birds are caught by whoosh net, mainly at Askam-in-Furness, and the numbers ringed each year are: 2004 (78); 2005 (126); 2006 (47); 2007 (81); 2008 (36).
An adult male originally caught on 26/02/04 was re-trapped on 12/11/08 and became the oldest Twite on record. This has been now surpassed by 12 months
Twite - the bird on the left is colour-ringed. (Photo by KH)
Bullfinch Survival Study
Another of our research projects undertaken by the 01229 R.G. is a Retrapping Adults for Survival (R.A.S.) study of Bullfinch. This will be long-term study in Eskmeals Gun Range.
It does not appear to be a potential success, but we will see.
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