Easy Species to Age.

Present CG, RG, JS, and KH.  A nice number of species considering, the site is a wet broad-leafed wood.

Photographs of two species we did not debate the age of, unlike the Marsh and Coal Tits.

Part of our Ringing History.  Members will know the details. 

Marsh Tit Bycatch

Present RG, CG and KH.               Roudsea  08/02/2012

We were hoping to colour ring some Marsh Tits with no success at all . The usual suspects were caught in the usual numbers. Then our day suddenly brightened. Three Haw Finches a fourteen year gap since the last one. The first picture shows the relaxed ringers grip.  The second shows how to prevent being nipped.  You have to keep the index finger gently under the birds chin. You can see on the second photograph and I can still feel the pliers like nip that you will get if this procedure is not used. 

Marsh Tit R.A.S. in Roudsea Wood

Present KH, RG and CG.

The group has decided to continue the work that Jim Fowler had been doing over the last 6 years on  a Marsh Tit RAS in Roudsea Woods (to see location see link below).  We colour ringed 3 Marsh Tits and had the following bye-catch, re-traps in brackets.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Wren 1, Marsh Tit 3, Coal Tit 10(3), Blue Tit 10(2), Great Tit 10(2), Chaffinch 4, Greenfinch1.   

White Ring Being Placed Over Carmine - Marsh Tit.

Marsh Tit - Typical Ring Combinations

Spring arrives at Roudsesa

26 February 2011. Present: JAF.

At last some spring sunshine and reasonable temperatures. Mainly maintenance (repairing and topping up feeders ready for the start of the RAS season next week), but a few birds caught (additional retraps/resightings in brackets): Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (+1); Blue Tit 3 (+6); Great Tit (3); Marsh Tit 1 (+5).

The warmer weather brought out these little fellows 

making their way to spawning sites

pre-Rassing Starts at Roudsea

3 March 2011
Present: JAF, KW

February marks the start of pre-Rassing the Marsh Tits, now in its 10th year. The season starts officially on 1st March but February is the month for attempting to catch and colour-ring any remaining juveniles from last summer, locating and repairing feeders, and generally trying to find which birds are on territory which will facilitate locating them later.

39 birds were processed, 6 new. These included 1 new Marsh Tit, 3 retraps and two field sightings (additional retraps in brackets): Marsh Tit 1 (+5); Coal Tit 1 (+6); Blue Tit 1 (+11); Great Tit 1 (+11); Treecreeper (1); Chaffinch 1.

A plank nailed to a fallen log makes a suitable field station

(I think Kim might have just been bitten by that Great Tit)

Kim colour-rings a Marsh Tit

First visit to Roudsea, 2011

8th January 2011 Present JAF, KW
34 birds processed, 19 new (retraps in brackets): Blackbird 1; Long-tailed Tit 1 (+6); Marsh Tit 2 (+1); Coal Tit 2 (+3); Blue Tit 8 (+2); Great Tit 5 (+3).

Kim gets her pliers into action in 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

Roudsea 15.5.2010

Present: JAF, KW.
We had 2 x (3 x 60ft) nets in the scrub along quarry ride.
18 birds processed (retraps in brackets): Tree Pipit 2; Dunnock 1; Garden Warbler 3; Chiffchaff 1 (1); Willow Warbler 1 (1); Coal Tit 0 (1); Great Tit 1; Treecreeper 3; Redpoll 2; Bullfinch 1.

The 3 Treecreepers were our first 3Js of the year and caught together, evidently belonging to the same brood.

Kim  extends her ringing training experience with her first Tree Pipit

Tawny Owl, Roudsea

May 5th 2010. Present: JAF, KH

Ken is about to release a Tawny Owl as he extends his ringing experience into the Strigidae

The first Acros at Roudsea

May 3rd 2010.
Present: JAF, KW.

15 birds processed (retraps in brackets):
 Song Thrush 1 (0); Sedge Warbler 3 (0); Reed Warbler 1 (2); Blue Tit 4 (2); Chaffinch 1 (0); Reed Buntng 0 (1).

Roudsea Woods and Mosses NNR has a fringe of Phragmites bed skirting the southern side, along the Leven Estuary which provides a habitat for a few pairs of Acrocephalus warblers, and offers a diversion from ringing tits at feeders.

Kim extends her ringing training experience* with her first Reed Bunting 

(also with Reed and Sedge warblers)

(*Note how we assiduously avoid using the expression "ringing tick"!)

Roudsea - Australian assistance

This morning's visit to Roudsea was with Australian friend Simon Cotter on a birding visit to England over Easter. We ringed down near the marsh and processed just 14 birds: 9 new, 4 local retraps and 1 Blue Tit control (recaptures in brackets): Blue Tit 1 (4); Great Tit 1 (1); Coal Tit 1 (0); Robin 1 (0); Treecreeper 1 (0); Chaffinch 2 (0); Reed Bunting 2 (0).

Simon at the ringing station at Roudsea Woods and Mosses National Nature Reserve

Simon seems pleased with his Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting

Roudsea Woods - Rassing 7 March 2010

Present: JAF, JH

A good start with four Marsh Tits until bright sunshine reached the net and curtailed further catching.

18 birds processed, 8 new, 10 local retraps (retraps in brackets):

Marsh Tit 1 (3); Coal Tit 2 (0); Blue Tit 5 (3); Great Tit 0 (4).

Jenny sits on the log and processes a Blue Tit

Roudsea Woods - Rassing Update 3-5 March 2010

Present: JAF, KH, KW

Visits to Roudsea on three consecutive days, processed 117 birds of which 36 new and 81 local retraps (retraps in brackets):

Great Spotted Woodpecker 0 (2); Robin 2 (0); Blackbird 2 (0); Marsh Tit 1 (21); Coal Tit 3 (5); Blue Tit 19 (28); Great Tit 7 (23); Nuthatch 0 (2); Chaffinch 1 (0).

By 5th March, we have accounted already for 42 Marsh Tits, 17 recaptures (or re-sightings) from previous RAS seasons, and 25 "new entries" into the RAS population.

Kim processes a Blackbird at Roudsea Woods and Mosses NNR