Black Day at Eskmeals 23/01/2010

Present KH , AM , JS.

The day stared badly when it was realised that we only had 12 "C" rings and there were Fieldfares all over the site. The finding of the Black Redstart in one of the nets saved the situation. 83 birds were processed and 100+ would have been achieved if we had brought enough "C" rings.
1 Black Redstart, 12 Blackcaps, 7 Blackbirds, 7 Blue Tits, 10 Bullfinches,2 Chaffinches, 2 Coal Tits, 3 Dunnocks, 5 Fieldfares, 4 Goldcrests, 1 Goldfinch, 5 Great Tits, 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Redwing, 9 Robins, 8 Song Thrushes, 1 Wren.

Black Redstart. Photo: Jack Sheldon

This is what you can enjoy when not busy ringing at Eskmeals

Redwing. Photo: Allan Mackenzie

Redwing. Photo: Allan Mackenzie

Fieldfare. Photo: Allan MacKenzie

Fieldfare. Photo: Allan MacKenzie

Chardonneret Traps 20/01/2010

Present K H

A cold East Wind caused a change of tactics. On a wall 3 Chardonneret and a Potter Trap were placed under some feeders. The fat balls were taken off the trees and placed in the traps. Results 1 Blackbird , 8 Blue Tits , 3 Great Tits , 1 Nuthatch , 1 Chaffinch , 2 Long-tailed Tits. This method does not appear to provide many re-traps. Is this an advantage ?

Grey Day at Hay Bridge 19/01/2010

Present K H

One 12 metre net was erected for two hours by feeders covered with Siskins and Redpol, then the wind started to blow. Result Blackbird 1,Blue Tit 25, Redpol 3, Coal Tit 2, Great Tit 5 , Dunnock 1, Goldfinch 2.

Long Tom at Roudsea 17/01/2010

Present: JAF

The weather suddenly spring-like, with Marsh, Coal and Great Tits in song, I put up a net at a feeding station in the ride we call "Long Tom" (named after the very tall feeder installed there).

A good catch of 44 birds, of which 32 were new.
New birds: Wren 1; Marsh Tit 6; Coal Tit 5; Blue Tit 10; Great Tit 8; Nuthatch 1; Redpoll 1.

The six new Marsh Tits and 8 Great Tits colour-ringed were a useful addition to these two RAS projects.

Roudsea Woods and Mosses National Nature Reserve. The long scar going diagonally down to the right is a clearing for overhead grid power cables, and is an excellent habitat for butterflies in the summer

The "Long Tom" ride

First Nuthatch of the year

Pottering at the Pits

Present: JAF

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!

An adult Moorhen in the hand

Aren't I a handsome fellow?

Surprise at the Pits!

Present: JAF

Visited Askam Pits to see what was going on. Surprisingly few birds caught, only 15: 12 new and three recent local retraps.

New birds: Woodcock 1; Dunnock 1; Robin 1; Blue Tit 3; Great Tit 4; Chaffinch 2.

The birds caught were well up to weight and the tits appeared to be more interested in attacking the Alder and Larch cones than they were in indulging themselves in my rather expensive bait!

The Woodcock which 'bounced' twice before it was safe in my hands!

Birds Ringed 2009 Cumbria

The number quoted includes adults, pulli, retraps and recoveries.

1. Woodpigeon 1
2. Sparrowhawk 3
3. Oystercatcher 9
4. Ringed Plover 6
5. Mute Swan 1
6. Collard Dove 1
7. Kingfisher 1
8. Great Spotted Woodpecker 14
9. Swallow 2
10. Sand Martin 7
11. Meadow Pipit 14
12. Grey Wagtail 2
13. Dipper 1
14. Wren 84
15. Dunnock 58
16. Robin 134
17. Blackbird 74
18. Fieldfare 23
19. Song Thrush 34
20. Redwing 13
21. Sedge Warbler 2
22. Reed Warbler 2
23. Lesser Whitethroat 15
24. Whitethroat 14
25. Blackcap 53
26. Willow Warbler 42
27. Goldcrest 63
28. Spotted Flycatcher 6
29. Long-tailed Tit 40
30. Marsh Tit 38
31. Coal Tit 115
32. Blue Tit 593
33. Great Tit 325
34. Nuthatch 14
35. Treecreeper 8
36. Jay 4
37. House Sparrow 4
38. Chaffinch 125
39. Greenfinch 10
40. Goldfinch 49
41. Siskin 47
42. Redpoll sp. 109
43. Bullfinch 102
44. Reed Bunting 11
45. Tawny Owl 1
46. Pied Flycatcher 73
47. Starling 4
48. Twite 94
49. Little Tern 7
50. Artic Tern 12

Total 2465

Askam - Twite Catches in 2009

Present : JS , KH and JAF.

There were 62 new birds ringed with 30 re-traps and 1 control from Heysham. 7 of the re-traps had not been caught since 2007 and a further 5 had not been caught since spring 2008. The bird which holds a longevity record has not returned so far this winter.

Jack is ready to process a batch of birds (you can see the whoosh net in the background)

Jack's van is an ideal field station

A nice male Twite with bright pink rump

Up to 200 of these curry-coloured little birds inhabit Askam salt marsh through the winter

New Year in the Pits 03/01/2010

Present: JAF

Got the year off to a start at Askam Pits, 16 birds processed. New: Great Spotted Woodpecker 1; Wren 1; Robin 1; Blue Tit 4; Great Tit 4; Treecreeper 1; Chaffinch 2.

The retraps were 2 Coal Tits, one of which was first ringed on 2 November 2003, subsequently retrapped on 26/12/2005, and 6/12/2006.

Always pleasing to catch a Treecreeper

Askam Pits: looking west to East across the larger rectangular pit at the top of the
Google image in the post below.
Enough reedbed to support a couple of pairs of Reed and Sedge Warblers in the summer.

Askam Pits 30/12/2009

Present: JAF

A visit for ride-maintenance on a very blustery day but a net put up in thick willow carr caught 13 new birds: Sparrowhawk, 1; Blackbird 2; Goldcrest 1; Coal Tit 1; Blue Tit 7; Great Tit 1.

Askam Pits are a relic of the old iron-ore mining era of the 1800's and offer a diversity of habitats including hawthorn and bramble scrub, open water, a little reed bed, and thick willow and alder carr. Feeding station in willow carr is indicated.
Ringing with permission of Ray Steele

Feeding station in the willow carr

Roudsea Woods - behind the hut 29/12/2009

Present: JAF, ES, Josh Blanchard Lewis

38 birds processed, 5 new (Great Tit 4; Blue Tit 1); 33 local retraps.

Roudsea Woods and Mosses National Nature Reserve
The diagonal scar running through the wood is a line of power cables

Emily extracts a BlueTit

Josh processes R295207, a colour-ringed Marsh Tit from the very first cohort, ringed on 23 December 2002 (7 years almost to the day) and is the oldest known bird in the wood!

Roudsea Woods - beaten by the snow, 22/12/2009

Present: JAF

A speculative visit in which the new "Quarry Ride" was fully deployed with its chain of three sixty-footers for the first time. The weather was poor and only two birds were caught, a Wren and a female Reed Bunting.

A section of the triple-sixty-footer in Quarry Ride winds its way between the Christmas trees

Marsh Tit R736051, ringed as a first-winter on 3/12/09 is identified from the colour-rings