Tuesday 2 February 2010

Brief Update From The Moss

It was a very quick 'splash and dash' in the rain today. It was pleasing to note that Tree Sparrow numbers had crept back up to 140, but Yellowhammers were down at only five. After I had put the feed out I noticed a male Sparrowhawk flying low over the field in front of Curlew Wood. It perched up on a fence post in front of the hedge at the feeding station. Obviously it was a regular visitor and probably looking for a mid-morning Tree sparrow sized snack! It was only about 25 metres from me, but seemed totally unaware of my presence or completely unbothered. After a couple of minutes it dropped off the fence post and shot through the hedge. Aren't sparrowhawks brilliant!


When I got home from work today there were a few recoveries and controls from the BTO. An interesting one was a Goldfinch ringed at Chilworth, Surrey on 27th January 2009 that Phil controlled in his Stalmine garden on 26th October 2009. One can only speculate that it was a bird whose natal area was in the north of England and it was wintering in southeast. When caught in Surrey in Jan 2009 it was aged as a 5, which means that it was born in the previous calendar year to ringing i.e. 2008. This would support this speculation. See below.

Goldfnich Control

We also received a late notification of a Sand Martin control (see below). This bird was ringed at La Croix-sur-Ourcq, Alsne, France on 28th July 2001 as a juvenile and we controlled at a colony at Myerscough Quarry on 14th July 2002 as an adult male. It is likely that this bird was hatched at a colony in the northwest of England and was caught as it headed south.

Sand Martin Movement

The other interesting report was a Reed Bunting that I ringed at Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park on 5th October 2009 and this bird was re-caught at Heysham Bird Observatory on 12th October 2009.

Reed Bunting Movement

5 comments:

Ghost of Stringer said...

I had a summer goldfinch (found injured) in Lancs, that was ringed in south Lincs the previous spring.

BTO guy seemed to think that many goldfinches from the north west disperse further east and south during winter...

The Hairy Birder said...

I think the BTO guy could be right there G.

Ghost of Stringer said...

Thanks Peter, full marks for such a useful and relevant comment ! I can rest easy now I know how to spike out pigeons !!

...... "catch the pigeon.... catch the pigeon..... MUTTLEY !!!"

Pete Marsh said...

Hello Gary
Sorry to use your site for this Seamus - thanks for the Reed Bunting info - it didnt appear in our last batch yesterday but it can now creep into the imminent hey Obs report.

Gary - You are now descibed as the 'Billy Connolly of birding'! See LDBWS thread

I cant remember without delving but could I please have the details of the Goldfinch if you still have them for the county ringing report. Thanks very much

Both of you run excellent blogs, notably re-dogs. I have an article on my desk which suggests 'doggy pits stops' [their wording] (with a daily refill of winalot etc.) as a strategy for nature reserves along with creating little round ponds at the side of the path they can bathe in with a ramp for the more arthritic mutts

Ghost of Stringer said...

Hi Pete

Billy Connolly eh.... I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment ?!!

If people don't like the occasional outbursts of expression on my blog then they don’t have to read it do they, its that simple....I'm not forcing anyone to read it !!

Re- the goldfinch, a farmer found it at Veepings Farm (Nr Champion Pool) way back in 2005 or something, I just called Mark Grantham at the BTO for them, he told me over the phone it had been ringed in south Lincs.... sorry I can’t remember anymore than that....