Friday 31 December 2010

Last Ringing Session of 2010

Ian and I ventured onto Rawcliffe Moss this morning to have a ringing session at the feeding station. It was absolutely flat calm with only a slight mist, even though the Met Office and other assorted forecasters had forecast it to be foggy! We put the usual 120 feet of netting up and then caught and ringed very little! We processed 15 new birds as follows (recaptures in brackets):

Redwing - 1
Tree Sparrow - 2
Chaffinch - 6
Great Tit - 1 (2)
Blackbird - 3
Starling - 1
Blue Tit - (7)
Reed Bunting - (1)
Coal Tit - (1)

 Blackbird

 Coal Tit

Greenfinch

Redwing

Reed Bunting

As this was the last ringing session on Rawcliffe Moss at Moss House Farm for 2010 I have included the totals below for you to look at. A good 90% of these were ringed by Phil and Will during the Summer and Autumn; well done chaps! I intend to do some ad hoc ringing on my own at Moss House Farm next Spring and Summer as the site is close to work and I can call and have a couple of hours without getting caught up in any traffic, as I would if I stayed closer to home. Just occasionally it is nice to go out ringing on your own without having to make any arrangements with anyone and just go out on spec. Just as I do when I go out birding! But don't worry, I won't be neglecting the 'obs'!

Moss House Farm Ringing Totals 2010

Species                     Adult              Pulli                Total 2010     Grand Total
                                                                                                            (2003 - 2010)

Sparrowhawk            3                                              3                      6
Kestrel                                                4                      4                      4
Oystercatcher                                                                                    2         
Lapwing                                             4                      4                      6
Little Owl                                                                                            1
Woodpigeon                                                                                      1
Great Spotted            1                                              1                      5
Woodpecker
Skylark                       1                                              1                      6
Swallow                      6                      3                      9                      55
House Martin                                                                                     11
Tree Pipit                   9                                              9                      9
Meadow Pipit            80                                            80                    102
Pied Wagtail                                                                                      2
Wren                           13                                            13                    77
Dunnock                     22                                            22                    95
Robin                          15                                            15                    96
Stonechat                                                                                           2
Wheatear                                                                                           1
Blackbird                    25                                            25                    188
Fieldfare                     41                                            41                    69
Song Thrush              6                                              6                      31
Redwing                     46                                            46                    198
Mistle Thrush 2                                                          2                      2
Sedge Warbler          24                                            24                    44
Reed warbler             3                                              3                      6
Lesser Whitethroat   2                                              2                      11
Whitethroat                89                    10                    99                    230
Garden Warbler        2                                              2                      6
Blackcap                    7                                              7                      19
Chiffchaff                    14                                            14                    16
Willow Warbler          65                    2                      67                    155
Goldcrest                   4                                              4                      14
Long-tailed Tit           23                                            23                    84
Coal Tit                       9                                              9                      22
Blue Tit                       45                    4                      49                    205
Great Tit                     27                                            27                    95
Treecreeper               3                                              3                      8
Jay                              3                                              3                      6
Magpie                                                                                               1
Starling                       13                                            13                    44
Tree Sparrow            24                    11                    35                    584
Chaffinch                    395                                         395                 1056
Brambling                  1                                              1                      28
Greenfinch                 7                                              7                      135
Goldfinch                    86                    4                      90                    126
Siskin                         5                                              5                      5
Linnet                                                                                                  19
Lesser Redpoll          20                                            20                    33
Yellowhammer           13                                            13                    61
Reed Bunting            123                                         123                 369
Corn Bunting                                                                                      7

Totals                        1277               42                    1319               4359 

There were a number of 'Pinkies' moving around this morning and my notebook reads 615, although I think there were a lot more than this. Just to the west of where we were ringing a flock of Corvids numbering 5-600 were feeding in some stubble and were flushed when a Peregrine shot over towards them. 

As we were just in one area we only recorded 5 Corn Buntings, but interestingly there were 14 Yellowhammers which is the most so far this Winter. It was diificult estimating the number of Tree Sparrows as we were busy processing birds, but 150-200 wouldn't be far off the mark. 14 Fieldfares and 6 Skylark headed south, and on my way out I had the usual Little Owl in the usual spot. I see this bird regularly but as I am driving off the site I often forget to enter it in my notebook and consequently forget to mention it here. 

I would like to wish you all a healthy and happy New Year and I hope that 2011 is full of fantastic wildlife sightings for you. Mind you it's really been New Year since the Solstice, but we choose to go by this daft Gregorian Calendar!
 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A happy & wildlife filled new year to you too FB.

The Hairy Birder said...

Thanks Dean.

Cheers,

Seumus