Afternoon session

A 3 hour session on campus produced 38 birds (20 retraps) with the highlights being an adult Redwing, the first of the year and a new species for Will, and a Blue Tit recaught for the first time after 3 years 9 months, originally ringed as a 5 in May 2007, therefore making the bird nearly 5 years old.

Totals:

Blackbird 2

Redwing 1

Blue Tit (6)

Great Tit 4 (10)

Long-tailed Tit 1 (2)

Chaffinch 1

Greenfinch 9 (2)

Waxwing success

After yesterdays effort, we returned today better prepared for catching the waxwings, taking with us extendable metal poles instead of bamboos. The waxwings had moved slightly from yesterday but thankfully they'd moved to Will's back garden, so no problems in relocating them. They were in the top of a tall ash in his garden and were going down to feed on a roadside bush on the next street over. Parked cars, passing traffic, high feeding waxwings, psycho-cat and numerous members of the public enquiring what we were doing made it some of the most challenging ringing we'd ever done, however we succeeded in catching 7 out of the maximum of 40 present.

Holding one 6 section pole in the road and the in the corner of someone's garden we managed to keep the net high enough for passers by to walk underneath and just about catch 7 of the 40 waxwings.

Psycho-cat : While extracting a waxwing this evil cat suddenly ran up my body and launched off my face at the waxwing, thankfully I managed to block it from the waxwing, though got a bleeding lip where its claws ripped into my face. It then tried it again and I had to pretty much throw it off my neck! A house owner thankfully new the owner and they took it inside for the rest of the time we were there. Lets hope the waxwings don't spend too much time in this area

Waxwing attempt after morning session

After a rather disappointing morning session on the university campus (except for the fine male Brambling) with just 17 birds, news of 70 Waxwings back on Stafford Street had us on the move. Unfortunately the berries in their favoured spot were too numerous (thus not concentating the waxwings into one area) and too high. However we did get close to catching up the road on a smaller bush (with about 3 pocketing before frustratingly escaping and several more bouncing...) Oh how easy it was before Christmas when they were on the rowans... Anyhow, we've got plans to get some landowner permission for a place where they'll be easier to catch tomorrow, fingers crossed!

Totals for this morning - retraps in brackets
Blackbird 1 (1)
Great Tit 2 (4)
Blue Tit 1 (5)
Long-tailed Tit 1 (1)
Brambling 1

Whitlingham Demo for RSPB Wildlife Explorers

The annual demo for the RSPB Wildlife Explorers (aka the Y.O.C.) at Whitlingham was a fairly productive morning before it was cut short at 09:45 due to rain. About 15 kids and 20 parents attended, unfortunately this year we failed to catch any straying OAP's in our mist nets.

Great Spotted Woodpecker    1     
Wren    2  
Dunnock    4  
Long-tailed Tit    5  
Marsh Tit    2  
Coal Tit    2  
Blue Tit    39 (1)  from 2009 ring demo at the same place.
Great Tit    16  
Chaffinch    9  

Total:    81

More recoveries and an afternoon session

Three more recoveries received from the BTO:

Waxwing - one of the eight ringed by UEARG at Jenny Lind Park, Norwich City centre on 10/11/2010. Found taken by cat on 24/11/2010. 0km -14 days.

Greenfinch - ringed by UEARG at UEA on 25/01/10. Found freshly dead at Antingham, Norfolk on 12/09/10. 26km - 230 days.

Willow Warbler - ringed (as a juvenile) by UEARG at Whitlingham Sewage Works on 10/07/2009. Recaught at UEA (reedbed) on 09/05/2010. 11km - 303 days.

Totals from today:

Blue Tit - 17 (13)  one retrap from 4km away (cringleford) and one from 2008
Great Tit - 7 (8) one retrap from 2008
Greenfinch - 4
Dunnock - 0 (1)
Long-tailed Tit - 2 (3)
Robin - 1

Recent Recoveries

Blue Tit - Ringed in Kelling, Norfolk. Recaught by UEARG at Waxham. 21 days - 41km.

Long-tailed Tit - Ringed in Lenwade, Norfolk (02/01/08). Recaught by UEARG at Whitlingham Sewage Works (28/08/10). 2 years 9 months - 22km.

Long-tailed Tit - Ringed by UEARG at Whitlingham Sewage Works, found dead after 80 days - 2km.

Chaffinch - Ringed in Lenwade, Norfolk (29/09/10). Recaught by UEARG on UEA Campus (02/11/10). 35 days - 14km.

Greenfinch - Ringed in Hapton, Norfolk (19/10/09). Recaught by UEARG on UEA Campus (04/02/10). 47 days - 10km.

Brambling at last... 04/02/2011

Another Friday morning session was surprising busy (48 birds) considering the strong wind. Our site, thankfully in a sheltered spot, finally produced some of the finches we've been waiting for. The morning also provided two new species for one member of the group (Brambling and Woodpigeon).

Totals for the morning (07:30 - 10:00)

Blue Tit 1 (12)
Great Tit 2 (5)
Long-tailed it (6)
Blackbird 3 (2)
Chaffinch 1
Brambling 1
Greenfinch 12 (1)
Goldfinch 1
Woodpigeon 1

Marvelous Mealy

After a brief ringing demonstration organised for the Conservation & Wildlife Society, we moved to the other side of the campus in an attempt to catch more Redpolls. In an hour we were successful in catching 4 redpolls, 3 lessers and one stunning adult male Mealy!

Great Spots and Redpolls

Started the morning at the east end of Campus with 43 birds (21 retraps). With both an adult male and adult female GSWOO's being the highlights.

Male GSWOO posing nicely, whereas the female...

Blue Tit 12 (15) 

Long-Tailed Tit 0(2) 

Wren 1 

Greenfinch 2 

Great Tit 1(4)

Greater Spotted Woodpecker 2

Robin 2

Blackbird (2) 

At about 10:00 we closed up and went around to the other side of campus to try and catch some Redpolls. We saw approx. 8 birds including 2 Mealy's and caught 3 (all lesser).

Campus Ringing 28/01/11

Another fairly busy morning at the east end of campus with .... birds being caught. .... new birds and ... retraps

Totals to come

UEA Campus ringing 21/01/11

A great morning at the East end of campus with 137 birds caught. Including 8 birds not ringed by UEARG (though same ring string so presumably from nearby)

Totals as follows with retraps in brackets

Great tit 40(15 –including 5 controls)

Blue tit 45 (16- including 3 controls)

Dunnock 4

Blackbird 7

Robin 5

Chaffinch 2

Greenfinch 2

Green woodpecker 1

Of the retraps, of interest:

7 were caught in winter 2009/10, 5 in spring summer 2009, 1 in may 2009- ringed as a pullus in a nest box, 1 ringed December 2008. All were GRETI or BLUTI.

Thanks to all involved.

New Blog 2011

Following the demise of Yahoo Groups, infact Yahoo in general, the UEA Ringing group photos and diary has now migrated into Blogger. From now on you'll be able to follow the activity of the group here.

2010 Report

Waxwing, Norwich 2010

2010 proved to be our biggest year to date - The group ringed a total of 3932 new birds and handled at total 4946, bringing the grand total of birds to just over 12000 ringed by the UEARG in its current guise. 64 species were ringed in 2010 and 79 species have been ringed by the group to date.

New species ringed in 2010 included Waxwing, Gadwall, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear and Black Headed Gull.

Wheatear, Waxham 2010

Ring Ouzel, Waxham 2010