This autumn has seen a big up-tick in the amount of ringing
happening within UEARG. Partially driven by the extra incentive of having two
undergraduate projects in need of active ringing, and partially due to the
arrival of two more C permit holders into the group (Stephen (Me) and Kirsty)
who have started PhDs at UEA. We now have four active C permit ringers (Jen,
Josie, Kirsty and Stephen) alongside the A permit holders, as well as a few
experienced trainees.
Two final-year undergraduate students, Holly and Abi, have
been undertaking projects looking at parasites in finches and tits
respectively. Perhaps unsurprisingly with winter ringing at feeders, we’ve had
great success at getting good numbers of faecal samples for them both.
By the end of October we were up and running with sampling
and sites on campus. We’re pretty lucky at UEA, situated on a stunning campus
with good habitat for ringing and the support of the school. We ring at two
separate sites on campus, with feeders dutifully kept topped up by Holly and Abi
at the moment. The greenhouses being the bigger site sees the larger ringing
sessions as a group, with the rabbit enclosure being used for smaller more
manageable sessions with smaller groups or when alone.
Between October 31st and December 4th,
we managed to fit in 8 sessions on 7
dates with a grand total of 562 birds
caught of 17 species. Tits make
up the bulk of our catch (71.4%), followed by finches (16.4%). The greenhouse
site and rabbit enclosure, whilst not dramatically different habitat and only
700m apart, see noticeably different catches. The greenhouse
site does much better with finch catches, whilst the rabbit enclosure seems to
do much better for coal tits. Highlighting how much location plays a part in
what you catch, even on a small scale.
Highlights for these sites over the month include jays, redwings, bullfinch, and a young male sparrowhawk.
Species catch totals between October 31st and
December 4th 2018.
Species
|
Greenhouse T(N/R)
|
Rabbit enclosure T(N/R)
|
Total (New/Retrap).
|
Blue tit
|
128 (62/66)
|
95 (81/14)
|
223 (143/80)
|
Great tit
|
88 (40/48)
|
61 (51/10)
|
149 (91/58
|
Coal tit
|
7 (3/4)
|
22 (15/7)
|
29 (18/11)
|
Goldfinch
|
32 (28/4)
|
0
|
32 (28/4)
|
Greenfinch
|
43 (39/4)
|
0
|
43 (39/4)
|
Chaffinch
|
13 (11/2)
|
2 (2/0)
|
15 (13/2)
|
Bullfinch
|
2 (2/0)
|
0
|
2 (2/0)
|
Goldcrest
|
3 (3/0)
|
0
|
3 (3/0)
|
Wren
|
4 (3/1)
|
3 (3/0)
|
7 (6/1)
|
Dunnock
|
13 (6/7)
|
2 (2/0)
|
15 (8/7)
|
Robin
|
16 (8/8)
|
3 (3/0)
|
19 (11/8)
|
Blackbird
|
14 (12/2)
|
0
|
14 (12/2)
|
Song thrush
|
2 (2/0)
|
0
|
2 (2/0)
|
Redwing
|
1 (1/0)
|
2 (2/0)
|
3 (3/0)
|
Great Spotted woodpecker
|
2 (0/2)
|
1 (1/0)
|
3 (1/2)
|
Jay
|
2 (2/0)
|
1 (1/0)
|
3 (3/0)
|
Sparrowhawk
|
0
|
1 (1/0)
|
1 (1/0)
|
Total
|
370 (222/148)
|
192 (161/31)
|
562 (383/179)
|
We do fairly well catching Jays on campus, reflecting the good numbers in the area.
Frosty mornings are more and more the norm as we move in winter. This adult male Great tit, ringed on campus in the nest, has reached a considerable size with an 81mm wing.
Redwings are always a treat. Fair numbers have been on campus this Autumn, but most have evaded our nets.
A very exciting catch, particularly for Kirsty and I for whom it was a first. A second calendar year male sparrowhawk. Retained juvenile feathers in the wing, tail, and rump the clues to its age.
