Waxham ringing - 20/4/11

Finally the winds had dropped at the coast and a 3am start from Norwich had us almost set up by daybreak... A fairly steady morning with a couple of highlights - 2cy male redstart and a spring trapped 2cy male wheatear. Also of interest was this presumed continental robin.

Presumed continental Robin (right)

Presumed continental Robin (left)

Total  26 new (18 retraps)

Dunnock 1 (1)
Robin 3 (1)
Redstart 1
Wheatear 1
Song Thrush 2
Blackcap 3
Whitethroat 4 (1)
Willow Warbler 3 (7)
Chiffchaff 1
Wren 1 (3)
Great Tit (2)
Blue Tit 1

Long-tailed Tit (1)
Goldfinch 1
Bullfinch 1 (1)
Reed Bunting 3 (1)

A better Sand Martin catch (5 controls + REEBU control!!!)

On Saturday night Iain and a few of the ringing group arranged to meet up to have a larger and more prepared attempt at the Sand Martin roost down in the UEA reedbed. They put nets up in all 3 areas where we have seen them go to roost and were successful catching 42 new Sand Martins and 5 controls! They also caught 2 new Reed Buntings and 1 control! and 2 long-taild Tits. (Photos stolen from Karl's facebook, hope you dont mind Karl...)

Controls were as follows:

Sand Martin

L435188
X118157
X118199
X118261
V506471 (caught last week)

Reed Bunting

T385217

Surprise Sand Martin catch - including control V506471

Control Sand Martin V506471, UEA 13/04/2011

So, popped down the UEA marsh with Will this evening to move some net poles to the reedbed in preparation for some warbler catches and hopefully some roosting sand martins in the weeks to come. There were actually quite a few sedges warblers in and a few reed bunts kicking around so I ran back to the car and grabbed a couple of nets and the ringing gear. Just as we finished setting up, ringed a sedgie, then noticed a small flock of sand martins - great they're in. Stuck on the tape and over the next 20 mins the flock grew to 300 strong! We caught a measly 17 birds out of the 300 (I say measly but its the most we've caught on campus in the last 5 years I think). Also one was a control V506471.


Myself and Iain also ringed a nest of 4 Blackbird chicks this morning as well as finding a further 4 Blackbird nests, 1 robin nest (2 day old chicks) and 2 Song Thrush (1 eggs, 1 young chicks).

Waxham ringing - quality rather than quantity

With much thanks to the landowner we were granted permission to stay over camping at our ringing site at Waxham last night, which made things a lot easier than leaving Norwich at 3am and setting up in the dark. As it happened the evening & morning ringing didn't provide large numbers but the quality made it worthwhile. The 4 retrap Willow warblers (presumably from last spring though I haven't checked (could be autumn)) are also great as I'm informed they're are uncommon to get as retraps.

Evening Total - 8 new (7 retraps)

Tawny Owl 1
White Wagtail 2 - First for UEARG
Wren (1)
Willow Warbler 2 (2)
Long-tailed Tit 2 (1)

Great Tit (3)

Blue Tit 1

Morning Total - 9 new (7 retrap)

Wood Pigeon 1

Meadow Pipit 1

Stonechat 1 - First for UEARG

Robin (1)

Dunnock 1 (1)

Blackcap 2

Willow Warbler 1 (4)

Great Tit 1

Chaffinch 1

Bullfinch (1)

Meadow pipit - A long awaited first for me...

A few recent campus sessions

Just for Iain, yes its another photo of a Brambling... 

Lack of recent updates due to work - now being resolved in one long list, sorry

06/04/2011 Total 5 new (3 retraps)

Blue Tit (1)
Great Tit (2)
Brambling 4
Greenfinch 1

04/04/2011 Total 20 new (10 retraps)

Wood Pigeon 1

Dunnock (2)

Robin 1 (1)

Blackbird 1

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 1

Coal Tit (1)

Blue Tit 2

Great Tit (5)

Chaffinch 1 (1)

Brambling 1

Greenfinch 11

29/03/2011  Total 14 new (8 retraps)

Dunnock (1)

Blue Tit 1 (2)

Great Tit (5)

Brambling 1

Greenfinch 3

Goldfinch 1

Siskin 5