CALLING ALL RINGERS
South East Ringers' Conference at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory:
April 5th 2025 09.30 -17.00
Admission is by ticket only please use this link: https://buytickets.at/sandwichbaybirdobservatory/1582702
Talks will include Waders, Nightingales, Motus, Trapping methods, Turtle Doves
Raffle to win a pair of binoculars kindly donated by In Focus.
Friday 28th
Breezier than forecast but that did keep the frost away and was not strong enough to stop some of the nets. Once again there were a few migrant thrushes and Chaffinches around as we set up but they left first light. Fourteen birds were caught of which six were new. The new birds were three Chaffinches, and singles of Blue Tit, Great Tit and House Sparrow. A sign of approaching spring is that some of the birds are starting to develop either a cloacal protuberance (males) or a brood patch
Wednesday 26th
The mild spell did not last long and with a clear sky plus only a gentle breeze there was a frost this morning. The first round sounded quite promising with Chaffinches, tits and a few Blackbirds around. It yielded a new Chiffchaff and Blue Tit plus a retrap of a Blackbird we have caught each winter since 2021. Sadly that was it. With the threat of strong wind and rain by late morning the nets came down.
Sunday 23rd
A bit of a drop in wind for a couple of hours meant a few nets could be put up. Six birds were ringed - three Chaffinches, a Robin and two Blackbirds. It would seem that birds are starting to trickle back north.
Friday 21st
Wind continues to dominate the weather. It might be much milder but ringing is not possible. Today we put up the Woodstone nest boxes, given to us by CJWildlife at a favourable rate, in the Middle Field and re-fixing the wooden boxes along Guilford Road.
Sunday 16th
Cold and breezy but a few nets were tried. Five birds were caught of which the only new one was a Fieldfare. The retraps were a Blackbird, a Blue Tit and two Robins.
Whilst the weather might not be suitable for ringing it is well worth watching out for colour-ringed birds. Whilst helping with the Thanet wader count yesterday I noticed two colour-ringed Sanderlings in Margate Harbour. They were easy to watch as the high tide had them all in one corner feeding on seaweed. I have already heard back about one which had been ringed on Sanday in the Orkneys. It has not been reported since and so had it just appeared in the harbour (unlikely) or has it been wintering there and just not been reported?
Friday 14th
The breeze was fresher and cooler than expected but the lower net of each set could be put up. There was not much around and seven birds were caught - retraps of Chaffinch, two Dunnocks, two Robins and a Wren plus a new Dunnock.
Wednesday's Sparrowhawk. Notice the heart-shaped marks on the lower chest confirming it is a bird which fledged last year.
Wednesday 12th
Overcast and reasonably calm conditions meant we could get out for the second time this month and do the last BTO winter project visit.
We caught 27 birds. Although only three were new this is good for the project which is hoping for retraps as it is looking at winter survival.
One of the new birds was an impressive female Sparrowhawk. We were at the net at the right time as she shot around the corner and into the net. Quite often they then get out but we were able to make sure she was caught.
Five of the retraps were Blackbirds which was good as we are part of a national study of their survival and all these birds had been caught last autumn (and two first ringed the previous winter). Despite colour ringing more than 50 nobody has seen one in the field.