Rockits get lift off

Kev and i met at Niarbyl at 10:00am to start our colour ringing of Rock Pipits. Even though birds were about it took a good 40 minutes to catch the first one to get the project underway. The reasons for this project are as follows.

To find out about Dispersal habits of these birds

After the breeding season ends birds seem to move to small coves in numbers and winter there feeding on seaweed fly larvae. Places like Port Moore, Niarbyl, Ramsey Harbour sea defence. 

As spring start these birds disperse from these areas and breed along the high rocky cliffs and coves of the island

Also the isle of Man gets reports of the Fennoscandian subspecies littoralis as a winter visitor so hopefully we might be able to colour ring a few of these wintering migrants as well.

2 Rock Pipits colour ringed at Niarbyll this morning.

We moved on to Fenella beach car park at Peel to set up there. The birds were more obliging here with 3 more colour ringed.