Great hour out with Kev this evening
Birds ringed
2 Turnstone
1 Dunlin
and a new bird for me
a Sanderling
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| Biometrics being taken |
Machrihanish Twite still here
I went back to the Point of Ayre this morning looking for Wheatears from 2 hours spent none seen.
I drove down to the woosh net site and 15 Twite were feeding so i thought might as well set up and see what a can get. 9 birds in the first catch 3 Twite retraps from January and 1of the Machrihanish controls
i caught in December. 2 Linnet retraps 1 ringed in November 1 ringed in March and 3 new Linnets.
Chris from Manx Birdlife turned up to do his survey of the gravel pits, we had a quick chat and off he went.
When Chris returned i had just caught another 5 so he grabbed the pliers and processed the birds.
3 more new Linnets 1 retrap from December and another retrap Twite from January.
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| Machrihanish Twite |
SPRING'S SPRUNG. THE NIGHTINGALES HAVE ARRIVED!
Didn't take them long. The first got to Spain on 21 March and only four days later, on 25 March, we had the first report of a Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) in Extremadura. This harbinger of spring turned up in Villanueva de la Vera. As usual it was Dave Langlois who enjoyed the privilege of hearing the first one. On the next day there were five birds in the same area and Nightingale was heard in Monfragüe (M. García del Rey), in Badajoz (J. C. Paniagua) and in Mérida (S. Fletcher).No better way of celebrating the event than sharing in this blog the masterful message sent by Dave Langlois to the Goce birdwatching forum.
"The great soloist has arrived! Not for him the Blackbird's wimpy readiness to blend in his beauty with his peers or the lesser choristers. His style is standout or nothing, grabbing centre stage by voice alone. Eye-catching plumage he looks down on as a lowly ploy like plastic surgery, clutched at by those born without his divine right to rule by vocal prowess. Every single one of his phrases demands the attention of any living being who is not brain-dead. And if this one doesn't turn you on sunshine, he seems to say, try this one for size . . . or this one . . . or this one . . . or this one . . . because every one's different and there are plenty more where those came from. Listen! Marvel at the number of notes that can be packed into one second or the length of time a single note can be drawn out to. "I will show you fear in a handful of dust," said T.S. Eliot; well I'll show you bliss in a bunch of crochets.
Truth be told, this morning's Nightingale was still a bit travel weary. But be it known, he told me, that this is just a passing thing and in no way a slackening of his indomitable will power. Just give him a bit of time to shake off the dust of the road and then - pin back your ears! Two months of daily acoustic miracles await us, my friends. Are you up for it?" [by Dave Langlois]
Spring has sprung
I spent a couple hours up at the Point of Ayre this afternoon.
1 Female Stonechat ringed
and
1 Female Wheatear ringed
Spotless Crake at SOP
After the BASNA AGM at Sydney Olympic Park yesterday I headed down to Triangle Pond, near the waterbird refuge. The water levels had been low a few weeks ago and others had seen the resident Spotless Crake, so I was hoping to duplicate this and maybe add on a Lewin's Rail. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain last weekend, the water had risen, and a motorbiker was practising his turns up and down the straight behind the pond. Surprisinly, the Spotless Crake did come to the edge of the papayrus and allow me a good look :) Fantastic end to the day (but the Lewin's Rail still eludes me...)
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Linnets hit 500
On Wednesday i met up with Kev, all day was spent at a few sites hoping for some Rock Pipits before they all disperse, when we set up it looked like they already had. We also had a couple of birds bouncing out the nets to our disappointment
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| I can see the net |
1 Chough above looking at what it has just flopped out of
also a Ringed Plover bounced, we did manage to ring 1 Mute Swan Castletown
This week 33 new Linnets were ringed at the Point of Ayre with 3 retraps 2 from 24/08/2010 and 1 from January this year. This brings the total for new Linnets i have ringed since August to just over 500. Also a Twite retrap from January this year, a few are still coming into seed with the Linnets
This morning was spent at the reed bed site, only two hours with one 60ft net up and
8 new birds ringed
4 Chaffinch
2 Goldfinch
1 Gt Tit
1 Female Reed Bunting
West Yorkshire to the isle of Man
We moved here a year ago last weekend from the west side of Calderdale to the Isle of Man.
While i was in Calderdale i was involved with the Calderdale Bird Conservation Group.
A big part of there work is trying to look after Raptors that breed on the Moors around Halifax.
A lot of Raptor persecution goes on with nests being robbed and birds being poisoned.
CBCG has invested in cameras for nests and even tries to get the nestlings ringed.
I was checking out the Isle of Man ringing data on the BTO website last night and was
amazed to see that the remains of a raptor was found on the Calf of Man on the 12 October 2010
by the warden.
The ring number was sent to the BTO with species unknown
They came back with
Female Peregrine ringed as a chick on 06/06/2007
in,
wait for it
Calderdale about 6 miles from where i used to live and know the site very well.
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| Juvenile Peregrines at nest site in West Yorkshire pictures taken with a schedule 1 photo licence |
Shame about the state of the bird but a good bit of movement
WHY DO BLACK KITES ADORN THEIR NESTS?
Together with the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is Extremadura's commonest diurnal raptor. The only count ever conducted, back in 2005, threw up an estimate of 3000 pairs in the region, the lion's share in the province of Cáceres (1600-2.000 pairs) and the rest in Badajoz. To this figure must be added about 4700 non-breeding birds and the young that fly each year. There are therefore many Black Kite nests in Extremadura. These birds have a well-known habit of bringing the most varied range of trinkets to add to the nesting material, both natural (fish bones, eggshells) and artificial (pieces of plastic and metal). Up to now no one has come up with an explanation for this behaviour. But now a team of researchers from Doñana Biological Station (Higher Board of Scientific Research: CSIC in Spanish initials) have provided the answer in an article published in the prestigious review Science. They do so to show off their physical prowess. Birds in their physical prime (10-12 years of age) adorn their nests more than the younger, less expert birds or the older birds. This warns off their neighbours and avoids many physical conflicts, rather like the coloured belt system in martial arts. No one tackles a black belt. When more objects were experimentally added to the nests, the mature birds kept them but the younger and older birds got rid of them to avoid giving a show of more physical strength than they actually possessed. Another curiosity is their preference for white plastic as adornment, found in 90% of the nests. The study is based on fieldwork in Doñana involving over 150 nests of ringed Black Kites with known ages.
Photo. From left to right: nest of a 3-year old Black Kite, nest of an 11-year old bird and nest of a 22-year old bird. Photographs: F. Sergio, published on the CSIC website.- Sergio, F.; J. Blas; G. Blanco; A. Tanferna; L. López; J. A. Lemus; F. Hiraldo (2011). Raptor nest decorations are a reliable threat against conspecifics. Science 331: 327-330 [abstract].
- Palomino, D. 2006. El milano negro en España. I censo nacional (2005). SEO/BirdLife. Madrid. [PDF]
First day of spring
I was out with Kev this morning up at the Point of Ayre. 1 Meadow Pipit ringed . Not a finch on the seed at the woosh net site in 4 hours. But a cracking Male Wheatear turned up for an hour my first one this year.
Better order some more meal worms.
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| cracking photo by Kev Scott |
This week
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| Male Linnets now showing breeding colours |
at the Point of Ayre on Monday. I had not been feeding for the last 4 weeks as i had spent a lot of time with nothing coming in at all , so i shot up there on Wednesday and put a load of seed down.
Yesterday
25 birds caught
20 new Linnets and 2 Retraps 1 from August 2010
1 Goldfinch
2 Retrap Twite from January
Today
12 Birds caught
5 New Linnets
2 new Twite 2 retraps 1 from January 1 from December 2010
1 Goldfinch
and
2 Meadow Pipits
SOCIABLE LAPWING IN LA SERENA
Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius), winter plumage (source: IBC-Lynx).On 13 March 2011, Rodney Smith reported a Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) sighting on the reservoir birds website. The bird was seen in Castuera (La Serena, Badajoz) alongside the BA-35 road between km 20 and 21.
The Sociable Lapwing is a rare vagrant in Spain. Not only that but it is also classed as "Critically Threatened" (CR) due to plummeting numbers recently, a category including the 190 species with the most critical conservation status worldwide. This makes it an even juicier tidbit for twitchers. It is estimated that only 11,000 adult birds remain in the whole world, breeding on the central Asian steppes and wintering from Sudan to India. To get a better idea of the problem besetting the bird, BirdLife is now conducting a conservation programme including satellite tracking of several individuals.
This rare plover seems to winter regularly on the Iberian Peninsula. There are sightings ranging in time from 21 September to 18 April. Up to 2008 41 records had been accepted from Spain and 8 in Portugal. They are always one-offs, normally a fellow traveller in flocks of the abundant Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). The last rarities report (2008) mentioned four birds in Spain. In the winter 2008-2009 there were at least four sightings. In winter 2009-2010 five more turned up. These sightings are widely scattered (Gerona, Le¾n, Valladolid, Soria, Zaragoza, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Badajoz and Seville in 2008-2010), the birds sometimes staying for a long time, up to four months, in the same spot. Curiously enough, this Badajoz sighting seems to be the only one in winter 2010-2011. According to the study of De Juana (2006), in France it turns up above all on spring and autumn passage, in northwest Iberia in both winter and on passage and in southwest Iberia mainly in winter. It therefore seems to be a true winter visitor in Spain, turning up after its arduous journey in very small numbers due to its low population worldwide.
This is the third sighting for Extremadura. The first was a bird seen from 19/02/04 to 4/03/04 in Mirandilla (Badajoz), initially in winter plumage and then moulting into its spring plumage during its stay (F. Prieto, J. Ledo and J. M. Benítez; accepted record). The second was a bird present on 03/11/09 in Los Canchales reservoir (Badajoz, J. M. Salazar); pending acceptance by the rarities committee (if a description was even sent in).
Sources:
- De Juana, E. 2006. Aves raras de España. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
- Catry, P., Costa, H., Elias, G. and Matias, R. 2010. Aves de Portugal. Ornitologia do territorio continental. Assirio & Alvim. Lisbon.
- CR-SEO (Rarities Committee of the SEO). 2010. Observaciones de aves raras en España, 2008. Ardeola 57(2).
March Sydney Pelagic
Leaving home bright and early to board the Halicat, we got into open ocean around 8:00. Very light winds and almost no swell made for a great cruise, but this weather isn't as good for birding. A couple of WEDGE-TAILED and FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS made passes as we motored out to the shelf. At one point we stopped and started putting out some berly, which attracted a GREAT-WINGED PETREL and the highlight of the day (IMO), a single POMARINE JAEGAR. Two brief views of Providence Petrels, a Wandering Albatross and a HUTTON'S SHEARWATER where pretty much the only different sea birds we saw for the day. While the trip lacked birds, sea monsters were abundant. 3 species of dolphin (Common, Bottlenose and Risso's), as well as a Sunfish and various fish species were all viewed.
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Yellow Hammers isle of Man
I bought a new camera body the other day the Canon EOS 5D MK2
A 21.1 Full frame sensor and HD video as well so took it out
yesterday and had a play well pleased so far
Port Lewaigue/Dog Mills
I went down to Port Lewaigue on Sunday. The weather was great no wind so i put two 60ft nets up.
Being only half a mile from my house Niki walked down and met me with a bacon bap and flask of coffee
and took over the scribing
24 Birds caught
New birds
2 Gt Tits
5 Blue Tits
3 Long Tailed Tit
5 Chaffinch
1 Coal Tit
2 Dunnock
1 Greenfinch
1 Goldfinch
4 Retraps
1 Gt Tit first ringed 12/05/2010
2 Blue Tits 26/04/2010 and 30/08/2010
1 Chaffinch first ringed 10/04/2010
Monday i was back at Dogmills very quite only 7 birds ringed
4 Goldfinch
1 Song Thrush
1 House Sparrow
1 Robin
FEBRUARY 2011: Notable Bird Sightings in Extremadura
Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata). Male. Óscar J. González.A list of the most notable records sent to the GOCE forum in February 2011 (compiled by Sergio Mayordomo). (Click here for backdated months).
- White-Fronted Goose: the young bird seen in January at Portaje Reservoir (Cáceres) was still there on 1/02 and 12/02 (Sergio Mayordomo). One bird at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) on 7/02 (Martin Kelsey) and 2 adults and 2 juveniles on 11/02 (Godfried Schreur, M. Kelsey, Tim Appleton).
- Egyptian Goose: 2 birds at Casas de Hitos, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) on 4/02 (Steve Fletcher), 9 on 6/02 (Colin Jewitt and Merilyn Jewitt) and 8 on 12/02 (Alicia Ortega, Andrés Maestre, Jesús Solana and Raúl Urquiaga). Two at Dehesa Boyal de Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres) on 8/02 (Pedro Gómez). One at Huélaga (Cáceres) on 19/02 (César Clemente).
- Shelduck: 22 at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz on 11/02 (G. Schreur, M. Kelsey et al) and 23 on 12/02 (J. Solana). Eight at Sierra Brava Reservoir (Cáceres) on 12/02 (J. Solana) and 6 on 26/02 (Rafael Porrino).
- Red-Crested Pochard: one drake seen on 6/02 at Charca de Brozas (Cáceres) (Florencio Carrero, Paco Be Water and Rafael Parra) and one pair at Cubilar Reservoir (Cáceres) (C. Jewitt and M. Jewitt). One pair at Sierra Brava Reservoir (Cáceres) on 11/02 (G. Schreur, M. Kelsey et al).
- Tufted Duck: 65 at Charca de Brozas (Cáceres) on 6/02 (F. Carrero, P. Be Water and R. Parra).
- Goosander: the two young females seen in January were still around in February: at La Torrecilla, Plasencia (Cáceres) it was seen for the last time on 5/02 (Jus Pérez) and at Torrejón-Tiétar Reservoir, Monfragüe (Cáceres) it was seen on 10/02 (S. Mayordomo), 13/02 (Dave Langlois and Sammy Langlois), 24/02 (Natalia Moral), 25/02 (Ángel González, Cristina Sánchez and Unai Fuentes) and 26/02 (John Muddeman and Raúl Guzmán).
- Greater Flamingo: 11 at La Albuera (Badajoz) on 9/02 (José Mª Álvarez) and 4 on 11/02 (Antonio Núñez and Luis Sanabria).
- Bittern: one at Arrocampo Reservoir(Cáceres) on 27/02 (G. Schreur and M. Kelsey).
- Night Heron: 18 at River Guadiana, Badajoz, on 6/02 (G. Schreur and Juan Carlos Salgado).
- Squacco Heron: 2 at Arrocampo Reservoir(Cáceres) on 3/02 (J. Muddeman) and 1 on 27/02 (G. Schreur and M. Kelsey). One at Casas de Hitos (Cáceres/Badajoz) on 4/02 (S. Fletcher).
- Osprey: one at Gabriel and Galán Reservoir(Cáceres) on 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15/02 (Alberto Pacheco).
- Goshawk: one at Puebla del Maestre (Badajoz) on 18/02 (A. Pacheco).
- Purple Swamphen: new site: one at Morantes Reservoir, La Roca de la Sierra (Badajoz), on 7/02 (Ángel Luis Sánchez).
- Avocet: 14 at Casas de Hitos, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) on 4/02 (S. Fletcher) and 1 on 13/02 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo). One at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres)on 12/02 and 15/02 and two on 24, 25 and 26/02 (Javier Gayo, Javier Prieta and S. Mayordomo).
- Kentish Plover: 15 at Casas de Hitos (Cáceres/Badajoz) on 4/02 (S. Fletcher) and 2 on 13/02 (E. Palacios and S. Mayordomo). Two at Puebla de Alcollarín (Cáceres) on 13/02 (Juan Pablo Prieto).
- Curlew: 34 observed at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) on 4/02 and 1 on 20/02 (S. Mayordomo). Seven at Casas de Hitos (Cáceres/Badajoz) on 4/02 (S. Fletcher). Twenty one on Riolobos ricefields on 12/02 and 3 on 22/02 (S. Mayordomo).
- Yellow-Legged Gull: one at Mirabel landfill site on 2/02 (S. Mayordomo) and 16 at Mérida landfill site on 5/02 (Á. Sánchez).
- Whiskered Tern: one winter-plumage bird at Los Canchales Reservoir (Badajoz) on 5/02 (Juan Carlos Paniagua, S. Mayordomo and Toribio Álvarez).
- Spotted Redshank: one at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) on 20/02 (S. Mayordomo).
- Stock Dove: 100 at Galisteo (Cáceres) on 20/02 (S. Mayordomo).
- Wryneck: 2 at Casas de Hitos (Cáceres/Badajoz) on 4/02 (S. Fletcher). One at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 10/02 (S. Mayordomo). One at Saucedilla (Cáceres) on 13/02 (Javier Briz).
- Alpine Accentor: 15 at Puerto de Esperabán, Pinofranqueado (Cáceres) on 12/02 (A. Pacheco).
- Brambling: several at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 3/02 (Jaime Collado) and 8 at Riolobos (Cáceres) on 15/02 (J. Prieta). Two to four birds seen in a pinewood at Piornal on 4, 11 and 18/02 (J. Prieta).
FIRST SUMMER VISITORS
- Garganey: 2 drakes and 1 female at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz), on 11/02 (G. Schreur, M. Kelsey et al).
- Quail: one bird heard at La Serena on 27/02 and several on 28/02 (R. Porrino).
- Black Stork: one bird in breeding territory at Salto del Gitano, Monfragüe (Cáceres), on 6/02 (Eva Palacios and Miguel Ángel Muñoz).
- Short-Toed Eagle: one at Cabañas del Castillo (Cáceres) on 26/02 (G. Schreur and M. Kelsey). On 27/02 two at Monfragüe (C. Clemente, F. Carrero, Javier Caballero, J. Caballero). On 28/02 two at La Serena (Badajoz) (R. Porrino), one at Mérida (Badajoz) (Ángel Sánchez) and another between Trujillo and Cáceres (J. Caballero).
- Black Kite: one at Plasencia (Cáceres) on 10/02 (M. Á. Muñoz). One at Cáceres on 16/02 (F. Carrero). One at Santa Marta de Magasca (Cáceres) on 23/02 (M. Kelsey). One at Galisteo on 24/02 (S. Mayordomo).
- Egyptian Vulture: one at Casas de Hitos (Cáceres/Badajoz) on 4/02 (S. Fletcher). One at Canchos de Ramiro (Cáceres) on 20/02 (Fernando Yuste). Two at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 21/02 (C. Jewitt and Ricardo Montero).
- Booted Eagle: one at Mérida (Badajoz) on 6/02 (Á. Sánchez). One at Casas de Hitos (Cáceres/Badajoz) on 12/02 (A. Ortega and R. Urquiaga). One at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 25/02 (G. Schreur and M. Kelsey). A few birds do overwinter so it is hard to ascertain whether or not these records represent the first summer arrivals.
- Redshank: one at Laguna de Galisteo (Cáceres) on 24/02 (S. Mayordomo).
- Scops Owl: one singing at Trujillo (Cáceres) on 26/02 (J. Muddeman) and another at Plasencia (Cáceres) on 27/02 (J. Prieta).
- Pallid Swift: 8 at Cáceres on 14/02 (F. Carrero). 2 at Alburquerque (Badajoz) on 22/02 (G. Schreur). 3 at Plasencia (Cáceres) on 24/02 (J. Prieta). 4 at Montehermoso (Cáceres) on 28/02 (C. Clemente).
- Alpine Swift: 20 at Alange dam (Badajoz) on 26/02 (R. Porrino).
- Red-Rumped Swallow: 2 at Trujillo (Cáceres) on 4/02 (Roberto Cabo). One at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 7/02 (G. Schreur and R. Montero).
- Sand Martin: 3 at Los Canchales Reservoir (Badajoz) on 6/02 (S. Mayordomo and T. Álvarez).
- Subalpine Warbler: one male at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 26/02 (Rafael Vicente).
- Wheatear: One male at La Serena (Badajoz) on 28/02 (R. Porrino).
Today
Down at Dogmills today 25 birds ringed the first bird out of the nets was a female Brambling very nice,
birds caught
10 Chaffinch
1 Brambling
5 House Sparrow
2 Gt Tits
2 Blue Tits
2 Goldfinch
1 Dunnoch
1 Robin
1 Blackbird female
T1TT
Niki left for work this morning and 20 seconds later i got a phone call of her saying a Herring Gull with
a colour ring was sat in the middle of the road 100 meters away. I ran up there and grabbed hold of T1TT
there was no signs of any obvious damage all wings ok and no blood. The bird was very light so i took it home and placed it in the back garden. He ate some bread and some cat food much to the disgust of the cat scowling out the window at it.
As i watched the Gull the head seemed to be an odd shape maybe something going on underneath the surface, it cleared the food and walked around the garden.
I went out for the morning when i got back it was still in the garden i walked out and fed it some more which it took.
20 minutes later i looked out and the Gull had gone . Do Not hold out much hope for it but we will see.
Herring Gull T1TT was ringed in my garden on the 05 May 2010 aged as an adult
and was the secound gull in the project to be colour ringed .
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| T2TT ringed on same day as T1TT |
I was out all yesterday with Kev after a few sites not delivering we went to the Sulby site and caught
64 birds (47 new birds and 17 retraps)
Last night i got a great email from Kev saying he had put the nets up in his garden when he got in from ringing and only caught 1Blue Tit.
But the Blue Tit was a Control from my Garden at the other end of the island Fantastic
Thats where all my garden birds have gone
See kev blogs for details.
March starts off well
With an awful February now behind us the wettest on record for the isle of Man and only 73 new birds ringed March got off to a better start.
I met up with Kev and we decided after a short visit to one of the plantations and no birds that we would go down to Niarbyl and try for Rock Pipits.
A beautiful day with 5 birds colour ringed 4 were new birds 1 was a retrap from the 05/08/2010.
We placed up to 9 spring traps about and were surprised to see 2 of the Rock Pipits jump up on to the perch traps which we placed in the deep seaweed on short poles.
So we will be trying them again.
