Waxwing Control

Out Ringing Waxwing again today 5 new birds today and one Control. Up to 70 birds on burdock way roundabout.

Also ringed 3 Mistle Trushes

6 Blackbirds

Out Ringing Waxwing again today 5 new birds today and one Control. Up to 70 birds on burdock way roundabout.

Also ringed 3 Mistle Trushes

6 Blackbirds

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Halifax Waxwings

I was all set to get over to Otley this morning to meet Andy. Sent the text message ??? at 6:05 am to see if the weather was OK to get out . Back came the reply

******* weather to windy here.

i got up and looked out of my window not a breath of wind which makes a change up here in Stainland. So i thought Waxwings Halifax no wind clear skies lets go.

The flock has grow over the last 3 days from 23 up to 49 today.

15 new birds ringed today with no recaptures from the previous days.

in all 36 Waxwings ringed .

28 birds hatched this calendar year

5 Adult Females

3 Adult Males

As i am ringing the birds as they leave the Rowen's, their crops are full of berries

some they drop some they hang on to but some { a surprise to me } are kept around the back of the neck under a thin membrane which must be part of the crop? up to 4/5 at any one time are stored here .

I was all set to get over to Otley this morning to meet Andy. Sent the text message ??? at 6:05 am to see if the weather was OK to get out . Back came the reply

******* weather to windy here.

i got up and looked out of my window not a breath of wind which makes a change up here in Stainland. So i thought Waxwings Halifax no wind clear skies lets go.

The flock has grow over the last 3 days from 23 up to 49 today.

15 new birds ringed today with no recaptures from the previous days.

in all 36 Waxwings ringed .

28 birds hatched this calendar year

5 Adult Females

3 Adult Males

As i am ringing the birds as they leave the Rowen's, their crops are full of berries

some they drop some they hang on to but some { a surprise to me } are kept around the back of the neck under a thin membrane which must be part of the crop? up to 4/5 at any one time are stored here .

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Waxwings, Halifax

A great morning in Halifax with 21 Waxwings ringed {Quality not quantity}

15 birds born this year 4 Adult females 2 Adult Males

Thank you to all the people who have shown an interest in what we do and have given there permission to ring on there land.

1 adult Mistle Thrush and 1 juv Redwing ringed as well

This years young below, primaries showing no chevrons

Adult Male wing showing chevrons and white tip to outer most primary

Wax Tips longer and bolder in adults

thinner and shorter in young

A great morning in Halifax with 21 Waxwings ringed {Quality not quantity}

15 birds born this year 4 Adult females 2 Adult Males

Thank you to all the people who have shown an interest in what we do and have given there permission to ring on there land.

1 adult Mistle Thrush and 1 juv Redwing ringed as well

This years young below, primaries showing no chevrons

Adult Male wing showing chevrons and white tip to outer most primary

Wax Tips longer and bolder in adults

thinner and shorter in young

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Martin Mere start of another winter

I was Invited back to Martin Mere for there first winter catch. Another thoroughly fantastic morning with over 130 Duck caught, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Coot and 7 Greylag Geese. Also 37 Whoopers processed. Six of them had satellite transmitters fitted. Thanks to everyone involved.

I was Invited back to Martin Mere for there first winter catch. Another thoroughly fantastic morning with over 130 Duck caught, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Coot and 7 Greylag Geese. Also 37 Whoopers processed. Six of them had satellite transmitters fitted. Thanks to everyone involved.

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Quiet few weeks

As the weather has been awful these last two week ive only had a couple of days out ringing. Last week at OGP with Andy a nice morning with Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher ,Bullfinches and all the normal stuff around the feeders. This week another Grey Wagtail and some more Goldcrest down at Stainland Dean with Blue Tits and Gt Tits, Goldfinch, Greenfinch ,Wren and Chaffinch.

As the weather has been awful these last two week ive only had a couple of days out ringing. Last week at OGP with Andy a nice morning with Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher ,Bullfinches and all the normal stuff around the feeders. This week another Grey Wagtail and some more Goldcrest down at Stainland Dean with Blue Tits and Gt Tits, Goldfinch, Greenfinch ,Wren and Chaffinch.

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Stainland Dean

A very wet and windy week, but quite sheltered down at Stainland Dean today, had a nice movement off Goldcrest through the valley. Having ringed only 8 in nearly a year of first starting at this site to catch 28 today in 2 hours was fantastic. Especially when i only had a 20 ft net up and 12 conifers to ring in. It makes you wonder how many were moving through the valley.

Other birds ringed were, Gt Tit Blue Tit,Treecreeper, Song Thrush, Chaffinch and a retraped Kingfisher from September.

A very wet and windy week, but quite sheltered down at Stainland Dean today, had a nice movement off Goldcrest through the valley. Having ringed only 8 in nearly a year of first starting at this site to catch 28 today in 2 hours was fantastic. Especially when i only had a 20 ft net up and 12 conifers to ring in. It makes you wonder how many were moving through the valley.

Other birds ringed were, Gt Tit Blue Tit,Treecreeper, Song Thrush, Chaffinch and a retraped Kingfisher from September.

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I hate Carmarthenshire!

Not for the first time in my life (Glaucous-winged Gull) I found myself spending all day staring across that blessed Gwendraeth Estuary in Carmarthenshire , seeing absolutely bott-all, this time for Britain's first Little Blue Heron. Loads of mega distant Little Egrets didn't make the job any easier and we left the site at dusk thoroughly pissed-off. It's a pity really, as through the day I saw Hen Harrier, 3 Pergrines, 2 Little Stints, Green Sands and 50+ Little Egrets, but they stood for nowt after not seeing the LBH. I wonder if I'll end up there next weekend?

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Not for the first time in my life (Glaucous-winged Gull) I found myself spending all day staring across that blessed Gwendraeth Estuary in Carmarthenshire , seeing absolutely bott-all, this time for Britain's first Little Blue Heron. Loads of mega distant Little Egrets didn't make the job any easier and we left the site at dusk thoroughly pissed-off. It's a pity really, as through the day I saw Hen Harrier, 3 Pergrines, 2 Little Stints, Green Sands and 50+ Little Egrets, but they stood for nowt after not seeing the LBH. I wonder if I'll end up there next weekend?

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

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