Sculthorpe Moor - 20th March 2025

 Making the most of the beautiful spring weather, we worked three doubles at the moor. Only 10 birds, not a surprise with most summer migrants yet to arrive. Chiffchaffs, however, were very much in evidence with a lot of singing from the tall trees. We only got three new one but the retraps included a bird ringed as an adult in 2023 that we've not captured since and one of the big catch we had at the same net run on August 14th last year, a juvenile birds that's been all the way to its wintering grounds to arrive back at the moor with the first of the returners.

Chiffchaff PRK330 back on site with nectar and pollen residue at the base of the bill.

We also ringed a Reed Bunting, including a darvic for that project and a Marsh Tit also freshly ringed and fitted with a darvic code.

Age 5 Marsh Tit

Total: 7 (3)

Chiffchaff - 3 (3)
Marsh Tit - 1
Reed Bunting - 1
Robin - 1
Wren - 1

We went on to check the scrape for darvic carrying birds, seeing a Black-headed gull with a red darvic that we couldn't read. The swan nest was also checked, but the bird present remained firmly on the nest and we couldn't get that code either.

Norfolk Rivers Trust, Ingoldisthorpe - 19th March 2025

 A first visit to this site before the arrival of summer migrants resulted in 13 new birds. The site was rather quiet, except for the sound of Chiffchaff singing from the trees along the river and a couple of Cetti's Warblers in the cleansing ponds. We got 6 nets up, but without any Blackcap or Acrocephalus warblers there seemed little prospect of catching much, although we did come quite close to netting a few Teal and Mallard as they departed the site.

Leading species was Long-tailed Tit with three, and we were quite pleased with a couple of Cetti's Warbler females caught at either end of the pond complex, our first Cetti's Warblers of the year. There were two Reed Bunting, both being fitted with darvic codes and a further couple of Chiffchaff.

There was a fair bit of aerial activity with Red Kite, Buzzard and four Marsh Harriers overhead throughout the morning.

One of two female Cetti's Warblers captured today.

5M Reed Bunting

Total: 13

Cetti's Warbler - 2
Chaffinch - 1
Chiffchaff - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 3
Reed Bunting - 2
Robin - 1
Wren - 2

Dersingham Bog - 14th March 2025

 This was an attempt to target Stonechats for our colour ringing project. There used to be a project on Stonechats that ran up until the pandemic. Now the staff have asked that we resume efforts studying Stonechats on the bog.

The first bird captured was a new female.

6F Stonechat

She was recaught a couple of times, at two other locations. She appears to be unpaired at present and seeking a mate.

The second bird had been seen a few times before capture, but we were unable to make out the colour ring combination. Once caught we could see that the individual code was in fact red and purple although a considerable degree of fading had occurred since they were fitted before the bird fledged the nest. The rings were also gaping and at risk of being lost. He had those removed and a new darvic ring fitted.

6M Stonechat ringed in the nest 17/06/2019 with no other sightings.

The last bird of the morning carried an incomplete colour ring code with one of the rings missing. 

The rings were removed and a new darvic ring fitted.

6M Stonechat ringed as a pullus, 26/06/2018 in the nest with no recorded sightings. The age of this bird exceeds the previous Stonechat longevity (6years, 1 month and 30 days) record by several months.

This particular bird has caught the wardens' eyes as it has a lot of white on the rump.

Old colour rings, faded and gaping, passed their best.

Totals: 2 (2)

Stonechat - 1 (2)
Wren - 1

Holt Sewage Works - 9th March 2025

 A short session at the sewage works where the site is sheltered by hedges along all boundaries. No invitation to trainees as health and safety training is required along with a fluorescent vest and steel toe-capped boots.

We didn't expect much as so many birds are responding to the spring weather, either returning to summering grounds or preparing for the breeding season. We managed 10 birds from the four nets up (we are limited as to where nets can be placed here), using natural thoroughfares between vegetation and also using the course of a stream.

Male Goldcrest

Total: 10

Blue Tit - 2
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - 4
Robin - 1
Wren - 1

A farm in North West Norfolk - 4th March 2025

 As sometimes happens, a large flock of birds was disturbed by us setting the nets. They mostly moved off and the mornings catch was disappointing considering the number of birds we had seen.

Female Reed Bunting with UW(BX) darvic

The leading species was Reed Bunting and all received a coded darvic ring. 

Total: 8 (4)

Dunnock - 0 (3)
Reed Bunting - 7 (1)
Robin - 1

Deepdale Farm - 3rd March 2025

 While we can start relatively early in the evening, we're trying to make a final push with night ringing before the days draw out and the clocks go forward. It was a very still night. A total of six owls were seen with one captured. We could have probably caught more had we moved the net around, as it was clear that the fence and posts had been claimed by the different pairs and there wasn't much interaction outside of the apparent pairs.

CL tried thermalling in the marsh fields and caught a Woodcock, two Skylark and a Meadow Pipit giving us four species, the most diversity of species to date during a night time session.

One of two Skylarks captured

Age 5 Woodcock

Barn Owl (unsexed as it behaved the way birds that present as male do, but there were a few spots under the wings, no buffy gorget and the mantle was a dark golden colour and tail barring not very light)

Total: 5

Barn Owl - 1
Meadow Pipit - 1
Skylark - 2
Woodcock - 1

A farm in North Norfolk - 2nd March 2025

Making the most of the bunting flock while it lasts. The numbers had dropped considerably and we didn't see any Reed Buntings at all with very few Chaffinch. Most of the activity was of feeding Yellowhammers and Linnets. EGB got experience of a new species and practiced using a grip suitable for photographing birds.

5F Yellowhammer

Total: 14

Chaffinch - 1
Goldfinch - 1
Yellowhammer - 12