A day when the wind was stronger than forecast and birds only amounted to 13 captures. A few migrants reflected the time of year, but the most notable fact about this session was probably the use of the new Svensson 5th Edition handbook.
The first batch of the new hand books ordered through us were despatched on the 12th and will be arriving today.
Totals:11 (2)
Wren - 1
Dunnock - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Blackcap - 6
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Blue Tit - 0 (1)
Long-tailed Tit 0 (1)
Despite the national heatwave Norfolk continues to experience lower temperatures in the mornings, often accompanied by thick fog. This morning was cooler than much of the country and heavy mist hung across the fields and stand of trees at Hilly Piece. We didn't see the coast once while the nets were up. We hoped that the weather conditions might bring birds to the little patch as observations along the coast are starting to include Pied Flycatchers and other seasonal visitors.
There were a few Dunnocks and Robins about, species that are not always present when we ring here. We heard Chiffchaff but didn't catch any. We got a few Blackcap, two Goldcrest and a single Whitethroat.
One of the Blackcap was a control, ringed 25/06/22 as a 5M, with a subsequent record on 29/04/23. We look forward to receiving the details.
We tried but failed to connect with a flock of 100+ Linnet, hopefully they will be there on another visit.
Total:14 (2)
Wren - 1
Robin - 2
Dunnock - 3
Whitethroat - 1
Blackcap - 4 (1 control)
Goldcrest - 2
A visit to the sewage lagoons with DKH. For the second time this month the site had a quiet feel and no birds previously ringed were captured. Singles of Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat bore out our impression that migration of these species through the site is all but over.
Our first ringing in the UK in a while so we decided to try the lagoons as Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers, from what we experienced in the reedbed site at Massereau, Loire Valley, are already well into the migration south. We were not wrong, only one Reed Warbler and one Sedge Warbler all morning.
Audio lures for Chiffchaff attracted no birds and we only began to catch Blackcaps after 11am, finding 7 altogether in one net, preventing Wren from being the leading species numerically.
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Total: 19
Wren - 4
Dunnock - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 9
Blue Tit - 3
Our last two mornings at the site, and now more chance to do some ringing as only two trainee ringers remain at the gite.
We continued to drop nets well in advance of dawn, hence the first round at 7am or just before tended to be rather short of birds. On the 28th we only got 54 captures of 10 species in all, only 27 Sedge Warblers and no Aquatic Warblers. Great Reed Warbler being the best capture with a few Bluethroat, mainly retrapped individuals.
In the evening the number of Sand Martin overhead looked very promising, but those birds drifted away and the eventual roost catch consisted of 19 Swallow and 7 Sand Martin.
Our last day and the ringing team was Frederic, Gilles, Paul and ourselves. The numbers had improved and there were 138 captures including 81 Sedge Warbler, 2 Wryneck and an Aquatic Warbler. This was our third trip to France hoping to ring Aquatic Warbler and this time we succeeded. Both of us ringed 2 new birds, my last being today.
We enjoyed our time with the project. Anyone thinking of applying to join the efforts should bear the following in mind -
These efforts are run primarily as training exercises and anyone coming up to their exam will ring all the time. Trainees have little chance to ring and are given priority during sessions. There are paid staff members and sometimes they will also ring every round. There are only three people ringing at any one time as data in recorded straight onto laptop. There were several days when neither of us ringed. We are limited as to the help we can offer to trainees at the net as methods are quite specific, for example extraction using the legs primarily, is not allowed any longer and trainees are taught to clear the wings first. Most of the time we were there for extracting and there were not any particularly high volume days. Most of the ringers at the station spoke English, or had a little English. We used French when we could including during giving data.
Many thanks to Frederic and the team for making us welcome to join their Aquatic Warbler efforts. The sites are fantastic with great species of birds passing through.
23rd, Migration such as this are primarily a chance for trainee French ringers to gain experience and increase numbers as there is no 'C' permit equivalent and they must ring under the direction of a qualified person who passed the written examination and has completed several days of practical assessment and been found suitable to get a French permit. From now on this is the only site in operation and the gite is full. We decided, with two fully qualified ringers, six trainees of various standards and weather conditions unlikely to produce a fall, to take the day out and visit La Maison du Lac de Grand-Lieu. The lake is currently a third of the maximum winter size with distant views of all kinds of water birds.
Best observation of the day was a new butterfly species, Lesser Purple Emperor on the tree by la maison.
That day reached a temperature of 40 degrees in the afternoon so we kept our observations at the lake quite brief.
In the evening we attended a roost catch, catching 127 birds, Sand Martin (65) and Swallow (62) to add to the morning total of 177 birds that included 2 Acrola.
24th, a morning affected by rain that resulted in finishing before 10am due to sustained incoming precipitation. 110 birds captured.
25th, another day with only 110 birds, as usual Sedge Warbler or Fragmit (ACRSCH) are the most numerous species captured in the reed bed. We did particularly well for Wryneck (4) today with singles of Quail and Bearded Tit.
26th, another rain affected session that soaked us a few times, although the low number of birds and number of people meant none were in the nets when the rain came. We soldiered to the end as we had a local group that came for a demonstration of the ringing. Ringing demos don't change much wherever they happen. 76 birds including Wryneck, Great Reed Warbler, Aquatic Warbler, Bluethroat, Savi's Warbler and Nightingale.
27th, the birds are getting fewer and as our only use at present is to extract we left at 10:30am once it was clear there would be no rain or large bird numbers once the misty conditions had cleared. 88 birds in all of 12 species.
A busy day on the 21st with 264 captures, four of which were Aquatic Warbler.
Fewer birds on the 22nd with 194. Only one Aquatic Warbler, but there were a few Savi's and Grasshopper Warbler, also Great Reed Warbler and some Whinchat and four Wryneck.
Bird of the day had to be a Wryneck control carrying a ring from the Czech scheme that was red adonised aluminium. This bird has traveled quite a way west from the point where ringed.
The Migron site operated for 19th and 20th, but we switched our attention to the main site at Massereau.
Our first day was quiet, or calme as the French say and we only just exceeded the 100 birds mark. Migron performed well, low numbers but an Aquatic Warbler from Poland carrying a red darvic ring. The site was actually due to close after the 18th but another French bagueur agreed to cover the weekend and a number of 'controles' (all subsequent encounters) made the additional effort worthwhile.
At Massereau we captured just over 100 birds with a couple of Aquatics. There was a Wryneck for the third day in a row. It was very hot and we were grateful for the rustic ringing station that kept the sun off, but not the mosquitoes out!
The second day saw the team reduce down to 5 from 7. There were 224 new birds, including a Quail, wagtails, some Whinchats, 5 Aquatic Warblers and the first Song Thrush so far. There was also an English Sedge Warbler. There was an additional 88 new and 22 controles at Mignon.
This summer we are joining the team at Frossay, France as they target Aquatic Warbler on their migration south each year. Our first two mornings were spent at Migron. This site is very close to the Loire, just metres from a parallel canal the within the Loire floodplain. The vegetation is a variety of rush and sedge grasses, and only a few clumps of reed. The ground is quite wet underfoot and wellington boots are required. This is the most likely site to produce ACROLA, as they are known here in the Frossay area. The set up consisted of 3x3 2 panel 12m nets for Acrola with 3 full height 18m nets for other species, termed sejourn.
The first day brought 130+ birds from this site. On the first round, DKL extracted the first Sedge Warbler to find that it carried an English ring APL2440. There seemed a certain degree of good luck there, reinforced when the second bird extracted by DKL was not only an Aquatic Warbler but also carrying a ring from Belarus and a blue darvic code T5.
The bird is part of a translocation project to spread the range of the birds beyond Belarus, and will either have come from Lithuania or Estonia. This is the second bird from the project, captured by this initiative. In 2019 a site further south captured BW (M5).
There was another Aquatic during the day with more at the sister site Massereau, where also another three UK ringed birds turned up, with another eight reported at Dognes on the northern side of the Loire.
This turned out to be an exception day for migration with other locations recording more Acrola and other species in general.
The second day started with the unexpected capture of a Long-eared Owl. This was probably the cause of the first round having so few birds.
This day had fewer birds but we both were able to ring Acrola, and reacquaint ourselves with some of the less commonly seen in the UK species such as Melodious Warbler and Savi's Warbler.
It's been a month since we last monitored the beaver enclosure at Baconsthorpe and today when we visited, with EGB, we found that the natural rhythms are quickly progressing as most adults are no longer showing signs of breeding condition and are well into the process of renewing plumage. The summer migrants are now drifting off with only 2 Blackcaps and 5 Chiffchaff captured. There was no sight or sound of Willow Warbler, Whitethroat or Lesser Whitethroat either within the enclosure or in the surrounding area.
The tits have now formed into mixed feeding flocks and most youngsters appear to be increasingly independent. The only obvious captures of adult and young together was a small party of Wrens including an adult. Most young are undertaking some degree of post juvenile moult.
Captures of note were a pair of Marsh Tit with, bar for one feather, identical moult codes showing that their moults commenced very close together and a juvenile Kingfisher.
Total: 34 (1)
Kingfisher - 1
Blackbird - 2
Wren - 6
Dunnock - 1
Blackcap - 2
Chiffchaff - 5
Blue Tit - 9 (1)
Great Tit - 5
Marsh Tit - 2
Treecreeper - 1