Nest recording and stuff

The Manx TT is now in full swing so some days we are limited to where we can get to and what we can do  because of road closers and accidents so the last few days have been spent up at the gravel pits and beaches up north out of the way. I was going to net up at the Jurby east site again but a swarm of bees has decided to make where i put my nets there new home,  they are going to be placed in a hive and moved so maybe next week. 

Lots of Gulls on eggs and a few hatching now same for Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover.

Oystercatcher chick

GBB Gull Chicks

Another 5 Herring Gulls were caught and colour ringed in the garden yesterday with a Jackdaw.

On Friday i set up at a new site in the scrub in the gravel pits thanks to Chris Wade for the permission to ring in there.

Whitethroat

6 Willow Warblers and 4 Whitethroat were ringed. The weather for the coming weeks looks bad all rain

Hopefully we will get a chance to do the Cormorant colony.

Some more recoveries from the BTO

Goldfinch i ringed at the Point of Ayre Whoosh Site on 12/10/2011
was re caught (controlled) at Northorpe Fen in Lincolnshire on the 14/03/2012

The Lesser Redpoll i controlled at Sulby Glen on the 09/05/2012
was first ringed in Rawnsley, Cannock Chase, Staffordshire on 24/03/2011

Another month ends

Another month ends and its been quite a good one last May was windy and wet and this one has been a lot better towards the end.

Highlights being 35 Wheatear ringed this month and 4 Whinchat also Chough Pulli ringing.

Whinchat

45 Siskin ringed mostly juvenile birds caught at Sulby Glen and in my Garden.

12 Herring Gulls colour ringed in the garden this month and hopefully loads more Gulls in June as the newly hatched birds get big enough to  colour ring.

As the month ends 5 Common Gull and 4 Oystercatcher ringed. 

Common Gull

Also the feeding projects at two Yellowhammer sites  {a bird that is very sparse in the Isle of Man}

has paid off with 4 now being ringed

Also 57 Jackdaw chicks ringed this month 

Choughs and Stuff

This week Kev and i spent a full day down the south of the island checking some of the more accessible Chough nests. 17 Chicks were individually colour ringed as part of the long study which has been going on the Isle of Man for the past 15 years. Last evening we ventured up North of the island where we ringed another 2 broods of Chough one of 4 and one of 3. Two other nests were on eggs and 1 was deserted. So when all are revisited over 40 Chough Pulli should have been colour ringed.

The rest of the week has been spent spring Trapping Wheatear with over 40 now ringed this spring. 

Another Whinchat was a nice surprise at Ramsey Harbour this week with 4 now ringed.

Wheatear

Whinchat

A visit to the reed bed site was dreadful with only a Blackbird ringed in 3 and a half hours and no Sedge Warblers Heard or seen. We normally ring between 20>30 Sedge Warblers here.

The Large Whoosh net in the garden was in action today with 5 Herring Gulls being caught and Colour Ringed

Ouch!!!!

Gull in a Bag

Colour Ring

Two Ringed Plover Chicks were also ringed and 2 Adult as well 1 a new biird and 1a retrap from last May.

Last few days

Since Friday it has been very breezy so no mist netting but the Whoosh net and spring traps and worms are still working fine with 13 more Wheatear ringed at various sites and a male Whinchat at Smeale on Saturday. Also another Skylark ringed at Smeale

Tomorrow me and Kev are checking a few Chough Nests as some week old chicks were seen on the Calf of Man last week. 

Sulby Glen

Met up with Kev at the Sulby Glen Site at 7:00 great few hours with 34 new birds ringed and 1 control

 24 Siskins ringed 16 of them 3j birds

(just Fledged)

2 new Lesser Redpoll 1 control ring number L765351

Controlled Lesser Redpoll

3 Gt Tits

1 Dunnock

1 Blackbird

1 Coal Tit

2 Chaffinch

We left here at 10.00 and headed up to Jurby to the Yellowhammer Site 

1 Female Ringed and a Male Whitethroat

Female Yelloehammer

Whitethroat

We then headed for the gravel pits to check on the Gull Colony there

a great  hour walking round checking all the Herring Gull and Lesser black Backed Gull nests

thanks to Chris Wade for allowing us access

Herring Gull Nest

Whitethroats and Stuff

Another ringing season at Port Lewaigue on Friday with 8 new birds ringed 

2 Blackcaps male

1 Willow Warbler

2 Song Thrush

1 Robin

1 Dunnock

1 Greenfinch

I have Guest staying at the momnent and the best weather for taking them out on the boat was today and with the tides the way they were we had to be in the water for 10:30.

As always i had checked the wind for today last night and it was giving 3mph. 

So i went for it this morning with a 5 oclock start and headed up to Smeale to ring in the gorse and willow scrub.

Nice morning with 

5 Willow Warbler

1 Chiffchaff

Pair of Reed Bunting

Pair of Chaffinch

Pair of Greenfinch

1 Whitethroat

and 

1 Lesser Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

then a quick pack up and off out in the boat where we saw plenty of Black Guillemots, Guillemots, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Fulmars No Puffin as yet. And its Haddock fish cakes for tea.

Caught 2 Coalfish which were just over the 14 inch landing size allowed.

Haddock

Chats Ears and a control

 After posting at the end of April that i had not seen many female Wheatears on Wednesday at the Point of Ayre a nice fall of birds turned up with over 40 Wheatears (23 of them females) spread around the lighthouse walls and gardens.

3 Wheatears were caught quite quickly in the spring traps as i repositioned some traps i noticed  a pair of Stonechat with 3 young all out together sat on a bramble, a bird flew in to join them the male Stonechat quickly chased this bird to another patch of Bramble. I lifted the bins up and Whinchat i looked over to another patch and a cracking male Whinchat was sat on that to. 

Some more little traps placed around the bramble and 2 Whinchats added to the species list.

2 More Wheatear were ringed as well

Last few days 7 more Linnets ringed 

2 Willow Warblers ringed at Port Lewaigue

the first of the year how tragic is that

Another Male  Blackcap and Lesser Redpoll at Sulby Glen

6 3J Siskin ringed in the garden

and a Controlled Goldfinch Y539252 any Takers