RINGING SESSION 16 - 2012

09/09/2102  Dawn was spectacular this morning, as it often is at this time of year, with the Gordano Valley shrouded in mist.

DAWN IN THE GORDANO VALLEY

 
Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackbird (1,0)
blackcap (16,2)
blue tit (1,0)
bullfinch (0,1)
chiffchaff (6,1)
goldfinch (2,0)
great tit (1,0)
reed warbler (2,0)
robin (2,2)
sonth thrush (2,0)
wren (1,1)

DAY TOTALS: 34 ringed (10 species), 7 retraps
NEW SPECIES: none

OBS: siskin

RINGING SESSION 15 - 2012

 05/09/2012  Our first grasshopper warblers of the season were caught this morning. Peak passage is usually during September and we're hoping for lots more this month to make up for the dismal summer. Our best year for this species was 2001 when we caught 39.
 

GRASSHOPPER WARBLER


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (9,2)
blue tit (1,0)
chiffchaff (4,1)
grasshopper warbler (3,0)
long-tailed tit (4,1)
reed warbler (2,0)
robin (1,0)
sedge warbler (5,0)
song thrush (1,0)
whitethroat (1,0)
willow warbler (8,0)

DAY TOTALS: 39 ringed (11 species), 4 retraps
NEW SPECIES: grasshopper warbler

OBS: buzzard, roe deer fawn

RINGING SESSION 14 - 2012

01/09/2012  This morning's visit was the last CES session of the year. The highlight of the morning was our first blackcap of the year weighing 20 grams or over - always a good indication that the autumn migration is well underway. Y103813 weighed in at 23.1 grams. At our site, lean blackcaps average about 17g, so 23.1g represents a fat loading of 35%. Our all-time heaviest (fattest) blackcap weighed in at a whopping 25.6g! 


BLACKCAP DRAWING - R.J. PRYTHERCH


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (5,4)
blue tit (2,0)
bullfinch (3,0)
chaffinch (2,0)
chiffchaff (5,1)
goldcrest (0,1)
long-tailed tit (1,1)
robin (1,3)
wren (2,0)

DAY TOTALS: 21 ringed (8 species), 10 retraps
NEW SPECIES: chaffinch

OBS: green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker & brown hare

RINGING SESSION 13 - 2012

25/08/2012  This morning we retrapped blue tit V415348, a female that we first caught (and ringed) five years ago, but not in the intervening period. Where has she been?  While unusual, this is by no means a record. Our oldest retrapped blue tit was 7.5 years (between ringing and recapture). Quite impressive for a small songbird with a typical lifespan (for a bird reaching maturit of only) 3 years. The maximum recorded age of a blue tit in the UK record is 9 years and 9 months - see BTO Birdfacts.



BLUE TIT (ADULT)


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (3,2)
blue tit (1,2)
bullfinch (0,1)
chiffchaff (1,1)
great tit (0,1)
long-tailed tit (2,3)
reed warbler (1,0)
robin (1,0)
wren (1,1)

DAY TOTALS: 10 ringed (7 species), 11 retraps
NEW SPECIES: none

OBS: common darter (lots of them)

RINGING SESSION 12 - 2012

19/08/2012  Nothing of note to report, other than our first goldcrests of the year.


SEDGE WARBLER 15.08.12


Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were: 

blackcap (2,1)
blue tit (2,1)
chiffchaff (6,1)
goldcrest (2,0)
great tit (3,0)
long-tailed tit (6,0)
reed warbler (1,1)
robin (1,1)
willow warbler (1,1)
wren (2,0)

DAY TOTALS: 26 ringed (10 species), 6 retraps
NEW SPECIES: goldcrest

OBS: roe deer

RINGING SESSION 11 - 2012

15/08/2012  This morning's session marked our 250th CES session. We haven't missed CES since joining the Scheme in 1992. We had planned a cake to celebrate, but settled for a fry-up and some bunting!

Today's totals (ringed and retraps) were:  

blackcap (4,0)

blue tit (1,0)
bullfinch (1,0)
chiffchaff (9,0)
dunnock (0,1)
garden warbler (1,0)
goldfinch (2,0)
great tit (3,0)
long-tailed tit (3,2)
reed warbler (4,0)
sedge warbler (1,0)
willow warbler (6,2)

DAY TOTALS: 35 ringed (11 species), 5 retraps
NEW SPECIES: garden warbler & sedge warler

OBS: grey heron, great spotted woodpecker, peacock butterfly & silver-washed fritillary

LOCAL RECOVERY: REED WARBLER X997979

We were recently notified that a reed warbler, ringed by GVRS in August 2011, was subsequently 'controlled' (caught and released by another ringer) at Portbury Wharf Ringing Station (PWRS) 6 km away, in May this year.
 

Not exactly mind blowing, but between-year short distance movements are of interest because they demonstrate site fidelity, which always seems remarkable for a migrant species like reed warbler that spends its winter in Africa.

To date we have ringed just over 1,000 reed warblers. Of these, only 6 have been controlled elsewhere: 4 of them locally (< 20 km away), one in Sussex and another in BELGIUM.
 

In addition, there have been 8 reed warblers ringed at other sites and controlled by us: 5 from Chew Valley Ringing Station (Somerset), one from Uskmouth (Gwent) and one from Poole (Dorset).

PWRS, at the other end of the Gordano Valley from us, has only recently been established, but is already proving to be a highly productive site. We're hoping to see a lot of interchange of birds between the two sites in the future.