I NEED TO RING!

Its now heading upto 2 months without ringing and its not a good thing!!! C permit now good and on its way so hopefully soon I'll be all ready to get some garden ringing done at the new house (which I have yet to visit, the family have moved since I've been at Uni but it looks promising!) Can't wait til I get get my hands on some more winter finches! Saying that I would settle for anything even a bitey blue tit.

A long awaited update!

I am now an Ecology and Wildlife Conservation student at Bournemouth University! I am on the hunt for a local ringing group but rather struggling with the lack of transport currently. Will keep you posted but not much is occuring currently. Went to Brownsea Island on the last day of September and saw 20+ Spoonbill, a nice south coast treat! Sandwich terns and Red squirrels also. Apologys for the lack of interesting news!

Icklesham 1-16th August.

A simply remarkable place! Had the best fun I'd had in ages and the 2 and a bit weeks flew by! Admittedly my sleep pattern is still not right after 4-30am alarm every morning for a few weeks and roosts most evenings, left me rather tired by the end of it all!

02/08-
Willow warbler
Gropper
Sedge warbler
Whitethroat
Reed warbler
Wren
Blue tit
20 birds ringed personally out of 60. Main site catching rather more birds.
Roost produced 3 Swallows and 2 Sand Martins. Been better roosts :P.

03/08
Willow warbler
Chiffchaff
Reed warbler
Sedge warbler
Whitethroat
Garden warbler
Blue tit
Lesser whitethroat
46 ringed out of 98. Main site 800+ !
Roost 74 Swallow, 17 Sand Martin. Ringed 11.

04/08
Wet and windy 8 birds, main site producing little also. no roost.

05/08
Morning total of 430+ for main site, Tree Pipit new species for myself.

Roost a lot more productive with 350+ Sand Martin's and 50+ Swallows.

06/08

59 at Alder Carr (Other site I mainly rung at) and 1100 at Mainsite with a 400 Roost. Very productive day! Nightingale finally ringed!





07/08
49 birds ringed personally, 450 caught at Main Site. Fairly quiet morning

08/08
Sedge Warbler
Willow Warlber
Reed Warbler
Gropper
Garden Warlber
Robin
Dunnock
Whitethroat.
56 birds ringed + 41 at roost. 97 ringed! Wow.

09/08
Gropper
Sand Martin
Whitethroat
Lesser White
Garden Warbler
Sedge Warbler
25 of 480+. 31 Sand Martins, 3 Swallows and 3 Yellow Wagtails ringed at Roost. YelWa being a new species. 62 birds ringed.

10/08
Garden Warbler
Whitethroat
Gropper
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler
Goldcrest
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
Wren
Chiffchaff
63 bird ringed. 2 Reed Warblers requiring Walinder check for Marsh Warbler, unfortunatley both Reed Warblers. No Roost due to wind.

11/08 - No ringing due to bad weather. Day out in Hastings.

12/08
Reed Warbler
Garden Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Whitethroat
Willow Warbler
Wren
Gropper
(One Long Tailed Tit from Main site)
75 birds ringed today, 35 Sand Martins from roost.

(13/14)/08
My first experience of Wader ringing at Kings North Power Station near Medway was certainly a highlight of my stay, had a great night producing 5 new species for me!
Ringed Plover
Black tailed Godwit
Greenshank
Redshank
Dunlin
11 birds ringed but what a night!

Something interesting there Hugh? ;-)

15/08
I was told Monday mornings were good, maybe I should have taken it more seriously :P
Gropper
Whitethroat
House Sparrow
Reed Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
So thats the common stuff.
Whinchat
Tree Pipit
Redstart (new sp)
Not so common stuff.
Icterine Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Rarity form stuff. Both obviously new species.

WOAH! What a morning! Never did I expect to be able to ring either of those birds in the UK let alone as a T permit. Thanks so much to those who let me have both birds, still smiling a week on!

 An Icky from Icky :P

 Not so Reedy as Marshy. Can happily say I extracted this knowing it wasn't a Reed. Win!

Not ringed by myself but what an amazing bird to observe in the hand, a violent bird with a bit of a temper, had some interesting wing moult.

Did a little bit of ringing on 16th but bailed early to catch my Grandparents for a lift back to sunny Lincs. I can only keep thanking everyone at Icklesham for letting my stay and helping me get a grasp of there systems. Feeling like a very capable ringer right now! Oh and passed the exams and got a place at Bournemouth Uni. Hopefully some more south coast ringing to come!

Au revoir Bourne!

Back down to Icklesham tomorrow, Will keep a written diary as to update a day by day analysis when I get back. Now to try and use birds as an excuse to ignore impending results day (cries)

Forgein Controls!

I also bring news of a Chaffinch to Norway and a Brambling to Denmark! Details when I remember to pick them up from the back of Alan's car...so in about 3 weeks :-P

Icklesham 12-18 July.

Once again life has been busy, birding and otherwise, meaning I haven't had a chance to keep this blog updated, so my apologies.

However I don't want to write to much as I am unaware on how strict where I have been ringing is on releasing news. What I can say is that I can now include Oystercatcher and Reed Warbler on my ring list, and have had an opportunity to get my eye in on fat and muscle scores. All good stuff! The place felt very scientific and it loved it! If only the weather had been a little better! Most of my time was spent wandering with the bins during the day (25 miles in 3 days of which I was rather proud of ;-) ). Due to the amount of learning done, I got few photos of actual birds, however I'll put up a couple of scenic landscape shots when I next have a chance.

Also a short trip to Dunsby Sewage Treatment Works (first of the year) earlier this week turned out to be rather unsucessful and ended up in going Owling, not that I am complaining!

Back down south on Monday, and news is good for numbers picking up. Very excited!

Raptor Heaven

So after Buzzard's a few weeks back, my raptor list is pretty impressive for someone only ringing 18 months. Kestrel, Barn, Little and Tawny Owls being regulars it was nice to get Buzzards and Peregrine recently. But now I can add another two species to the list with Red kite and Marsh Harrier, both emmence birds!

Buzzards

Red Kite

Marsh Harrier

And not to forget the my second wader. Little Ringed Plover. Beauties!