Portstewart Strand 23/04/2015

This morning it was just John and I, starting at 06.15.  It was very foggy, persisting through the morning to our departure around midday.  The wind was very light and it was relatively mild, although a little damp from the fog.  Again we set up the three main net rides.
The RNLI Lifeboat appeared in the estuary mid morning at high tide and it is the first time we have seen it on the river.  A boat had run aground on the far bank in the fog and was in need of rescue.

There wasn't much moving in the fog and overall it was generally quiet.  The only thing of note was an increase of wagtails, which were likely to be White Wagtails heading north.  The ringing was made up mostly of Willow Warblers and probably an arrival of Blackbirds with 5 new birds ringed. 26 new birds and 8 retraps was still a decent return. 

              Blackbird        © RD



        Bullfinch      © RD

 



Ringing Totals 23/04/2015

                                        New         Retrap

Blackbird                           5                1

Blackcap                           1

Bullfinch                            1   

Dunnock                            1                 2               

Goldfinch                           2               

Great Tit                                               1

Linnet                                                   1

Reed Bunting                     1

Robin                                  2                                                                      

Willow Warbler                  14              3                

Wren                                                    1                                   

Total                                26                8

 

 

 

Steve and I are heading to Copeland Bird Observatory for the weekend, so we are hoping for some nice birds. The forecast is looking pretty poor but we will try to make the best of it.  

Portstewart Strand 18/04/2015

It was John, Ken and I this morning starting at 06.45, with Ken leaving mid morning.  It was a cold start at 3°C, with clear skies and an easterly breeze.  The wind picked up through the morning, hitting around 15mph on departure before midday.  Today we set both the east and west net rides and also the gorse nets.   

Grasshopper Warbler      © JC

There were a few migrants about with 3 new species for the site this year - Common Sandpiper, House Martin and a Grasshopper Warbler plus Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Sandwich Tern, Swallow, Wheatear and Willow Warbler.  It was a good mornings ringing with 27 new birds and 7 retraps including 9 new Willow Warbler and the first Grasshopper Warbler for the site. 

                    Blackcap          © RD

                     Chaffinch            © RD

Ringing Totals 18/04/2015

                                        New         Retrap

Blackbird                           3        

Blackcap                           1

Bullfinch                            1   

Chaffinch                          3

Chiffchaff                          1

Dunnock                                              1

Goldcrest                                             1

Goldfinch                           2

Grasshopper Warbler        1                       

Lesser Redpoll                  3       

Reed Bunting                    2

Robin                                                   1                                                     

Willow Warbler                  9                2

Wren                                  1                2                   

Total                                27                7

Aberdeenshire Oystercatcher

Back in March, I had noticed an Oystercatcher with a yellow darvic ring (code - T65) from the bird hide at the Bann Estuary.  It took me a few attempts to read it but I finally managed to get my scope on it, on the 8th of March.  I sent the details through to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) that day and I received the information back this morning.

The bird was ringed on 29/03/2014 at Ballater, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire by the Grampian Ringing Group.  The bird was ringed in a catch of 82 birds and it is the seventh bird to have been re-sighted since.  The travel distance is over 310 km flying in a direct flight path, 

I also have a couple of sightings of colour ringed Black-tailed Godwits in with the BTO, so I'll share those details when I receive them.


 

Portstewart Strand 16/04/2015

The winds had finally eased on the 'North Coast,' so I was able to get out for my next session at Portstewart Strand.  I arrived on site at 06.15, with the temperature at -1°C and set up 'West Ride' and the gorse nets.  The full sunshine heated things up and it had reached 12°C by my departure around midday.  The breeze remained light and it clouded over a little, but the sun still impacted the nets, particularly the gorse nets which are exposed. 

Image showing the patches of gorse and the two blocks of scrub behind, where we set the nets

 

 

The only obvious migrants around were the dozens of singing Willow Warbler, at least 3 male Blackcap, a single Swallow and a number of Sandwich Terns. 

The catch of 25 new birds and 5 retraps was made up mostly of Lesser Redpoll  (34 caught on site this year) and Willow Warbler, plus the first Blackcap of the year. 

 

Smart male Lesser Redpoll

 



 

Surprisingly 5 of the Willow Warbler were caught skulking about the low gorse nets, rather than the singing males around the 'West Ride'.  From the picture below you can see that the Sea Buckthorn is still at budding stage but the warm weather over the next few days should open the leaves.  The Elder is a step further, with the first few leaves out but it will also fill out in the coming days, increasing the catches in the currently bare net rides. 

 

 

A rather bare section of 'East Ride'

 

 



Willow Warbler

 

 

Ringing Totals 16/04/2015

                             New         Retrap

Blackbird                1                

Blackcap                 1

Bullfinch                 2               2

Chaffinch                1

Dunnock                                   1

Lesser Redpoll        9

Linnet                      1

Robin                      1                                              

Willow Warbler      8

Wren                       1               2                 

Total                      25                5

 

 



Uni River Site 16/04/2015

John squeezed in a session at the River Site before work this morning and was accompanied by Fred and Gwen.  The nets were opened at 07.30 and closed by 11.15.  It was a cold start but it soon heated up with a cloudless sky.  There were some new arrivals, with the first Sedge Warbler of the year heard and the first three summer Blackcaps ringed.  There was no sign of the Cuckoo heard on campus yesterday evening.

          Blackcap       © JC

It was decent session for the site for mid April; it is better suited to Autumn migration.  The site usually picks up further into the breeding season with a bit of foliage on the trees and when the full compliment of migrants have arrived.

       Reed Bunting     © JC

Ringing Totals 16/04/2015

                             New         Retrap

Blackbird                1                

Blackcap                 3

Dunnock                 2

Long-tailed Tit        1                1

Reed Bunting         1

Robin                      2

Willow Warbler       1

Total                      11                1

Portstewart Strand 09/04/2015

I was by myself today so I only set the East ride and a couple of the gorse singles/doubles.  It was a misty start but it burnt off by 8am and turned into a very sunny day.  The wind also picked up through the morning making the nets a little obvious.  There had been an arrival of birds with 20+ Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, c30 Swallows and 8 Wheatear.  The catching was pretty slow with 11 new birds and 5 retraps but it's always nice to get the first Chiffchaff of the year plus two Willow Warbler.

The first Chiffchaff of the year

A couple of the Wheatears found one of the traps and spent 5 minutes hopping around it trying to get to the meal worms but couldn't find the entrance hole on top!  I should hopefully pick up one or two in the coming weeks. 

Ringing Totals 09/04/2015

                             New         Retrap

Blackbird                1                1

Chiffchaff               1

Dunnock                 3

Goldcrest                1

Lesser Redpoll       1

Meadow Pipit         1

Robin                      1                 1

Song Thrush                              1

Willow Warbler      2

Wren                                         2

Total                      11                5

Portstewart Strand 05/04/2015

John and I arrived on site before 7am and set up both the East (66m) and West net rides (84m) and also the gorse singles/doubles. We were joined by Fred and Gwen (Marine/Environmental students from France) later in the morning.  We had a decent session with 26 new birds and 14 retaps including a nice male Stonechat, a retrap female Stonechat and a Redwing.

                                       Male Stonechat caught in a double shelf net in the gorse.

Female Stonechat retrap caught in a trap

Probably a Redwing of the Icelandic race 'coburni'

The Redwing on appearance suggests it is of the Icelandic race being quite dark and heavily marked but the wing length was in the overlap zone of the two races.  There was still a wintery feel on the estuary with the lack of any hirundines or warblers and the presence of large numbers of wildfowl and some Whooper Swans.    

  Ringing Totals 05/04/2015

                             New           Retrap

Blackbird                                    1

Blue Tit                  2

Bullfinch                3                   2

Dunnock                2                   5

Goldcrest               1                   2

Goldfinch               5

Lesser Redpoll       1

Linnet                    1

Meadow Pipit        2

Redwing                1

Robin                     2

Song Thrush          2

Stonechat               1                   1

Wren                      3                   2

Total                     26                  14

John and I again went out the next morning for a quick session at our University of Ulster Coleraine river site.  It was very quiet but we did see and catch out first Willow Warbler of the year.  There were also a couple of singing Chiffchaff in the area.


Richard Donaghey