This morning Steve, David and I were up in Antrim for the first Copeland Bird Observatory training session of the winter. We ring here once a month Nov-Mar outside the Obs season to give the trainees a little more experience and to handle some new species. We had a good mix of 5 trainees, 3 C and 3 A permit holders.
The feeding station was really quiet with not a Goldfinch in sight and very few thrushes but we still processed over 100 birds.
The wild bird seed plot produced half the haul from two well placed nets.
The best bird of the morning was the first Blackcap for the site and 28 new Linnets is a great catch.
Antrim Ringing Totals - 19/11/2017
New Retraps
The feeding station was really quiet with not a Goldfinch in sight and very few thrushes but we still processed over 100 birds.
The wild bird seed plot produced half the haul from two well placed nets.
The best bird of the morning was the first Blackcap for the site and 28 new Linnets is a great catch.
Blackcap
Antrim Ringing Totals - 19/11/2017
New Retraps
Blackcap 1
Blue Tit 6 2
Chaffinch 17 5
Coal Tit 4 1
Dunnock 2 1
Goldcrest 8
Great Tit 1 2
Lesser Redpoll 5
Linnet 28 1
Long-tailed Tit 10
Robin 7
Wren 3
Totals 92 12
Initial signs are that it was a bad year for Blue and Great Tits. This time last year we caught 14 Greti but just one juvenile today. The Blue Tit catch was also low and only 3 of the 8 were juveniles. There were a few Blackbirds around but not feeding on the fruit trees just yet. We caught 27 new Blackbirds in the first two visits of last winter. A cold snap and a touch of frost would help the next catch!
Although we had planned to carry on at Portstewart Strand for a few more visits, it turns out that the 27th of October was the final visit of the season. I was down by myself in mild sunny conditions with some light northerlies. As I sit now I don't remember all that much about the day but I did catch 34 new birds. The total was heavily boosted by Linnets with 17 new birds.
Portstewart Strand 27/10/2017
New Retrap
Blackbird 2
Blue Tit 1
Bullfinch 2 2
Chaffinch 4
Goldcrest 2 2
Goldfinch 1
Great Tit 1
Dunnock 1
Linnet 17
Robin 1
Song Thrush 1
Wren 3
Totals 34 6
John was out on the 2nd of November at the University River Site and over a few hours caught 23 new birds including 12 Long-tailed Tits and a Blackcap.
We were all up at the BTO Northern Ireland Birdwatchers Conference last Saturday at Oxford Island and thoroughly enjoyed the range of talks with plenty of focus on ringing, migration and talks on Ireland's two bird observatories!
I will follow up with the end of season totals for Portstewart Strand in the next month or so. As for now it should be back to Castlerock but I have been saying that for a few weeks and not made it out the door! There has been no sign of the usual winter thrushes feeding on the Sea Buckthorn berries but it is early doors yet. I have prepared the net rides at Castlerock but other than that, we don't have any real plans for the winter and have yet to set up any feeders but will find other bits and pieces to keep us busy.
Blue Tit 6 2
Chaffinch 17 5
Coal Tit 4 1
Dunnock 2 1
Goldcrest 8
Great Tit 1 2
Lesser Redpoll 5
Linnet 28 1
Long-tailed Tit 10
Robin 7
Wren 3
Totals 92 12
Initial signs are that it was a bad year for Blue and Great Tits. This time last year we caught 14 Greti but just one juvenile today. The Blue Tit catch was also low and only 3 of the 8 were juveniles. There were a few Blackbirds around but not feeding on the fruit trees just yet. We caught 27 new Blackbirds in the first two visits of last winter. A cold snap and a touch of frost would help the next catch!
Long-tailed Tits
Although we had planned to carry on at Portstewart Strand for a few more visits, it turns out that the 27th of October was the final visit of the season. I was down by myself in mild sunny conditions with some light northerlies. As I sit now I don't remember all that much about the day but I did catch 34 new birds. The total was heavily boosted by Linnets with 17 new birds.
Portstewart Strand 27/10/2017
New Retrap
Blackbird 2
Blue Tit 1
Bullfinch 2 2
Chaffinch 4
Goldcrest 2 2
Goldfinch 1
Great Tit 1
Dunnock 1
Linnet 17
Robin 1
Song Thrush 1
Wren 3
Totals 34 6
Bullfinch
John was out on the 2nd of November at the University River Site and over a few hours caught 23 new birds including 12 Long-tailed Tits and a Blackcap.
We were all up at the BTO Northern Ireland Birdwatchers Conference last Saturday at Oxford Island and thoroughly enjoyed the range of talks with plenty of focus on ringing, migration and talks on Ireland's two bird observatories!
I will follow up with the end of season totals for Portstewart Strand in the next month or so. As for now it should be back to Castlerock but I have been saying that for a few weeks and not made it out the door! There has been no sign of the usual winter thrushes feeding on the Sea Buckthorn berries but it is early doors yet. I have prepared the net rides at Castlerock but other than that, we don't have any real plans for the winter and have yet to set up any feeders but will find other bits and pieces to keep us busy.
27m net ride at Castlerock
