Linacre Nestboxes - 19th May 2024

 Last week's visit to Linacre was very successful, with 43 active nests found. I was back down again yesterday, and am very pleased to say that the nests were still going strong. In addition, I spotted a few butterfly species, including a new one for the year.

First up, the nestboxes. Last week, there were 2 Pied Flycatcher nests, but this week, it had increased to 3! One of last week's nests had increased the number of eggs to 7 (from 5), and the other two contained 5 and 4 eggs. The Wren's nest was still active as was the Coal Tit's. These chicks were old enough to ring (brood of 6) as was the first brood of Blue Tits (6). I'm particularly pleased with Coal Tits, as this is the first time this species has successfully nested in the boxes. As always, the results will be entered into the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

After checking the boxes, I had a quick check for butterflies, and dropped lucky with 1 Red Admiral, 1 Peacock, 3 Silver Y moths and, best of all, a Painted Lady!

Painted Lady

There weren't many birds on the water (presumably still nesting), but I did record 2 broods (10 and 9) of Mandarin Ducks.

Linacre WeBS December 18th 2022

 After a week of ice and snowy conditions (maximum temperature of  3 degrees) I went down to Linacre yesterday morning (17th) to carry out this month's WeBS count. I had expected the reservoirs to be frozen, but, apart from a little ice ( c.10 %) on the bottom reservoir, the other two reservoirs were completely ice-free.

I walked around all three reservoirs and recorded the following numbers: 231 Mallard (highest count of the year), 114 Mandarin Duck, 72 Tufted Duck, 16 Moorhen, 8 Coot, c.50 Black-headed Gull, 5 Cormorant, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Little Grebe.

Black-headed Gulls

Other birds seen around the site included: 1 Tawny Owl, Siskin (3, the first of the winter), Magpie, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Wren, Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tit, Fieldfare (heard) and Redwing (10 over).

UPDATE: A report on Derbyshire Facebook Page from 18th recorded 119 Teal (!!!), 2 Gadwall, 1 male Shoveler, 104 Tufted Duck, 8 Goosander, 3 Cormorants and  19 Lapwing!!!

Linacre Nestboxes - This Year's Totals

With the easing of the lockdown restrictions, I've been able to get down to Linacre to monitor the nestboxes again this year for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.  As it turns out, it's been a pretty good season, with a total of 156 pulli of 4 species ringed.

As always, the two most numerous species using the boxes were Blue and Great Tit, with 109 and 35 pulli ringed. One pair of Nuthatches used a box and raised 4 young, whilst Pied Flycatchers had 2 broods, one of which fledged 8 young. Unfortunately, the second brood of Flycatchers were predated. One other species also built a nest in the boxes this year, a Wren. The pair laid eggs, but they didn't hatch.

8 Pied Flycatcher pulli

Blue Tits ready to fledge

Starling Nest Update - 19th May 2020

It seems like quite a while ago since I last blogged about the Starling nest that is in a box on the side of my house, and that I am monitoring for the BTO's Nesting Neighbours scheme. In my last post (here) 4 chicks, from 5 eggs, had just hatched (Monday 27th April). Since then, the adults have done a fantastic job and have raised all 4 chicks to the point of fledging. 2 fledged yesterday, and the last two fledged today. Before fledging I ringed all four chicks, under BTO license, so hopefully I'll get a report of at least one of them.

4 chicks ready to fledge

Linacre Nestboxes, Birds and Insects

I was able to get down to Linacre on Saturday to check the nestboxes for the first time this season. I walked around all three reservoirs and checked 87 boxes. In total, I found 37 boxes with active nests in them; 33 were either Blue or Great Tits, but there were also 2 Pied Flycatcher nests, 1 Wren nest and 1 Nuthatch nest. There were also 3 singing Pied Flycatchers, which is the highest count I've had, since the first ones were recorded in 2008. All nests are being monitored for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

Whilst on site, I also had a look for any insects that were active. I didn't see any butterflies, but I did spot this adult Cinnabar Moth that was emerging on a fence and a Scorpion Fly.

Cinnabar Moth

I also managed to see the first ducklings of the year. There were two broods of Mandarin Duck, 7 and 4, and one brood of Mallard with 3 ducklings.

The best sighting, however, was my first ever sighting of a Grass Snake. I spotted one basking on a stone wall by the bottom reservoir. Unfortunately, I only managed a quick photo before it slid off, into the wall. I did, however, manage to spot a "sloughed" skin in the same spot.

Spot the snake!!

Blue Tit Recovery

Obviously, because of the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown, I haven't been able to go to Linacre ringing since the start of the year. I was very pleased, therefore, to receive an email from David at Sorby Breck Ringing Group, with details of a Blue Tit that we'd ringed at Linacre on 16th July 2016 (see here).

The bird was aged as a 3J i.e. it was born in 2016, and was found dead (taken by a cat) on 28th April 2020, 1382 days after ringing, a whopping 8km away in Wingerworth, Chesterfield. This is quite a decent age for a Blue Tit , and also a pretty good movement.

Starling Chicks

Following on from my last post about this year's Starling nest, I'm very happy to report that, from the 5 eggs laid, we know have 5 healthy chicks.

1st May 2020

The chicks hatched out on Monday 27th April, and have enjoyed a reasonably decent (weather wise) first week of life. Both parents have been very busy bringing in food for the young birds, and they seem to be thriving.

As this box is on the side of my house, I can still monitor it for the BTO's Nesting Neighbours Scheme, and I'll be able to ring the chicks in about another week's time.

Starling Nest 2020 - Eggs are Laid

2020 is the seventh year in a row that I've had the pleasure of Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) nesting in a box that I have on the side of my house here in Derbyshire. Since the first nest back in 2014, the birds have successfully reared and fledged  a total of 32 young, most of which I have also been able to ring for the BTO's Ringing Scheme. Unfortunately, I haven't yet had any recoveries of any of these birds since fledging. This year perhaps?

Anyway, the 2020 season began on 3rd April, when the first few pieces of grass and leaves were brought into the box. I always spot this, as most of the material ends up on our back door step!! Nest building continued, and the first egg was laid on 11th April ( 4 days later than 2019, and a full week later than my earliest ever egg on 4th April 2017).

Starlings lay one egg a day, and so, by 15th April, we had a full clutch of 5 eggs.

15th April - full clutch 

The birds will now incubate for a couple of weeks, so I'll leave well alone and check on the young birds' progress, when they've hatched.

All the data that I collect will be forwarded to the BTO's Nesting Neighbours Scheme (previously known as Nestbox Challenge).

Linacre WeBS - 27th October 2019

Ringing at Linacre was cancelled this morning dur to strong winds, so instead, Sarah, Robin and I walked around all three reservoirs and carried out this month's WeBS count.

No real surprises this month, but the Mandarin Ducks (48) looked very smart in their newly moulted breeding finery. Also, it was nice to see my first Linacre Black-headed Gulls of the winter, with 24 seen (no rings though).

Other birds seen were: Mallard (87), Tufted Duck (22), Coot (5), Moorhen (13), Grey Heron (1), Grey Wagtail (1), Cormorant (1), Great-crested Grebe (1) and Little Grebe (1).

Black-headed Gull EA32375 in Bakewell

Yesterday, Luke and I went across to Bakewell to see if we could find any ringed Black-headed Gulls. There were only about 20 gulls there, but we soon spotted one wearing a metal ring. We began to feed it with some bread, and within 20 minutes or so we'd managed to photograph and read the ring number, EA32375. We also spotted London on the ring, showing it was a British-ringed bird. Details were sent off to the BTO, and I'll update the blog when I hear back.

EA32375

Whilst there, we also spotted the colour-ringed Canada Goose AAAH, a female bird, first seen here on 10th February 2018, and again on 15th July 2019, after being ringed in Bowness on Windermere in 2nd July 2013.

AAH

UPDATE: Details from the BTO show that EA32375 was ringed, as a chick, by Merseyside Ringing Group at Shotton, Flintshire on 26th June 2019, a distance of 91km away. Our sighting was the first since ringing.

Black-headed Gull EY13347

On Saturday I was walking around along the cliff tops in Seahouses, Northumberland when I spotted a Black-headed Gull wearing a metal ring. I got some bread, and, after about 20 minutes, managed to get enough photos to read the number; EY13347.

EY13347

I sent the record off to the BTO, and heard back that the bird had been ringed by The Natural History Society of Northumbria, as a pullus, on Inner Farne (2km away) on 3rd July 2014 (1787 days ago). Not the furthest ever recovery, but still very interesting to see,

Starlings are Go!

My last post about the Starling nest on my house was on 5th May, when the 5 chicks were ringed by me (see here). Since then, the birds have continued to grow, and 4 of the 5 eventually fledged on 12th May, 18 days since they hatched. Unfortunately, 1 of the Starlings didn't make it, and was found dead in the box once the other birds had fledged. The details of the nest have been added to the BTO's Nestbox Challenge Scheme.

The box was empty for a couple of days, before the adult birds started singing around it again, and today there were the first signs of nest number 2.

Starling Nest 2?

Starlings Ringed

It's been a few weeks since I last blogged about the Starling nest on my house (see here). Since then, the 5 chicks have done really well, and today I ringed them for the BTO Ringing Scheme. Details of the nest will also be entered onto the BTO's Nestbox Challenge website.

5 chicks in the nestbox

Starling chick

Linacre Nestboxes - 4th May 2019

Luke and I had 2 hours at Linacre checking the nestboxes for the BTO Nest Record Scheme yesterday. Things had moved on very nicely since last week with 26 active nests (up from 25 last week), including 5 with chicks, one of which (8 Great Tit chicks), I was able to ring for the BTO Ringing Scheme.

Chicks!

The new nest was a very nice find, as it contained a bright blue egg in a grass cup, indicating a Pied Flycatcher nest. There were 3 singing Pied Flycatchers present as well, so hopefully, we'll end up with a few more nests as well.

Pied Flycatcher nest

Whilst walking around we also spotted 3 broods of Mallards (8, 9 and 1), 1 brood of Moorhens (3), 20 House Martins, 10 Swallows, and..... a Common Sandpiper (the first Linacre record of 2019).

I popped back down to  Linacre again this morning for an hour, and managed to find a singing Reed Bunting (first ever record of a singing bird, and my first Linacre record since 2013, when 1 was trapped and ringed (see here), and a singing Whitethroat. I managed to get an awful record shot of the latter bird, showing a ring. We haven't ringed that many Whitethroats at Linacre, so it would be great to retrap it this year to see if it is a returning bird or not.

Year List update:
159 - Whitethroat

Coal Aston Nestboxes - 2nd May 2019

It is just over 2 weeks since my last visit to the nestboxes in Coal Aston (see here), so I went up this afternoon to see how they had progressed.

Last visit there were 6 active nests, and today there were still 6 active nests! This time, however, 5 of the 6 nests were being actively incubated by Great Tits (4) and a Nuthatch (1). The 6th nest contained 8 warm eggs, but there was no sign of the sitting bird. Details of today's visit will be recorded for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

Incubating Nuthatch

8 eggs - great arrangement!

Linacre Nestboxes - Update 28th April 2019

It's now been 2 weeks since my last check of the nestboxes at Linacre, so I went down this morning with 2 other members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group (thanks Sarah and Robin), to see how things had progressed. We found a total of 25 active nests (24 with eggs, and 1 with the first chicks of 2019; 8 Great Tits). Unfortunately, they weren't quite big enough to ring. The other nests were a mixture of Blue and Great Tits and contained between 5 and an impressive 14 eggs. A minimum of 2, possibly 3 Pied Flycatchers were also present and singing. The Mallard nest I found on a wall at the start of the month had, unfortunately, but not surprisingly, been predated. A Nuthatch was seen taking food into a natural cavity, possibly feeding a sitting bird? The results of today's visit will be entered into the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

Nest with 14 eggs

Whilst on site, we also recorded a couple of Canada Geese (still quite uncommon for Linacre), a pair of Raven flying over, Siskin (heard in the conifer woodlands by the top reservoir), 2 Buzzards and a new micro moth species Adela reaumurella.

Adela reaumurella

Starling Nest - We've got Chicks!

This year's Starling nest had 5 eggs back on 11th April. The average incubation period for this species is two weeks, so, when noise was heard from the box on 24th, is was clear this year's chicks had hatched. This was the view of the nestbox this afternoon - 5 naked and blind chicks.

5 chicks on 27th April 2019

I'll update the BTO's Nestbox Challenge site with the details, and leave the chicks for a week or so, before ringing them.

Linacre Nestboxes and Summer Migrants - 14th April 2019

Luke and I were down at Linacre this morning to have the first check of the nestboxes for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme. We went around all of the "tit" boxes and found 12 with eggs in them already, including one with a Great Tit sitting, and a further 20 with the beginnings of nests in them. All the eggs were tit eggs, and all but one of the nests were tit nests. One nest looked a little different with grass in it, so fingers crossed for this one. Unfortunately, there weren't any signs of Nuthatches using the boxes... yet. The owl boxes will be checked later in the week.

Tit nest with 12 eggs

Along with these nests, we also inadvertently flushed a female Mallard off a nest that was built on top of a 1m high wall (the first one I've ever found at Linacre), and also had a pair of very annoyed Chiffchaffs alarm calling and wing flicking at us as we walked past them. The Moorhen's nest that we found last weekend was still active, with a bird sitting on it, whilst a tiny, newly-fledged Moorhen chick was by the boardwalk on the top reservoir. Last, but by no means least, was a Blackbird carrying nesting material.

Mallard nest

Other birds noted this morning were: 4 Bramblings still around the top reservoir, Greylag Geese (birds heard honking, but not seen, 1st record of 2019), Teal (a pair on the top reservoir), Siskin and Lesser Redpoll (heard by the top reservoir), Blackcap (4+ singing), Willow Warbler (2 singing) and a very nice mixed flock of Swallow (c.40), Sand Martins (c.20) and House Martins (4+) feeding on the top reservoir, and coming in to roost on the dam wall (1st Linacre records of 2019).

Five eggs

Following on from my last post, the Starlings have now laid a full clutch of 5 eggs.

5 eggs

This should be a complete clutch now, so I'll leave the nest alone for the next couple of weeks, until the chicks are due to hatch. As always, the details will forwarded to the BTO Nest Box Challenge.

Darviced Herring Gulls

On Friday 22nd February, whilst in Scarborough, I saw 2 adult Herring Gulls, each carrying a yellow darvic ring, and a metal BTO ring.

The first bird Y:D92, was feeding with the Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls in Holbeck car park.

Y:D92

The second bird was found about half an hour later, stood on a lamppost, with another Herring Gull, on Marine Drive. This bird had darvic ring Y:H42.

Y:H42

Y:D92, was first ringed on 30th June 2017 at a landfill site, Harewood Whin, York, 62km away. My record was the first since then. Y:H42 was first ringed at Seamer Landfill Site in Scarborough in 2007. It was recaptured at Rufforth Waste Disposal Site, York, on 8th July 2017, 62km away. It has been recorded 5 times since at Scalby Mills, Scarborough, before being reported by me.