Clumber Mute Swans - 16th October 2022

Jayne and I had a lovely walk around the main lake at Clumber Park this afternoon. Gull numbers were beginning to build up (200+ Black-headed Gulls were seen, but, unfortunately, no rings as the gulls stayed in the water) and we also saw 100+ Mute Swans, including 9 cygnets.

The majority of the swans also stayed in the water, but we did spot two darvic-ringed birds, Y204 (a 3-year-old bird with metal ring W48404) and Y677 (a 2-year-old bird with metal ring W51077). Both birds had been seen by us there before (click on the labels to see their life histories). The best sighting of the day (or rather hearing??) was two Cetti's Warblers that we had, our first record for this site. Two Little Egrets were also seen.

Y204

Y677

It was sunny and quite warm today, around 13 degrees, so there were plenty of Common Darters flying about (10+), including several pairs egg-laying. a couple of Migrant Hawkers were also seen, as were three Hornets.

Clumber and Rufford - 24th February 2022

On Thursday, in between the wind and snow showers (!), I had a walk around Clumber and Rufford looking for Black-headed Gulls.

Clumber had approximately 400 gulls, but, unfortunately, only about 50 or so were interested in my food offerings. Of these bird, only one had a darvic ring, number 295A. This is one of the Center Parcs birds, and this sighting was my first away from Rufford. There were two metal-ringed birds, but I only managed to get one number, VAO171, a Danish bird, that I've seen several times before. It was originally ringed  in June 2015. 

The Mute Swans at Clumber were very friendly, and I managed to read a few rings; Y204, Y677, Y358, 929Y and W47133. Y204 was ringed in Pontefract Park in August 2019 and was first seen at Clumber in November 2020. Y677 was ringed on 14th October 2020, as a 3, a bird born in that year. Y358 had been ringed on 6th September 2019, just 13km away, and had been seen at Clumber since August 2021. 929Y was ringed in August 2018, and had been seen at Clumber in August 2021. W47133 had also been ringed in August 2018, as a 5, born in 2017. I recorded this bird at Clumber in August 2021.

When I arrived at Rufford, one of the first gulls I saw was.... 295A!! Other ringed birds seen were: 258A, 293A, 294A, 295A, 297A, JO116 and V77K.