Linacre Ringing - 26th January 2018

Saturday saw 6 members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group back down at Linacre for the second ringing session of the year. We had a relatively quiet session with just 18 birds ringed, as follows (new/retrap): Coal Tit 0/1, Blue Tit 7/7 and Great Tit 3/0.

Whilst on site we also had the first records of 2019 for Song Thrush (1 bird singing) and Common Buzzard (1 over). Also seen were, Sparrowhawk (2 birds together over the ringing site),  Bullfinch, Siskin and Mistle Thrush (2 seen, and heard singing).

Black-headed Gull EY19562

Back in November 2018 I saw a metal ringed Black-headed Gull on the River Wye, Bakewell. I managed to get its ring number (EY19562), and found out that it had been ringed, as a first year bird, at Westport Lake, Staffordshire, on 10th December 2014, 40km away.

EY19562 - 4th November 2018

Since then, it has been re sighted in the same spot another 3 times; on 10th January 2019, 17th January 2019 (both by my nephew, Luke), and today, by me again. As far as I am aware, it hasn't been seen anywhere else since ringing.

EY19562 - today

Darviced Black-headed Gull at Holmebrook Valley CP

Last Sunday, my nephew, Luke was at his local patch, Holmebrook Valley CP, in Chesterfield, to carry out his monthly WeBS count. He always has a fair few Black-headed Gulls (100+ on a good day), along with the odd Common, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

He has also recorded several metal-ringed Black-headed Gulls over the last few years, but they have always stayed out on the middle of the lake, too far away for the rings to be read. Sunday, however, was different, and he managed to see and photograph a darvic ringed Black-headed Gull.

Black-headed Gull

As you can see in the photograph, the bird in question was a 1st winter/2nd calendar year bird (born in 2018), with a blue darvic ring. Unfortunately, the number is very difficult to read, but it looks very similar to another ring that Luke and I saw on a bird in Bakewell in August 2018 (see here). That bird had been ringed at Rutland Water in June 2018. We're still awaiting details, but it would be great if we'd found a second Rutland bird here in Derbyshire!

Yorkshire Sculpture Park - 20th January 2019

Jayne and I had a few hours at Yorkshire Sculpture Park on Sunday. Whilst there we walked around the Lower Lake, where we were lucky enough to see a Great (White) Egret that was feeding in the Reedmace just below the bridge. It was first seen in the heronry, before flying down to feed, approximately 40m away. Brilliant views!

Great White Egret

Whilst there, we also spotted Goosander (c.6), a fishing Kingfisher, 100+ Black-headed Gulls, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Canada and Greylag Geese, 2 singing Mistle Thrushes, and an old friend, Mute Swan 691. See here for ringing details and our first record of this bird.

Mute Swan 691

Coal Aston Ringing - 20th January 2019

I was out with 2 other members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group this morning for our first ringing session of the year at our farm site in Coal Aston. The owners of the site had reported that the feeders had been very busy since our last visit, so hopes were high for a good number of birds.

We weren't disappointed with a very respectable 33 birds caught (new/retraps): Blue Tit 15/4, Coal Tit 1/0, Great Tit 9/0, Robin 2/0, Wren 1/0 and Great-spotted Woodpecker 1/0. 

All the retrapped Blue Tits had been ringed at the same site; 2 on 30/09/17 (1 year 4 months ago), and 2 on 07/10/18 ( 3 months ago). They were ringed as 3s, so we know, more or less, how old they are. It'll be interesting to see how long they survive, and whether they breed on site this year.

Linacre WeBS January 2018

This weekend was the date for the first BTO WeBS count of 2019. Luke and I had two hours down at Linacre this morning recording the following birds: Mallard (67), Tufted Duck (28), Mandarin Duck (12), Moorhen (15), Coot (5), Cormorant (1), Grey Wagtail (1), Grey Heron (1), Black-headed Gull (c.35) and best of all.... Whooper Swan (a herd of 8 that flew low over the top reservoir, but, unfortunately, didn't land). This was the first Linacre record since March 2017, and a nice way to get a "year tick" too! Luke managed  this photo as they flew through the mist.

Whooper Swans

Other birds seen/heard around the site included Siskin (year tick), Magpie, Green Woodpecker (heard twice and seen once), Kestrel (1), Redwing (loads!!) and Mistle Thrush (1).

Year List update:
102 - Siskin
103 - Whooper Swan

Czech-ringed Black-headed Gull

On Sunday I went down to Derby to see if I could find my first ringed Black-headed Gull of 2019. I started at Derby River Gardens, where there were approximately 100 - 150 gulls on the river. Although they came in to the bread, I couldn't spot any birds wearing rings. After about an hour, I moved on to Alvaston Park to try my luck there. When I arrived there were 200+ birds, mostly feeding on the grass. I started to feed the 50+ birds that were on the lake, and, after the best part of an hour, spotted  one bird wearing a yellow darvic ring, WN30, a new bird! I was also able to spot Museum Praha on the metal ring, showing it was ringed in the Czech Republic - a new country for me!!

      WN30 (Museum Praha), ES49142

A quick check on the internet (cr-birding.org) confirmed that it was a Czech-ringed bird, the first Czech bird I've found. Details were sent off, and the bird had been ringed on 9th June 2017, as a pullus, near Pistin, 1185km away. Result!!