Sparrowhawks journey ends at Bus Stop

We recently received a recovery of a Sparrowhawk which we had ringed as a chick back in 2009.

It was ringed as one of a brood of 3 chicks in a nest in the North of the Island on 2nd July 2009. Sean then caught it a year later during one of his mist netting sessions at Port Lewaigue on 24th October 2010 (pictured below).

2nd Cal year female Sparrowhawk, Maughold, IoM 2010 (c)grayimages.co.uk

Then, unfortunately, it flew into the glass wall of a bus stop and died at Ballajora, Maughold on 19th April this year. Collisions with glass are a common cause of death in birds, in fact in our recovery reports where the cause of death is known, hitting glass is second only to birds killed by pet cats.

Ballajora is only a couple of kilometres from Port Lewaigue so it seems likely that this female Sparrowhawk had its territory in Maughold. An unfortunate end to such a stunning bird.

Lesser Black-backed Gull from Spain

A couple of weeks ago Sean blogged about photographing a colour ringed LBB Gull that wasn't from our scheme. He has now received the details back from the ringers in SPAIN!

LBB Gull T052 at Point of Ayre sand quarry, April 2013 (c)grayimages.co.uk

 

The Gull was caught by ringers at CTRU Gomecello (a landfill site) in the Salamanca area on 08 January 2012.

It had also been seen at Playa de Banuges, Asturies, Spain on 31 December 2012.

 

View Lesser Black-backed Gull T052 in a larger map

The information sheet sent to us by the Spanish ringers can be seen by clicking on this link.

Recent Gull movements

We've had some more 'large' Gull recoveries sent to us recently, the details of which are below.

Herring Gull GN53345 - T8UF
Ringed as a chick at Calf of Man Bird Obs, IoM on 14 July 2011
Seen alive (colour ring read) at Ballycotton Pier, Cork on 20 March 2013.
Also previously recorded at Ballycotton, Cork on 26 February 2012 & Bray Harbour, Wicklow on 15 July 2012.

 

View Herring Gull T8UF in a larger map

 

T8UF at Ballycotton, Cork March 2013 (c) Norma Gleeson

 

Herring Gull GR48886 - T0ZD

Ringed as a rescued chick at ManxSPCA (released Pooilvaaish, IoM) on 07 August 2012

Seen alive (colour rings read) at Whitehaven, Cumbria on 20 April 2013.

Also previously seen at Peel, IoM on 15 December 2012.

 

Great Black-backed Gull HT95124 - T7ZG

Ringed as a chick at Calf of Man Bird Obs, IoM on 11 July 2012

Seen alive (colour ring read) roosting with other GBBG's at Bullock Harbour, Dublin on 17 April 2013

 

T7ZG at Bullock Harbour, Dublin April 2013 (c) Paul Smith

 

Lesser Black-backed Gull GR64613 - T3UK

Ringed as a chick at Calf of Man Bird Obs, IoM on 04 July 2012

Seen alive (colour ring read) at Quarteira harbour, Faro, PORTUGAL on 23 April 2013

Also seen previously at Taboeira landfill, Aveiro, PORTUGAL on 07 September 2012

 

LBB Gull T3UK at Quarteira, Portugal, April 2013 (c) Michael Davis

Recent Cormorant recoveries

We have received details of 5 colour-ringed Cormorant recoveries in recent weeks, the details of which are below.

5267368 - Colour ring ZYH
Ringed at Stack Mooar, Maghold, IoM on 04 June 2012
Seen alive (colour ring read) at Marine Lake, Southport, Merseyside on 08 March 2013 (112km SE 277days)

5267391 - Colour ring ZXI
Ringed at Stack Mooar, Maughold, IoM on 04 June 2012
Found dead on the tideline after a storm at Ravenglass, Cumbria on 24 March 2013 (60km E 293days)

5264323 - Colour ring Z4S
Ringed at Stack Mooar, Maghold, IoM on 09 June 2011
Seen alive (colour ring read) at St Bee's Head, Cumbria on 28 March 2013 (50km ENE 1yr 292days)

5268312 - Colour ring ZUH
Ringed at Point of Ayre GP's, IoM on 14 June 2012
Seen alive (colour ring read) at Cossington Meadows LRWT reserve, Leicestershire on 08 April 2013 (285km SE 298days)

5267351 - Colour ring ZZP
Ringed at Stack Mooar, Maughold, IoM on 04 June 2012
Found dead at Hafod-y-llyn, nr Harlech, Gwynedd on 20 April 2013 (164km S 320days)

Below is the map of all our recoveries since starting our project on Cormorants, you can click on the link underneath it to see the map in larger format and with details of all the map markers.

View Manx RG Cormorant movements in a larger map

Waxwing!

A phonecall from my brother this morning had me heading to Port Erin to have a look at some Waxwings! My nephew had seen a flock of Waxwings in a garden there over the last couple of days and just happened to mention it in passing today!

With my brother and nephew already there, they confirmed that there were still 3 present, feeding on apples placed on a low bush and they were allowing very close approach - that close in fact that when I arrived I was able to pick one off the apple it was feeding on!!

Waxwing - hand caught - photos by Matthew Scott

Thanks to Matt & Big bro for the info and to the owner of the house where it was feeding!

Recent Recoveries

We received an interesting batch of recoveries through from the BTO today, here are the highlights...

Mute Swan W30914

View Mute Swan F23 in a larger map

 

Yet another 'long distance' Mute Swan to Scotland! F23 moved to Castletown Harbour shortly after being ringed at Billown Mansion (one of 2011's cygnets from there). It was last seen at Castletown in August 2011 - where had it been before being sighted at Castle Semple this February?

 

Sand Martin Y786866

 

Ringed at the Point of Ayre sand quarry on 26th July 2012 as a 3J before being controlled at Icklesham, Rye Bay, East Sussex on 18th September 2012.

 

Catching Sand Martins - July 2012

 

 

Siskin L807674

 

Ringed in Sean's garden at Port e Vullen, Maughold, IOM on 31st December 2010 and controlled at Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire on 23rd December 2012.

 

 

Lesser Redpoll Y785753

 

View Lesser Redpoll Y785753 in a larger map

 

A fantastic recovery to the very top of mainland Britain at Bettyhill, Highland! Maybe hinting at this birds breeding territory having been caught in Highland in July?