Dazzling

I met up with Sean this evening after work and we had a decent dazzling session up North. Highlights were the years first Whimbrel and the groups first Shag, also dazzled were 2 Turnstone.

Whimbrel

Shag

Tursntones

Hopefully the Whimbrel is to be the first of many after our succes with them last year! The Shag was an unusual discovery in the torch beam! A very feisty individual and in pristine condition with good muscle score and body weight.

Recent ringing roundup

It's been a quiet couple of weeks for me ringing wise but I have managed to get out and read plenty of colour rings on the local Mute Swans and Herring Gulls.

I also got out with Sean  and we managed to spring trap a cracking male Wheatear.

We also managed a visit to our St Johns garden site and were looked after by Christine & Barry once again! Totals from there were:

Dunnock (2 retraps)

Coal Tit 2 (+4 retraps)

Blue Tit 5 (+5 retraps)

Great Tit 7 (+3 retraps)

Rook 2

House Sparrow 1

Chaffinch 10 (+1 retrap)

Goldfinch 3

We caught a Great Tit with a unusual appearance!

It appears to have some sort of disease which is wasting its bill, however it is obviously still able to eat as its weight was a healthy 19g.

It was also fun catching 2 Rooks coming into the feeders - presumably they had hungry chicks to feed nearby!

Calf of Man Bird Observatory recent recoveries

I received a batch of recoveries for the Calf of Man Bird Obs today. Here are some of the highlights. Click on the map markers for the information about the movement.
Goldfinch Y362303

View Goldfinch Y362303 in a larger map

Goldfinch X211840

View Goldfinch X211840 in a larger map

Manx Shearwater FC91799

View Manx Shearwater FC91799 in a larger map

Manx Shearwater

Blackbird NOS-7477044

View Blackbird NOS-7477044 in a larger map

Recent recoveries

We received another batch of recoveries from the BTO today. Here are some of the highlights.

Goldfinch Y376555

View Goldfinch Y376555 in a larger map

Goldfinch L623340

View Goldfinch L623340 in a larger map

Shag 1406267

View Shag 1406267 in a larger map

The 2 Goldfinch movements are interesting. They are the first we have had to the South East of England and would hint at the birds passing through the IOM in October being migrants heading South for the winter. This is backed up by the other recoveries we have already had from other Goldfinch ringed last autumn and recovered heading in a South Easterly direction.

Monthly totals for March

The Manx Ringing Group monthly totals for March 2012 can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

Manx RG monthly totals March 2012

Over 500 birds were ringed during the month with some excellent catches at our garden sites. Due to the standardised way in which we ring at our garden sites, it is hoped to build up a large dataset which will be able to be studied to monitor the populations visiting those gardens.
We also started to catch the first spring migrants with 5 Wheatears, 3 Chiffchaff and a Blackcap and also recorded the first returning colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull to the breeding colony near the Point of Ayre.
Sean also kicked off the pullus ringing for the year with 2 Collard Dove chicks.