Martin And More

Information arrived from French ringers of ring number 8998514 we caught at Cockerham on 5 June 2021. 

https://anotherbirdblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-french-bonus.html  

8998514 - Museum Paris

“Here are the details of a ringed bird you have reported.” 

Species: Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

Scheme: FRP

Ring no: 8998514 

Ringing details: Age: 3 (juvenile) 

Ringing date: 19 Aug 2020 at 23:30:00 

Site name: Tour aux Moutons, Donges, Loire-Atlantique, France Ringer: Paris, -11 

Finding details Age: 4 (adult) 

Sex: F 

Finding date: 05 Jun 2021 at 08:00:00 

Biometrics: Wing: 102.0 mm. Weight: 11.9 g. 

Time: 08:00:00hrs 

Subsequent Capture: - Duration: 290 days Distance: 740 km Direction: 356deg (N) 

Sand Martin

So not too many surprises there with a first year Sand Martin being caught in France whilst on migration to North Africa. 8998514 may have been born in Lancashire, possibly at Cockerham Quarry to where it returned to breed in 2021 as an adult female. 

Donges, (as named above) is a site of major natural significance on the Loire Estuary where a large part of the 200 hectares site is protected in an “original natural state.” The area contains the single biggest bank of reed beds on the Loire Estuary. 

Since 2003, the Loire Atlantique Association for Ornithological Knowledge and Research (ACROLA) has been carrying out bird ringing operations every summer in the reed beds located to the south of the East Donges facility, to study post-breeding migration of birds which use the zone as a staging area. 

Loire Atlantique, France. 

 

Swallows and Sand Martins use the reed beds as a night time sanctuary during migration time. The reeds also hold large populations of small passerines such as Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Aquatic Warbler, as residents and migrants. The latter species Acrocephalus paludicola, Aquatic Warbler is a critically endangered species. 

Back at Cockerham today I found again the Great Egret that went missing for a few weeks. Of course this bird could be a different one as its habits are different by spending 90% of each day in secluded trees, out of sight out of mind.  It’s nearest companions were a single Grey Heron and two Little Egrets. 

Great Egret

Near there, a Skylark at last feeding young. And both Oystercatchers and Redshanks with young in tow. 

Back soon with more news and views. Stay Tuned.

Linking this post to Eileen's Blogspot and Anni in Texas.

A Touch Of Summer

Late May/early June can be boom or bust for bird ringers and birders alike. In early 2021 unpredictability became the norm when unseasonal cold air, regular frosts and nagging northerlies played havoc with springtime migration from Africa to Europe. Late arrivals, non-arrivals and delays to the start of breeding put question marks over what we might see in our first ringing session of June at Oakenclough. 

On Tuesday I met Andy at 0630 not knowing what to expect in the way of numbers of birds, let alone the species or their ages. It was a warm sunny morning, time for us and the birds to grab a touch of summer. 

Although as expected we didn’t catch too many birds, just ten, we learned a thing or two from the few we did see.  Perhaps more importantly it was the species we didn’t catch that led to more questions.  For instance, although we saw and heard 8 or 10 Willow Warblers, we caught none, at a time of year when we might expect to catch both adult birds collecting food for nestlings and/or recently fledged juveniles. We were left with the conclusion that late arriving male Willow Warblers continue their territorial songs while their even later mates sit tight on eggs yet to hatch. 

Birds caught - 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Robin, 1 Blackbird, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Coal Tit, ! Treecreeper, 1 Blackcap , 1 Goldcrest. 

We derived satisfaction from our two Garden Warblers, a male and female both caught in the same net and both in prime breeding condition. The female with a whopping brood patch, the male a whopping cloacal protuberance (don’t ask). These were just two of the four or more Garden Warblers on site, three in loud and sustained song. At last, and after a gap of many years, we have proof that Garden Warblers are breeding on site again rather than simply spring and autumn migrants. 

Full marks to site owners United Utilities for showing their commitment to conservation by spending money and revitalising this site in favour of birds. 

The two Robins, the Blackbird, Treecreeper, Coal Tit and Goldcrest were all fresh juveniles that bred on site. The adult male Blackcap was also in breeding condition and almost certainly paired with a female that we did not see or catch. 

Garden Warbler

 

Robin

Treecreeper

Chaffinch

Other than our ringing the morning produced little in the way of birds except for Pied Wagtails carrying food to their stone wall nest, young Mistle Thrushes, many dozens of Greylags and the occasional flyover Siskin. Siskins breed in the nearby conifer belt and rarely stray towards our nets until winter when our Niger seed feeders are on site. 

Local anglers told us of Ospreys on more than one occasion during May, most likely the birds on their way to Scotland rather than taking their chances in the game keeper raptor free zone of nearby Bowland. But we live in hope of both Ospreys and Red Kites taking up residence in nearby hills and dales. 

There's news of a Sand Martin in the next post of Another Bird Blog. 

Linking at weekend to Eileen's Blogspot and Anni in Texas.