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.

Recent Recoveries

There’s no birding or ringing for a day or two thanks to continuing poor weather so I’m posting information about a couple of recent ringing records. One is a Sand Martin at Cockerham quarry, the other a Linnet from our Linnet project at Gulf Lane, Pilling/Cockerham Marsh. 

Linnet 

We ringed Linnet number S800115 as a juvenile male on 10 August 2017- Biometrics: Wing: 81.0 mm. Weight: 17.8 g. Time: 10:00:00 hrs 

Our Linnet was recaptured on 04 May2018 at Walney Island Bird Observatory, Cumbria. Although the distance between the two points is negligible, the date of both the original ringing and the recapture are much more interesting. The month of August points to a juvenile dispersal, maybe from Cumbria but with a possibility that the bird’s place of birth was further north. The timing of its return on a northward track during May is within the peak of period of Linnet spring migration and when S800115 may have headed back to or near to its place of birth. 

I'm afraid that such recoveries often provide a few answers but inevitably throw up new questions. At least the bird is still in circulation and presents a small chance that should it be captured for a third time, more information on its travels may become known. This latest recovery fits into two previous recoveries and north/south movements to or from Gulf  Lane.

Linnet from Shetland 

Linnet to Lochinver

Linnet to Walney Bird Observatory

Duration: 267 days Distance: 23 km Direction: 300deg (WNW) Finder: Walney Bird Observatory, 9095 

Sand Martin 

On 23rd May 2018 we caught a French ringed Sand Martin at Cockerham Quarry.

Paris ringed Sand Martin

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) - Ring no: 7193238 Ringing details- Age: 4 (adult) Ringing date: 10 August 2015 Site name: Hiers-Brouage, Charente-Maritime, France Ringer: Paris, -11

Sand Martin

Hiers-Brouage to Cockerham

Ring number 7193238 was recaptured at Cockerham on 23 May 2018. Duration: 1017 days Distance: 910 km Direction: 352deg (N)