Not much going on

Last week was very quiet the weather again to blame, wind and rain. The Wheatear total for the spring now stands at 114 new birds ringed with 1 re trap. So i am quite pleased with that. 

Last few weeks have seen a few rarities on the island.

A Blue Headed Wagtail made an appearance at Glascoe flooded field.

And a Hoopoe stayed around for 9 days

Hopefully the wind will drop so we can get out and ring some migrants at some new sites we have.

Wheatears keep on coming

The last 10 days or so have been spent trying to catch Wheatear. Some mornings the ground seemed covered in them. And still they come, another 9 ringed today bringing the total to 80. I am thinking about applying for a colour ring project next year.

Also this week we managed to get a net up at two of the nyger feeder site. 

14 Goldfinch

4 Lesser Redpoll

and 9 Siskin 5 of them 3J's, the first fledged birds of 2013.

175 Siskins ringed already in 2013.

The Whoosh site has been busy with Linnets moving through again.

101 ringed this week.

Wheatear being ringed measured and weighed 

Wheatear weekend

The last few days have been spent placing spring traps out for Wheatears, 31 have now been ringed in April. Looking at the past two years i seem to catch more in May but because of the late migration this year, due to the weather i am wondering if this is the big push for the birds. Lots about yesterday with 12 ringed and at least 50 seen.

Also last week we got a call of Gary Curtis to say he had a lone Waxwing feeding on apples in his garden and we could try and ring it if we wanted. 20 minutes later we were there and it got its ring. Garry emailed yesterday saying the bird is still there costing him a fortune in apples.

To ring Waxwing is great but to ring Waxwing and Wheatear in the same day is bizarre.

On my weekly survey around the working gravel pit i noticed this LBBG with an orange ring on it, thinking it was one of ours returning to breed i took a few shots.  When i got home i noticed it wasnt,
looking on the Colour ring site  it was ringed in Spain. I am just waiting for all the details to come back.

Osprey

Photo by Dave Corkish

This cracking photo was taken on Friday by Dave Corkish of an Osprey at Ballaragh i noticed it on the Manx Birdlife website. The bird is showing part of a red ring with the number 8 on it . I sent the image to Mr Roy Dennis ( Mr Osprey) and this is his reply

Hi Sean

Thanks very much for your email and photo. Red 8? on left leg is one that I ringed in 2001 in Moray or the Highlands but sadly the feathers totally obscure the second letter reading up the ring. So I cannot identify it as an individual unless there are other photos in flight which might just show it.

Hopefully we can get in touch with Dave to see if he took any more shots and see if we can solve the riddle. 

But just reporting the one number gave us some info as we know this bird is now 

12 years old.

Thanks Dave and Roy.

April so far

So we are 11 days into April and not a Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler or Sand Martin seen or heard let alone Ringed.

So far this month only 106 new birds ringed, yearly totals well down on this time last year.

April so Far

3 Wood Pigeons
21 Meadow Pipits
1 Dunnock
2 Robin
1 Stonechat
3 Wheatear
6 Coal Tit
3 Blue Tits
3 Gt Tits
1 House Sparrow
3 Chaffinch
14 Goldfinch
13 Siskin
28 Linnets
3 Twite
1 Lesser Redpoll



Can only get better.

Boxes Mipits and more Boxes

So March ends and the East wind still hits the island and the only migration going on is by Meadow Pipits so far.

24 Meadow Pipits ringed this week.

Two garden feeder sites visited this week and in all this cold and snow you would of thought we would of been busy, but NO.

16 new birds were ringed at the Sulby site Coal Tits Great Tits and 7 more Siskin.

4 hours spent at Ballanelson yesterday and only 15 new birds ringed with a few retraps

1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Blackbird, 1 Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Gt Tits, Blue Tits, and Robins.

In the afternoon i decided to visits a friends Farm out Andreas way. I set one net near their feeders and went for a quick look round.

10 new birds ringed Gt Tit, Blue Tit, Long tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Robin and a Tree Sparrow!!!, the first adult Tree Sparrow ringed on the island in nearly 2 years. They are having a bit of a hard time on the island with only one site out in the Curraghs that we know about,  hopefully now i know they are at this new site we can encourage them to increase their population with feeders and Nest Boxes.

Tree Sparrow

Today i went back and placed 5 Tree Sparrow nest Boxes up at the site also saw 3 Tree Sparrows
on Feeders.

On Friday i met up with Les and we placed another 2 Barn Owl Boxes up. A big thanks to Les for all the  help, contacts and knowledge he has.

 So numbers wise another 67 new birds ringed this week hopefully April will bring the Sun, the Wheatears and the Warblers.

Last Week before the Snow

Thinks started to look up last week with 13 Meadow Pipits ringed and another 16 Linnets.
Last Thursday i caught the first Wheatear of the year with two cracking males showing well at Smeale.
Then Friday came and wham Power Cuts, roads closed, ferries cancelled so on.
So this week very little ringing going on but been out birding and doing a spot of photography.
Think the wind is forecast to die down for the weekend so will have to give the ringing a concerted effort.

Wheatear

Found a Little Gull at The Point of Ayre

and a Snow Bunting