Nice Day

After yesterdays dismal ringing with 3 sites visited in 8 hours and 1 Linnet Ringed

today proved to be a lot better. I went down to Port Mooar and was met by over 50 Rock Pipits on the seaweed. I set up a few spring traps and caught 6 birds in an Hour. 4 new and 2 retraps. Also was able to read another 5 ringed birds.

First ringed 04 November 2010

Ringed today

First Ringed July 28 2011

I left Port Mooar and headed home for a coffee. I decided to go to Ramsey harbour and try for Rock Pipits there. I got there at 1pm set 3 traps and put on Rock Pipit call as i walked back to the car a bird flew past me and landed by the first spring trap i got my camera on it and rattled 2 shots off. A Black Redstart was sat on the side of the spring trap, 10 seconds later it was in.

Cracking bird still showing well  at 3:30 

When i got home i got a email off Kev to say another of our LBBG had been sighted this time in 

Quarteira Harbour, Portugal on the 16^th November 2011 by Gordon Avery

X89:M was ringed at The Gravel Pits on 1 July this year as a Chick {Pulli}

only 11 LBBG Gulls colour ringed by us this year and 3 have been seen in Spain and 1 in Portugal

just shows how well these colour rings work and a big thank you to all the guys who go out and look for them as well

Nice end to a great day

X89:M SHOWING RING ON LEFT

Last week update

A quite week last week with birds ringed being  

2 Greenfinch

11 Goldfinch

28 Linnet

2 Blue Tits

1 Chaffinch

1 Robin

2 Blackbirds

4 Herring Gulls

2 Black Headed Gulls

Retraps LAST WEEK

Coal Tit (7) 1 bird first ringed 28/08/2009

Blue Tit (5)

Gt Tit (2)

Chaffinch (2)

Linnet (2) 1 bird was in the first catch i did back on 24/08/2010 

I was out with Chris and Kay on Saturday morning another 58 new birds ringed at the Sulby feeder site

retraps =( )

8 Coal Tit  (3)

8 Greenfinch

22 Blue Tits (10)

4 Chaffinch

10 Gt Tits (5)

3 House Sparrow

2 Robin

1 Dunnock (1)

1 Blackbird

Checking Rock Pipits

Went down to Port Mooar this aft to check on a few Rock Pipits the sea and wind has left the beach covered in seaweed. And when i arrived at least 20 Rock Pipits running around all over it. Majority of the birds were un ringed. I had a few colour ringed birds Mauve/Red was seen ringed in August this year and 

Carmine /Red ringed in Ramsey in February this year. I also got on a bird with just a metal BTO ring on. Was this one of the birds we did before we started colour ringing, a few shots with the camera and i got the Number 

2589316, was ringed at Port Mooar on 13 August 2010. I have ordered some more meal worms and will go down next week and try for some more.

2589316

Ring showing 316

Ring showing 25

Another Brambling

Up at the Point of Ayre today. Good few birds about but very flighty. Only one catch in 3 hours

with 7 birds

3 New Linnets 1 retrap from 21/01/2011

1 Retrap Twite from Wednesday

1 Goldfinch

and another female Brambling

Photo Brian Liggins

Photo Brian Liggins

a flock of 25 Twite seen, The Twite on the right is showing the colours for last winter 

Left leg White above Blue/Orange

this is the first sighting so far of birds ringed last winter returning

Brambling at Point of Ayre

Plenty of birds about today, Linnets, Goldfinch and a flock of 12 Twite seen. None down on seed.

Maybe again because of the Raptor presents. 

Merlin and Sparrow Hawk photo Brian Liggins

Hen Harrier over Photo Brian Liggins

After about an Hour of nothing coming into to the seed  a few Chaffinch landed on the wires and then shot off, i have had a few hanging around for a bit up here because of the seed and have ringed around 4/5 . 

Brian came up for a look and we were chatting when a bird landed right next to the car on the post

all i could see was a head. Its that chaffinch again but can i here a 

wheezy Twite i said i looked round behind me and couldn't see any Twite. Then looked back at the bird and it called again Christ its a Brambling Brian cried out. He got out the car and took a few shots. The bird jumped down on the the floor and then flew on to the seed pull Brian shouting and we had it in the whoosh net.

Photo Brian Liggins

Female Brambling

The first one seen of the season and Ringed

No wind

Whats this, a beautiful calm sunny crisp day, the first day with no wind for about 2 months. I decided to go to Port Lewaigue and try for some Thrushes. Two nets put up and the first 2 birds out the net were Redwing. A new species for the year.

A nice few hours with 23 birds caught

4 Redwing

3 Blackbirds

5 Long Tailed Tits

2 Blue Tits 1 a retrap from 26/04/2010

1 Gt Tit retrap

4 Goldcrest

1 Wren

1 Goldfinch

1 Dunnock

and a 

1 Chiffchaff

Lesser Black backed Gull to Cadiz

I got an email of Dave Sowter to say that one of our LBBG had been seen by Rafa Garcia at Levante Beach, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, SPAIN on the 26 October 2011

distance of 1234Miles

T7TW was ringed at the Point of Ayre on the 10 May this year

Photo Rafa Garcia

http://avesporlabahia.blogspot.com

Raptor Watch

I met up with Kev yesterday, we decided to go to the Whoosh site, what a difference a day makes in four hours we only caught 4 Linnets. A couple of factors 

• 1 only about 25 finches seen all morning
• 2 The net miss fired Twice 
• 3 The constant patrolling of Raptors

Great views of a female Hen Harrier as she flew right over whoosh net, 2 Peregrines flew low straight over

then a Kestrel hovered for a bit. A Male sparrowhawk  patrolled up and down the fence for an hour and the last insult the female Merlin landed and sat 30ft from the net. Managed to take these shots through the fence before she took flight.