Colour Ringed Birds

129. House Martin

Peregrine's Birding Facts The Hooded Pitohui is one of a small number of birds known to be poisonous. See link HERE at Birdforum's recently updated website.


I was on my own for the weekend as Jeremy my eldest son was off to a party with his girlfriend and Charlie my youngest was off with Penny in England at a recording studio in Hampshire as a session bassist. So there was little else for me to do other than head out to Killard to photograph some Brent Geese or rather any that had rings.



I usually send them to Graham McElwaine Resightings Coordinator who lives a few miles from me. He then sends me a report about each bird. For example his reply was as follows:

Hi Craig,

Details below of these three. What is not included yet is the fact that LBYY
turned up the next day at Loch Indaal on Islay! Apparently the weather
clamped down suddenly, and we have now received ring records from flocks
which stopped off at Islay, Tiree and even Rum!! Apparently at the latter
they were using the beach which was featured in the deer watch part that
Simon King did for Autumnwatch on BBC!
Cheers,
Graham

For the bottom photo the info would be
Light-bellied Brent Goose Ring Resightings Database: Band details Irish Brent Goose Research Group

Darvic FZYY Right Leg Letter/Colour: F Yellow Age Code 4 Father: Status:
Metal 18204 Left Leg Letter/Colour: Z Yellow Sex M Mother:
Date Ringed 20/05/02 Ringing Site Hausastadir, Álftanes, SW Iceland Bird Name: Siblings:
Sheet Date Obs Grid Site Subsite Flock Associates Comments
0 20-May-02 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes ? Stayed until 01/06/02
3 13-Oct-02 GM J495360 Dundrum Bay Murphystown 14
0 13-Nov-02 AP J575675 Strangford Lough Greyabbey?
0 25-Nov-02 HT Strangford Lough ?
0 02-Mar-03 HT J540366 Killough Harbour 300
0 11-May-03 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes ? Stayed until 13/05/03
20 26-Dec-03 GM J408367 Dundrum Bay Inner Bay/N of Harbour 100 39 17-Feb-04 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 250
84 15-Apr-04 GM J503360 Dundrum Bay Rossglass Beach36
0 02-May-04 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes Stayed until 24/05/04
26 21-Oct-04 GM J573674 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay West
76 29-Nov-04 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 189
94 07-Dec-04 GM J540366 Killough Harbour
252 25-Mar-05 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 615
261 30-Mar-05 GM J503360 Dundrum Bay Rossglass Beach 107
294 15-Apr-05 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 430
295 17-Apr-05 SB J540366 Killough Harbour 1200
0 07-May-05 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes/Bessastadir Last seen here 18/05/05
101 11-Oct-05 RI/KC J575675 Strangford Lough Greyabbey+ 2 Juveniles
47 18-Oct-05 GM/HT J573674 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay West
101 22-Oct-05 RI/SB J575675 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Unringed Mate + 3 Juveniles
168 11-Dec-05 HT J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay
185 24-Dec-05 GM J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 40
352 25-Dec-05 EP J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay
329 05-Mar-06 GM J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 69
363 21-Mar-06 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 140
396 07-Apr-06 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 80
417 13-Apr-06 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 90
465 30-Apr-06 GM J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 77 Unringed Mate + 2 Juveniles
468 30-Apr-06 IE J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 70
30 04-Oct-06 KM J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East 790
58 30-Oct-06 AP J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East 750
73 30-Oct-06 KC/SB J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East
82 17-Nov-06 KC J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East
129 28-Nov-06 GM J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East 260
144 15-Dec-06 GM J539499 Strangford Lough Myra East 140
149 17-Dec-06 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 460
192 09-Jan-07 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 600
206 11-Jan-07 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 670
291 31-Jan-07 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 14
313 14-Feb-07 GM J537367 Killough Harbour Killough Side 150 Unringed Associate
320 27-Feb-07 GM J537367 Killough Harbour Killough Side 215
362 06-Mar-07 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 800
372 09-Mar-07 GM J537367 Killough Harbour Killough Side 190Unassociated
376 10-Mar-07 DN J540366 Killough Harbour ?PBBW
401 15-Mar-07 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 370 Unringed Associate
427 22-Mar-07 GM J503360 Dundrum Bay Rossglass Beach 43
469 30-Mar-07 GM J517348 Dundrum Bay Quay Port 17
516 14-Apr-07 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 450
517 15-Apr-07 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 21
524 18-Apr-07 CN J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 170 Photographed

After I had photographed them I went for a walk really with the idea of seeing whether the Whitethroats were back at Killard. Not to be. However there was three Wheatear in their winter/spring plumage. Only one let me close enough to take photos.

On my way back Pickle put up a flock of about twenty Ringed Plover and I photographed them coming back into the beach and I noticed that one was colour ringed.Which was most exciting as it was totally unexpected.

So when I got home and processed all my photos or should I say delete delete delete well to most anyway!! I blew up the photo of the plover and when I had determined the colour and positioning I went to this excellent site created and maintained by Dirk Raes, during his free time. CLICK on Highlighted Word to go to site. It gives details Worldwide of colour ringing schemes. I found that it was an Icelandic bird and sent photograph there to relevant co-ordinator. Here is his reply.

Thank you for the sighting and the picture. This bird is from me. I ringed
it (male) 31.05.2005 on a nest in Önundarfjörður. He got a least one chick
that summer. Saw him last year and found his nest but he lost it.

The first sighting of last year was 4th of may in Önundarfjörður (Western
part of Iceland).

The map shows Önundarfjörður but I live in Bolungarvík. I colour ringe
birds there to and few birds in Dýrafjörður.

The picture is from Önundarfjörður and the arrow point to the nest location.
There is about 60-70 pairs in that area

I let you when the bird will arrived (if he will). I have today 10 colour
ringed birds in Önundarfjörður and 19 with no ringes. Not seen birds in
other area. The first bird was seen 14th of april which is early.

Thanks again

Böðvar Þórisson (Bodvar Thorisson)



This is another reason why I like birding and I find it really gratifying when you get this sort of information. Most people would have just seen a flock of birds on the shoreline not even knowing what they were. Whereas I have found out where this bird is probably going to return to breed. I did tell it that it should remain in Northern Ireland and breed at Killard I wonder whether it heard me!!!

To continue to Blog or not to continue to Blog that is the question?

128. Common Tern

Peregrine's Birding Facts I am very bad at identifying med gulls :-(

I got home after work at around One O'Clock having changed the menu (More of my photos on the menu) in the cafe I have found to my dismay that I reckon its going to add an extra hour to two hours a day to prepare which when taken over a week is a possible extra twelve hours or in other words an extra weeks work per month, which on top of doing six days a week is more than enough. So am fairly pissed off to put it mildly on top of which I asked the manager of the cafe I work out of to sort out a strip light in the office where I print my sandwich labels in the very early hours three days later absolutely b-all has been done about it so It takes me ages to print everything off in virtual total darkness. Tomorrow I will end up changing it myself. Which takes me to todays title there are times when I feel pressure to continue this blog or guilt when I have not posted in a number of days which increases the longer I leave it and has now come to a head. I have read most blogs fizzle out after a few months and I have wanted to better that. I have also come fairly disillusioned about volunteering at the hide in Belfast and am going to give it a break for a while. I think I will restart in June.

I also feel guilty if I do not give the dog a good walk most days and I havent for the last four because I am so tired. However I decided to take her out to Killard my favourite local spot. It was very still and threatening to rain when I got there. I had taken my camera and no sooner had I gone five hundred yards it started to spit with rain. Do I go back or carry on? I carried on and I am glad I did. I came over the hill and down on to the beach and there were three Red Throated Diver (Gavia Stellata) in the Bay. The tide was almost out as far as I have ever seen it. So Pickle and I went down to the waters edge and I was looking through my binoculars at two of the divers which were in summer plumage and looking great. Then the third diver popped up ten yards from me and Pickle decided to swim out to it. It wasnt that concerned and just kept swimming out of her reach. I'm not sure whether its a 2nd-cal spring bird or an adult still in winter plumage.

As Pickle and I walked along the waters edge the Razor Shells were spitting water whenever she ran over them You can see an out of focus one in top left of photo. She then went absolutely beserk trying to catch the squirted water which went on for a good ten minutes. It made my day. The flowers are also coming out at Killard and in some areas there is a light blue look to the ground which when you get closer is masses and masses of violets.

I am supposed to have 22 days holiday between now and the end of May as I have only taken four in the last eleven months and frustratingly I wont be able to take them. I think I will be able to manage twelve at most. So as Penny cannot take the same time as me I am probably going to go do a round trip of The UK. Scotland-Northumberland-Norfolk-Suffolk-Berkshire-Dorset-Wales and then home and hope to catch up with at least ten to fifteen species of bird that I have never seen.Target birds are Crested Tit*, Capercaillie*, Black Grouse*, Cettis Warbler*, Little Ringed Plover*Little Tern
Hen Harrier, Stone Curlew*, Dartford Warbler*, Nightjar* Hobby* Bittern* Bearded Tit* Woodlark* Avocet*.

And finally back to the title I am going to continue but probably not quite as regularly as I have been.

Easter in Co. Donegal and lots more migrants.

120. Swallow ( 5th April)
121. Wheatear (6th April)
122. Sanderling
123. Barnacle Goose
124. Chiffchaff (7th April) Drumaboden, Donegal
125. Willow Warbler (8th April) Drumaboden , Donegal
126. Red Grouse (Glenveagh, Donegal)

Peregrine's Birding Facts There are 80 species of Swallows and Martins in the world.
Remember to see a bigger photo click on image.

Finally three days on the trot off. I headed upto Donegal to meet my wife Penny and the children (Sorry young adults) and her brother Tom and three of his children. Penny and I were staying in my parents house, with three boys sleeping in a flat on the farm and the rest were staying in my mother's holiday cottage on another farm.Shamrock Cottages Click on Donegal and it is cottage 301. Sorry I have to do a bit to promote it!!

On the way up as I was on the motorway just coming out of Belfast I saw my first Swallow of summer followed by another an hour later as I was coming into Derry. Arrived at about quarter to eight in time for a very good supper provided by my father.
I also met the nephew and nieces for the first time.

On friday I decided to take them out to the beach at Magheraroarty on the Bloody Foreland.(This is the North West Corner of Donegal) I had been there for the first time last september. We took a picnic and headed for the beach.As we passed the little harbour I saw a Wheatear my first for the year, not alot of interest in the car from anybody else. I was in my ageing VW passat and Tom had hired a Landrover Discovery which was probably a better choice than mine after we had travelled a mile down a very bumpy sandy trail to the back of the dunes. Penny was decidedely unamused at me taking the car down the track as we grounded out a few times. From where we parked there was still a 500 yard walk to the beach climbing up and down the dunes. But wow what a beach totally deserted except for ourselves.This view is looking towards Horn Head.

The children all played cricket and Bulldog and I sat up high in the dunes watching the Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. I also saw great flocks of Brent Geese which were heading off on their way to Iceland and from there to the high Canadian Arctic.
I reckoned there were over a thousand in all.

We then had lunch and afterwards I noticed along the shoreline loads of Sanderling so I headed off with my camera. Annoyingly I didnt have my groundpod and had to photograph them handheld which makes it difficult to get really sharp images. Plus Pickle kept running at them which made it quite difficult to get close to them.
In the first picture it has caught a sandeel. I will have to go back another time with groundpod and waterproofs so I can lie in soaking wet sand.

On the way home on the lakes outside Dunfanaghy I saw some Barnacle Geese at the New Lakes. Another Tick

The following day I am up at the holiday cottage when I hear that lovely sound of the Chiff Chaff so I headed over to the hedgerow of Willow, Alder Ash and Birch Trees and spent ages trying to see the warbler. Finally it flew right in front of me. The views from the cottage are great and this is the one looking down the drive.

We decided that we were going to climb the mountain in the above photo. So with much teenage whining we drove to our starting point.I hoped to possibly see Grouse and maybe a Golden Eagle. I have yet to see one of the Donegal Golden Eagles. Its quite an easy climb and my eldest Jeremy virtually ran to the top. Well I didnt see any birds at all apart from a distant Hooded Crow. This is us at the topFrom front left Penny my wife, Niece Florence, Son Charlie, Lizzie Toms partner,Oliver Tom's son. Back row from Left Jeremy, my son, Hermione Tom's youngest daughter and then Tom. After our descent we went to the pub for a pint of guinness. I then went on my own to Horn Head to see if I could catch up with a Chough. I didn't. The cliffs were home to tons of breeding Kittiwakes and Fulmers. The Fulmer has to be one of my favourite birds. It is such a graceful flyer and soars up the cliff face. I semi enjoyed myself as there was a party of five french people and the female in the party always stood so close to the edge that I had to move away from them as there was probably a three hundred foot drop if she had slipped! Whereas scaredy cat me is at least ten feet from the edge and then generally sitting down!!!

The following day Easter Day I go up to Drumaboden the holiday cottage and I listen out for the Chiff Chaff when I hear the unmistakeable sound of its closest looking bird the Willow Warbler. Infact I reckoned there were two or three of them even though I only saw one of them. After Brunch of mainly chocolate we went for a walk out at Glenveagh. Well it was just outside the estates deer fence along a track that was traditionally used for transporting the turf from the bogs. At the end of the track Pickle put up a pair of Red Grouse which made my easter as I wasnt sure whether I would see them this year.

The First of the Migrants have arrived. Sand Martin

116. Little Gull
117. Canada Goose
118. White Fronted Goose
119. Sand Martin

Peregrine's Birding Facts The Great Tit lays 8-13 eggs, each of which is about 10% of her weight.

This evening I saw the first of the new year's migrants. A Sand Martin( Riparia Riparia) was flying over the Quoile in front of Castle Island Hide.

Sand martins are the smallest European hirundines (martins and swallows), with dark brown upper parts and dark under wings contrasting with otherwise pale under parts divided by a distinctive dark chest bar. Agile fliers, feeding mainly over water, they will perch on overhead wires or branches. They are gregarious in the breeding season and winter. Over the past 50 years the European population has crashed on two occasions as a result of drought in the birds' African wintering grounds.Both males and females make a horizontal tunnel 45-90 cm long with a chamber at the end. Suitable sites may be used for years. New tunnels will be dug as the cliff collapses, or as old holes become too big (when they may be taken over by sparrows or starlings).

The white eggs, usually four or five, sometimes three to seven, are generally laid in late May or early June in a nest of feathers, grass and leaves. Incubation is by both parents once the last egg is laid, and lasts for about 14 days. All eggs hatch at the same time. The young are helpless and remain in the nest. They are bed by both parents and fledge when 19-24 days old. After fledging, they are dependent on the parents for about one week. Usually two broods are raised each summer.

The birds depart British Isles from late July to September. Most are thought to winter in the Sahel, the zone south of Sahara, where they feed in damp places that offer plentiful supplies of flying insects.

Eggs: 4-5
Incubation: 14-15 days
Fledging: 22 days
Maximum lifespan: 9 years
Length: 12cm
Wingspan: 26-29cm
Weight: 11-14g
UK breeding: 160,000 pairs


My favourite walking area Killard has a sandy bank where they nest each year and it is my intention to get some decent
photos of them this year.

Also in front of the hide was a Little Gull Which was picking insects off the water and the next moment catching flies up in the sky it was all over the place. They are a very pretty gull.

There are some birders who I am always am impressed with. A few days ago I was in the Castle Island Hide and Walter Veale was there and he had seen a flock of feral Greylag Geese on a hill some distance off. Nothing surprising about that but then he says there is one that looks slightly smaller and darker and within a minute they had flown down to the pondage and there was a White Fronted Goose amongst them. Now I am sure my untrained eye would not have picked it out unless it had been a couple of hundred yards away rather than three quarters of a mile.

A Very Unusual Albino Bird. Black Guillemot or should that be White Guillemot

Peregrine's Birding Facts A Cuckoo can lay an egg in 9 seconds

It was a beautiful afternoon and I went out to Killard with Pickle. The afternoon was memorable for two reasons. First I was scanning the sea with my binoculars when I caught sight of three Eider Duck, two male and one female. At that point I tried to get closer to the shore which at that point is quite difficult as there are about a hundred yards of very rocky shoreline. It is covered in seaweed and the rockpools I would almost disappear in if I fell in let alone knows what would happen to my camera.
As I got closer I noticed a third white bird amongst them and realising it wasnt a duck i was rapidly thinking what it could be. At that point it sort of stood up and flapped its very short wings just like a Guillemot before sitting back down on the water and diving.

I tried at this point to take some photos. I only had my 400mm lens with me and no converter so it appeared very small in the frame. I noticed it had a red beak and red legs. Click on photo for bigger image. I watched it for a while but Pickle kept on coming to me and getting perilously close to the swell coming in over the rocks.Sometimes birding and walking the dog do not work well together.

Since coming back I have found out that it would be a very rare occurence to see a Leucistic version of one of these birds. I also have been told that Birdwatch Magazine might print a copy of it if the resolution is high enough in their monthly updates of rare and unusual birds.

The second reason for the day being memorable was that Pickle actually caught a rabbit for the second time and she was flying when she caught it.

So a good afternoon was had by both of us!!

Another Lifer: Two Smew

115. Smew

Peregrine,s Birding Facts A Kiwi lays the largest eggs for its size of any bird. It weighs 25% of its body weight and a female will lay upto a 100 eggs in its lifetime.


I went down to RSPB Portmore Lough after work as I was determined to see the male smew that has been wintering there. The weather was not at all good with constant drizzle. I had remembered to put my wellies in the car the night before as the last time I went there in early January it was so muddy that it completely covered my shoes. I am glad I did it was worse.

I walked down to the hide or was that swam! Well not quite.
Once inside I had a quick scan of the lough and couldnt see any smew :-( However right out in front of the hide were two Little Grebes Unfortunately the light was really bad. I did a further scan with my scope from the hide (here is a photo taken from the interior earlier in the year when the light was good) of the whole Lough and saw Mute Swan, Teal, Widgeon, Ruddy Duck, Shoveler, Mallard and finally a Male Smew and with a bit further scanning saw another so there were two. BrilliantHere is a slightly closer look of one which I took at WWT Castle Espie

I always find it quite exciting when you see a new bird for the first time in the wild but more was to come as I was looking out of the front of the hide at the grebes some thing caught my eye to the right of where I was sitting and it was an Otter swimming along the waters edge. I got my camera out to photograph it when I noticed there were two!!!
To me the otter is the pinnacle of wild animals in Britain if I had to see no other it would definately be the otter. I think this is because of reading "Ring of Bright Water" by Gavin Maxwell who incidentally went to the same school as me. I feel quite fortunate that I do see them from time to time. A couple of years ago I was walking out at Killard with pickle and thought I saw a bird struggling in the seaweed and it wasnt until I was ten feet away that Pickle flushed it into the sea. It then swam about five yards out and lay on its back and looked at us.
The other really close encounter was in Co. Donegal when Penny and I were swimming round one of the small islands in Mulroy Bay when some body shouted from the shore that there was an otter with us and blow me it was swimming right next to us. Infact it shadowed us nearly the whole way round the island. Even though the people on the shore had a camera did they think of taking a photo. NO they didnt.

Peregrines Bird Blog 1st Anniversary

114. Peregrine

Peregrine's Birding Facts The Heaviest ever domestic Turkey weighed 39kg as much as a 12 year old child!!!

Wow I have now been doing this for exactly a year and for somebody with not great will power and many half finished diaries over the years I am extremely chuffed!!! Maybe its because of the subject. BIRDS, BIRDS and more BIRDS. I find it very rewarding especially when you get a message saying that so and so really enjoyed reading it or somebody saying I really liked that photo.

I get between twenty and sixty hits a day with twenty percent being previous visitors so its a start. Sometimes I think what am I going to write about but generally something comes along or I go out and take a nice photo. Infact I think this blog has encouraged me greatly to go out and take photos of birds. Some of my better ones are HERE and here are some I have taken in the last week or so.






The highlights of my year are first of all volunteering for the RSPB at the Belfast Harbour Reservewhich I do every other Sunday and in so doing have met many birders.

One of whom is the warden Anthony McGeehan somebody who has encyclopeadic knowledge of the bird world.He also has a great sense of humour. I have learnt an enormous amount from him and we are both into bird photography. He has also done wonders with the reserve over the last ten years if there was somebody who deserves an MBE for services to the Natural World it is he. I think the powers that be in the RSPB should recognise this and put him forward for the award.

Other highlights are taking really good photos or just watching bird behaviour in excellent light. The evening that I saw the two cranes and the osprey on Lough Beg near Toomebridge, or sitting in the Castle Island Hide and having an Osprey diving twenty feet in front of the hide. Magic. Seeing a Yellowhammer in the hedge in front of my house after many hours trying to see them. The Peregrines and the four young below Scrabo, Newtownards. Seeing Northern Irelands first Montagues Harrier fly twenty feet in front of the hide.Sitting in a garden in Donegal ten minutes before I head back to Co.Down and seeing a female Redstart for the first time. Meeting Ian Wallace. The Whinchat out at Killard. The Red Throated Diver just a few yards offshore in full summer plumage off Portrush. Holding a Dunnock in the hand at my recent bird ringing weekend. Taking Pickle the dog out to Killard and having her run round while I bird.

There also have been some lows as well. The days that it is so grey that you wouldnt dream of taking the camera out of the house. Finding the cat had killed the Grey Wagtail that had spent five months attacking the car.(Cat now rehomed and not in the sky!!) The Ringed Plover nest trampled on by unsuspecting walkers. Going to the hide in Belfast in torrential rain and barely being able to see out the window. Dipping on various birds such as the Long Billed Dowitcher in Co louth and the Forsters Tern in Belfast by a minute. Watching a magpie kill a lapwing. The litter out at Killard. Lack of management of water levels and environment at the Quoile's Castle Island Hide. ( I intend to write about this in further depth in a future post.)

I must also thank Derek Charles for pointing me in the right birding direction every now and again and I must also thank YOUthe reader for reading my observations. Thank you

BTO Ireland Bird Ringing Training Course for Beginners (Me)

113. Treecreeper

Peregrine's Birding facts A Treecreeper can lose up to two centimetres of its tail length between moulting due to scraping on tree trunks.

Early last December I was in the RSPB Hide in the Belfast Harbour Estate where I was introduced to Shane Wolsey The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Liason Officer in Ireland. I mentioned to him that I was interested in ringing and he said he would be in touch.
On January 2nd he sent me details about a weekend of training from the 2nd-4th March. I sent of my cheque for £75. At this time it hadn't occurred to me that I would be missing my wife Penny's birthday and most of our 18th wedding anniversary!!! On the 2nd and 4th respectively.

I arrived on friday night at The Kilbroney Environmental Education Centre I was late and the last to arrive which is most unlike me but the signposting from Newry were really bad. (My excuse anyway)

First of all we all introduced ourselves. There were a number from Queens University, a lady from WWT Castle Espie and another from the Environment and Heritage Service.

Our first talk was by Chris Acheson, a principal of a special needs school in Hillsborough who had forty years ringing experience.
Titled "Mist Nets, Bird handling and Safety"

Basically it boiled down to the fact that the "Welfare of the Bird is Paramount".
From thinking about catching a bird to releasing a bird there are 6 stages.
1. Erecting Net
2. Extracting
3. Transporting to Ringing Site
4. Ringing
5. Release Bird
6. Closing Up

Mist Nets were introduced from Japan in the early fifties. Their advantages are that they are portable, efficient and quick and easy to use. Their disadvantages are that they are non selective, weather dependent ( as we were to find out) and very fragile.When netting there are a few points to consider. Basically you have to consider the bird as from the moment it hits the net it is VULNERABLE whether from rain, temperature, windchill , direct sunshine and predators. You also have to consider the length of net you are going to use, the height you are going to set it the depth of pocket and how vulnerable the net is to damage ie catching on twigs etc.
Extracting is the riskiest part of the operation and one needs to check the net carefully so as not to miss any. Which side has the bird gone into. Some species are easier to extract than others ranging from siskins which are quite easy to Starlings and Wrens which are quite difficult.

Once you have released the bird from the net you put it into a linen bag and tie up the top and transport it to the place that you are doing the ringing. Again being careful not to trip or knock the bag or bags.


Then you consult the ringers manual to see what size ring you are going to put on the bird. These range from AA for a Goldcrest to M for a Mute swan. There are a number of reasons that you might let the bird go without ringing.
1. You cannot identify the bird.
2.There are signs of a breeding bird.
3. If the bird is in poor condition , suffering from stress or even injured.
4. You may not have the right ring size available
5. It may already be ringed in which case you would note the number, age, sex, wing length and weight before you released it.

Our next talk was by Shane Wolsey about The Copeland Bird Observatory off the coast of Northern Ireland. After whetting our appetite it was time for bed.

We started the morning with breakfast and then we were put into teams. There were four A licence ringers and each one had three trainees. I was with Kerry Leonard. Kerry's speciality is ringing Manx Shearwaters of which the Copeland Islands are an important breeding site. He is in his early thirties and has been visiting the copelands since he was twelve.

We were very lucky as it was a beautiful morning and no sooner had the traps been set birds were flying into them. We had the nets in three different sites on the property. Here are some photos of trapped birds.
A Dunnock

A Wren

Bluetit being delicately extracted from the net

These birds along with a number of others were taken to the processing room where the birds were taken out of the bags and then ringed. But first we were shown how to handle the birds. Basically you hold the birds neck between your first and second fingers At first it is quite nerve racking but after the first few you get your confidence. I ringed seven birds in all. Once you have ringed the bird you write down the ring number, the species of bird, age, sex, date, time, wing length and weight.

For example
T664908 Chaffinch 6 Male 3.3.07 09.35
T664914 Great Tit 5 Female 3.3.07 10.15

Now the age is decided on whether it is last years juvenile or whether it is older than that. This is done by examining the feathers in its wings and its tail.

One of the fascinating things was that you had no idea what was going to come into the net. Fortunately for us a Sparrowhawk was caught. These have to be dealt with extreme care as the last thing you want is its claws clamping onto your hand. It was processed and then Staffan Roos, a Swedish guy, studying at Queen's University released it.
The other bird that I have never seen really close up was a Treecreeper. They are beautiful. Its claws were enormous for the size of body.

The morning came to an end and we had lunch in the centre. After which we had a Mist Net workshop. This was basically how to set them up which we then did a number of times. By now it was getting dark so we headed in to the centre. George Henderson (Below) from The Environmental and Heritage Service Northern Ireland then gave a talk and demonstration about Integrated Population Monitoring Recorder (IPMR) Ringing and Nest Recording Software. It is a great way for collating the data which can be easily cut and pasted into Excel and then sorted in what ever way you can devise. For example if you have a sample of a hundred birds of one species you can find average weight or even average wing length. You can divide up into female and male populations and see if there is a marked difference between the two. You might find that the males weigh on average 6 gramms more than the females and if it was a species where male and female are hard to distinguish it could be a pointer to determining sex at the ringing station.



When this was over we had our dinner. And afterwards more lectures!!!

Neville Mckee, The Copeland Bird Observatory's Secretary,
with over fifty years experience of ringing gave an illustrated talk on "Ageing, Sexing and Moult" which was fascinating. It certainly inspired me to learn more. We only got half way through the talk as it is such a large subject so the remainder of the talk was scheduled for Sunday.

For the final half hour Kerry Leonard , my trainer, gave a talk on seabird ringing. We finished at about ten o'clock just in time to go outside and see the eclipse of the moon. We were very lucky as it was a perfectly clear evening and below is a photograph of the full eclipse when the moon turns pink.

I then headed down for a couple of whiskeys in the town of Rostrevor, before heading back to my top bunk and sleeping really well. I cant remember the last time I slept in a bunkbed.

On sunday the weather was really windy and after a few birds had been caught and ringed it was decided to take down the nets and head inside for the remainder of Neville's talk.

I would like to thank Shane, Neville, Kerry, Chris and George for the way the weekend was run. It was also nice to meet all the trainees Wesley, Oisin, Staffan, Askia, Alyn, the two Peters, Ron, Donna and Emma.

See you on the Copeland Islands this summer. My application for a trainee license is on its way to the Nunnery in Thetford!!