The autumn programmes of Bird Ringing at the Chaddesley Woods field site is now underway. The first three sessions has produced some surprises with the most interesting bird a juvenile Tawny Owl.
Overall the total number of birds caught has been lower than previous years probably because there is ample natural food still around with the warm weather so birds are not interested in the feeders. Number of birds caught are:
First session – 111 birds of 8 species, 68 retraps
Second session – 74 birds of 6 species, 41 retraps
Third session – 53 birds of 6 species, 34 retraps
Some interesting catches have included a couple of coal tits and a wren first ringed in 2006, a couple of birds fledged from the study nest boxes in 2006 which have bred every year since then, and a particularly annoying male who was ringed as a fledgling in 2006, caught every year at mist netting but hasn’t been caught breeding in any of the study nest boxes. Some interesting year on year data is now beginning to emerge and the ringing team are not only getting an idea of what their birds are up to outside of the breeding season but also what the general woodland bird population is up to. Ringing continues throughout the autumn every Tuesday morning.
(photo shows part of the ringing team, with Postgraduate Students Simone Webber at the head of the table and Kaat Brulez to her left)
