Nightjars at Slaley Forest

Whitburn Ringing Group gained permission from the Forestry Commission to monitor nightjars at Slaley Forest in July.  So far we have had two ringing sessions with both being productive.  On the 3rd August, Lisa and I headed to the site for the first ringing attempt.  I had been tipped off to the best spot in the forest for nightjar so we headed there.  I was really hoping we might get one bird as I had dragged Lisa out after a long week in the office.  I set nets against some young spruce trees, put on the tape recording and waited.  It wasnt long before the first bird was flying around the net and shortly after there were two adult male birds in the net.  Lisa and I ringed, took biometric measurements and released the birds.  In order not to overly disturb any potential breeding birds I went to take the nets down only to find a third unringed adult male and a brown long eared bat.  After that I managed to get the net down and leave the birds in peace.  This surpassed my expectations.

© Lisa Russell

© Lisa Russell

As the high pressure system was still hanging over the north of England, I decided to take full advantage and get the guys out for a second session.  We set two nets in different locations, with one at the original site.  After a walk up the track, two churring males were located so we set another net.  Shortly after I went on a net round and had two birds in the net above the tape recording. This was great as both John and Jason had not handled nightjar before.  One was yet another adult male and the other was originally identified as a female however was re-identified as a juvenile, which probably confirms breeding at the site for 2012. No other birds or bats were trapped that night but we all left very happy.

Little Owl ringing

I expect the brood of little owls ringed today will probably be the last pulli of the season.  Earlier in the season the pair of little owls in this box failed.  Jim checked the box again a month ago and had the female incubating.  A few checks later revealed 4 small chicks.  John was joined by Jason and Andy to ring the birds.  The female was trapped at the box but only two of the four chicks had survived this week. Pics below of the female.

© Jason Thompson

© Jason Thompson

Poor end to one of our Song Thrushes

A song thrush ringed at Whitburn on the 2nd October 2010 was shot dead in Urrugne, France on the 15th December 2011.

Unusual Stormie movement

We all know the chances of a ringed storm petrel being retrapped is very high and on the 5th July 2009 two of our stormies were retrapped in Tullagh Point, Donegal, Ireland.  Thats no surprise as we have now had a few recoveries of our stormies in Ireland, however these two birds were trapped together at Whitburn on the 2nd August 2008 and were retrapped TOGETHER.  I am not sure of many other records of birds being trapped and then retrapped together (apart from local breeding birds, such as yellowhammers).  Below is a map of where the birds moved to, although unlikely to have crossed over England.

Sparrowhawk pulli

I have ringed quite a few birds over the years but this weekend I got to ring something new, sparrowhawk pulli.  Although we regularly catch fully grown sparrowhawks in the mist nets at Whitburn, I have not found a sparrowhawk nest before and not one that was so accessable. The nest was found during a ringing session at the coastal park, however they decided to nest right above one of the walkways between the nets.  When the nest was originally checked there were 4 cold wet eggs in the nest and we had obviously unknowingly kept the female of the nest.  I didnt have much hope for this nest at all, however we checked the nest in late june and heard chicks calling in the nest which was a huge surprise.  Again I was hoping one or two of the eggs would hatch after the eggs got cold but this must of been only a few days after they had been laid as all four eggs hatched.  Amazingly after all the wet and cold weather we have had up in newcastle, all four chicks had made it to 2 weeks old.

John and trainee Andy joined me to ring these chicks.  There was a single male and three females which were clearly much larger than the male.

Sparrowhawks (c) Adrian George

Barn Owl control

Whilst attempting to trap short-eared owls at Sharpley we also trapped a control barn owl.  Last week I received the peperwork back from the BTO.  We thought that this bird would be a locally ringed bird however it was infact ringed as a chick on the 15.07.09 near Wooler in Northumberland.  That is a movement of 93km SSE.  This movement may be part due to the severe winter weather that we have had over the last few years.

Cuckoo!!!

The spring has been rather unproductive for John this spring at Whitburn.  Near constant northerly winds have meant that few birds have past through the coastal park.  There have been the usual chiffchaff and a handful of willow warblers.  Other warblers such as blackcaps and whitethroats are beginning to return with one male whitethroat returning to the same bush to breed.

Today seemed no different with northwesterly winds forecast, however John being John was at Whitburn by 0600 setting nets.  All his hard work paid off this morning with a cuckoo that was trapped and ringed at 0800.  Lets hope that this may be the start of a few more scarcities this spring.

 (c) Dougie Holdon

(c) Dougie Holdon