tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352994326294179672024-03-02T17:28:41.841+00:00BTO Bird Ringing - 'Demog Blog'carl_barimorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10109244405746789457noreply@blogger.comBlogger505125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-61924053045069965602020-07-24T15:17:00.000+01:002020-07-24T15:17:04.788+01:00What makes for a long life?
Rob Robinson writes:
I am sometimes asked the question: “How long do birds live?” The answer is, as to many good
questions, “It depends”.
The oldest known wild bird is a Laysan Albatross called Wisdom who breeds on the very remote Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean and is around 70 years old. The oldest known bird in Britain is a Manx Shearwater from the island of Bardsey in north Wales Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-36444943093317143752020-06-22T12:05:00.001+01:002020-06-22T12:05:16.713+01:00Where will they tern up?Rachel Taylor, Steve Dodd and Katharine Bowgen write:
Many of you will already have heard the news that the Skerries tern colonies have been almost completely abandoned this year; an event thought to have been triggered by predators colonising the islands; which in a normal year would likely have been managed by RSPB colony wardens. Sad though an event like this appears, it isn’t all that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-80364724006121314822020-04-15T07:27:00.000+01:002020-04-15T11:09:49.199+01:00The joy of garden nestingBTO Scotland’s Steve Willis and BTO Northern Ireland’s Stephen Hewitt share their passion for monitoring garden nests and pass on some tips for how to get involved in this rewarding activity.
NOTE: If you are new to nest monitoring and want to record the progress of a few garden nests and nest boxes then Nesting Neighbours is the ideal interface - it’s simple to use and provides some really Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-67514766829994199802020-02-20T14:24:00.000+00:002020-02-20T14:24:23.800+00:00It's National Nest Box Week!It is National Nest Box Week (NNBW) this week and our wild birds are starting to think about the coming breeding season. This year is the 20th year of NNBW, which aims to encourage everyone to put up nest boxes for birds and to raise awareness of their needs ahead of the breeding season. While our migratory birds are preparing for their journeys back to Britain and Ireland for the summer, lots ofUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-15330155663732270832019-12-19T12:08:00.000+00:002019-12-19T12:08:32.394+00:00A beach discovery provides more than just a ringing recoveryOwen Williams writes:
I can clearly remember the day I made my first ever retrap: it was 1 March 2008 and I was nearing the end of my training for a Woodcock-specific C permit with my trainer and award-winning ringing guru, Tony Cross. Over the following 11 years I have ringed over 1,800 Woodcock and fitted 60 geolocators on this same site in West Wales - the geolocators were part of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-3834409358422204512019-12-03T15:05:00.000+00:002019-12-03T15:05:52.973+00:00Moroccan farewell to a long-distance PeregrineEd Drewitt and Luke Sutton write:
For the past 21 years, Ed Drewitt has been studying urban-dwelling Peregrines around the Bristol area, in particular what they eat. His prey studies have revealed that not only do urban Peregrines eat a huge range of species in Britain (over 100) they also hunt at night catching nocturnally migrating birds such as Woodcock, Snipe, Teal, Moorhen and even Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-41126444592866248302019-04-04T15:53:00.000+01:002019-04-04T15:53:35.331+01:00Thermal tech lightens the darkest nightsBen Dolan writes:
In Spring 2017, we were privileged enough to be invited by the BTO to write an article for Issue 5, Spring 2017, LifeCycle magazine on the use of thermal imaging to monitor and ring birds ‘Thermal Birding’. This followed a successful trial, using it to find and ring lapwing pulli, and then using it whilst dazzling, which was a game changer in this area of ringing for us.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-22476279525221300242019-03-05T15:24:00.000+00:002019-03-05T15:24:11.310+00:00Crappy place to ringMatt Prior writes:
You wouldn’t normally think of sewage treatment sites as wildlife havens but they are often sought out by bird ringers because they are indeed very attractive to birds. A particular treatment process, percolating filters, are rich with fly larvae, worms and snails that graze on the bacteria that treat the sewage. Sewage works are particularly beneficial to birds in the winter Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-36720803223921172012018-11-14T10:10:00.000+00:002018-11-14T10:10:28.127+00:00Bearded Tit bails out of ScotlandThe Bearded Tit is a very handsome bird and their call can excite many a birder when it's heard 'pinging' across the reedbed. As a Schedule 1 species, Bearded Tits are one of 88 species specially protected in the breeding season. Between 800-1,000 Bearded Tits are ringed every year in Britain by qualified bird ringers. Being fairly sedentary they make a good study species, particularly for Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-45044412943761760242018-10-12T14:55:00.000+01:002018-10-12T14:55:34.469+01:00New Curlew recoveries from PolandMike Smart (on behalf of the Curlew Forum) writes:
The current BTO map of Curlew recoveries shows (out of nearly 1,800 recoveries of this species) only two movements between Britain and Ireland and Poland, both rather old, one in either direction, as follows:
FV42986 - Adult ringed on 09.08.1978 at Camel estuary, Wadebridge, Cornwall, found long dead on 23.07.1979 at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-64307914860286732222018-09-18T13:54:00.000+01:002018-09-18T15:11:58.132+01:00Very special Nightingale at Leybourne Country ParkAlan Woodcock writes:
Leybourne Country Park was opened in 2004 and is part of an extensive area of former sand and gravel workings, which was excavated between 1946 and 1977. Much of the area is therefore 'man made' with landscaping and planting having taken place as part of the restoration during the late 1970s. It comprises 93 hectares, of which 65% is water, 10% marshland and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-82217081514533694602018-08-10T14:23:00.000+01:002018-08-13T16:48:41.190+01:00"Roll up, roll up". Bird ringing at the fair.All over the country, qualified bird ringers run demonstrations for individuals, groups or anyone coming to a particular site, such as a nature reserve or a farm. These can be fantastic events for engaging non-ringers, highlighting the scientific importance of ringing and explaining what we can learn from monitoring birds.
One of the biggest ringing demonstrations in the country is at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-15922417412828560932018-06-08T10:47:00.001+01:002018-06-08T10:47:12.844+01:00A big jump in Hawfinch LongevityWith the influx of Hawfinch into southern Britain this winter, Jerry Lewis started one of his feeding sites much earlier than usual (in mid January) hoping to try and catch some of the visitors. Despite a decent sized flock of 40+ birds visiting the feeding site, they were mainly coming down to Hornbeam seed, rather than sunflower seeds. After two months, catching had been very slow (just 16 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-36259932242057347272018-05-17T14:40:00.000+01:002018-05-17T14:40:49.637+01:00How long do Red-throated Divers live for?Dave Okill of Shetland Ringing Group writes:
On
26 April 2018, Mick Mellor was doing a routine Beached Bird Survey for SOTEAG (Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group),
when on Urafith beach, North Mainland, Shetland he found a freshly dead
Red-throated Diver (RTD) that had a ring on it. He carefully noted the number and
emailed me when he got home.
Not remembering theRuth Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07680845074231213588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-72878036115404038192018-04-12T14:21:00.001+01:002018-04-13T10:28:22.106+01:00Birds of a feather, fly togetherIt's pleasing to have a flock of Siskins arrive in your garden, and thanks to ringing, we might know where they come from or go to, but can ringing tell us anything about the link between these individuals in the flock? A note in Bird Study by Juan Senar and Jeff and Allison Kew in 2015 revealed that the individuals in Siskin flocks have stable social bonds and move in stable social Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-81844830244280612612018-03-01T12:05:00.000+00:002018-03-01T12:05:44.093+00:00Retail ringingAfter undertaking years of training, bird ringers are in a privileged position to be able to catch birds. The information gathered through ringing is used to help answer some of the big questions in ornithology, such as why populations are changing and what routes birds take on their migrations.
Ringing often brings ringers into contact with people who know nothing about bird ringing, and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-24109611682072915592018-02-15T15:35:00.000+00:002018-02-15T15:35:36.763+00:00The Joy of Nesting BirdsHazel Evans writes:
This week (14th – 21st February) is the BTO’s 21st National Nest Box Week. Each year we encourage anyone who is interested, to put up nest boxes locally. I’d like to delve in to some of the different aspects for why this is such a wonderful thing to do, and how we can make the most of them.
The first and most obvious reason is to give birds a place to raise their youngUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-11373173283651765542018-02-01T15:33:00.000+00:002018-02-01T17:29:30.661+00:00Brit abroad causing a stirThe species, or subspecies, of the Redpoll complex has long been something that birders and ringers have debated; the use of new advances in technology, like sonograms and DNA studies, have only fueled the discussions. There are currently three recognised species, Lesser, Common (Mealy) and Arctic Redpoll, with subspecies also acknowledged (depending on which criteria you use). Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-25786214965513145082018-01-19T09:27:00.000+00:002018-01-19T22:50:58.644+00:00Ringing and recoveries roundupFrom all in the Ringing and Nest Recording Team, we wish you a Happy New Year!
This is a very busy time of year for us. Ringers all over Britain and Ireland are submitting their 2017 ringing data before their ringing permits can be renewed. The graph below shows when the data were submitted for birds ringed in 2017, and the number of birds in each data load.
Number of ringed birdsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-32361298241863818322017-12-21T14:43:00.003+00:002017-12-21T14:43:50.772+00:00Return of the winter Blackcaps - a geolocator storyHow do migratory birds respond to a changing environment? The answer to this question may help us unlock key insights into the mechanisms behind migration, and predict how animals will adjust to future global change. British Blackcaps may provide key insights into birds’ abilities to evolve changes in migration. Blackcaps are now spending the winter in the Britain and Ireland in greater Unknownnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-81265803639473171392017-11-28T11:07:00.000+00:002017-11-28T11:41:57.215+00:00The Barra SparraIan Thompson, Yvonne Benting and Bill Neill write:
We have been colour ringing House Sparrows here in Askernish, South Uist as part of the BTO’s RAS scheme for the past seven years. Because House Sparrows have a reputation as being difficult to catch and retrap, the use of colour rings was a conscious decision on our part. This enabled us to identify the birds individually in the field, but moreUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-47578697507504872022017-11-13T15:38:00.000+00:002017-11-13T15:38:46.346+00:00Meds, Reds and RockitsThe BTO ringing recoveries team are in daily contact with other ringing schemes all over Europe and occasionally even America or Africa. European ringing schemes are part of EURING, which is the coordinating organisation for European bird ringing
schemes and strives to coordinate and maintain good quality data and research for the benefit of wild birds.
Part of the EURING protocol is for Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-17541413723602545572017-10-26T11:21:00.000+01:002017-10-26T11:21:57.304+01:00The colourful Little EgretLittle Egret is now a familiar sighting in southern Britain and Ireland, but there are also large increases in Scotland. This time of the year is a great time to see this water bird, as shown by the BirdTrack reporting rate graph below.
BirdTrack reporting rate
Being such an obvious bird, and coupled with their long legs, the Little Egret lends itself very well to being identified by Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-43226256576316273012017-10-10T15:19:00.001+01:002017-10-10T15:19:37.538+01:00The Big Biggleswade Starling RASDenise Cooper-Kiddle and Derek Gruar write:
The BTO Breeding Bird Survey survey has recorded a 49% decline in Starlings across the UK since 1995. Why numbers have dropped so dramatically is not fully known. Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS) projects are helping find out whether adult mortality is a possible cause.
Adult Starling. Photo by John Harding
My back garden in Biggleswade, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335299432629417967.post-11695836195748252002017-09-29T10:06:00.000+01:002017-09-29T10:06:51.322+01:00Sligo's slippery slope to ringingMícheál Casey writes:
I started getting into ringing from reading the metal rings on gulls, particularly Common and Black-headed Gulls. Back in 2004, I read the ring of a handsome Common Gull, and was thrilled to hear back from Hugh Insley about where and when it was ringed. It was a chick (one of a brood of three) which was ringed on 26 May 1997 at Loch Tarff, near Fort Augustus, Highland, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0