Annual Report almost ready

 It's always a big job compiling the annual report --especially with the limited IT skills I've got. I hope we can post it within the next couple of weeks--but in the meantime here's a flavour.....

BELVIDE RINGING

 GROUP

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

An Overview

To coin an oft used football phrase, 2023 was definitely a year of two halves for the group.

Although there were extra safety procedures in place because of Bird Flu, group members set off with determination and some really excellent results came through. Pat had an excellent spring at his mid-Wales garden with lots of Siskin—and a wider range of species as the year went on. At Brewood Park Farm, Paul had a few stunning days during March when a strong passage of Linnets in particular provided one of the few species with more individuals ringed than in 2022—by a long way!

On the flip side, the strong passage of Brambling in ’22 didn’t materialise, there were no suitable days when it was possible to catch and ring Swifts and the availability of ringers and good weather curtailed our  Gailey heronry visits to only one, with only a third of the chicks ringed compared to 2022. In terms of other breeding birds, the newly acquired Pied Flycatcher scheme resulted in around the same number of chicks ringed by Gareth and Kevin, and we were pleased that Paul managed access to a new Sand Martin colony. This is still a young colony in a new quarry, and we hope to see it grow over the coming years. Some of the buildings at Rodbaston college are clearly attractive for nesting House Sparrows and we managed to ring good numbers of nestlings. Now that we know more about this aspect at the college we’re hoping to do more in 2024.

So as we approached mid- year, it was looking as though our totals would be lower—but we were embarking on the most productive period when there are lots of young birds around, and many species are very active in their preparations for migration.

The post breeding period got off to a decent start at our sites, but unfortunately ringing at our main Belvide site was halted in early August. The result of this was a reduction in about 1500 birds from our annual total. By way of compensation though, a new site acquired by Gareth has all the hallmarks of being a major group site in the near future. Gareth is involved in the development of the site and he expects that next year, all being well he should ring even more than the 564 birds in 2023. The icing on his cake was a Sedge Warbler carrying a French ring (he hasn’t yet been sent the details), and at the end of the year he found and ringed a Jack Snipe on the site, and is already planning to improve the habitat for this elusive species.

The whole of the second half of 2023, can be characterised by lots of work with generally little reward. This is illustrated in the site and overall totals. I suggest that it is testament to the determination of group members, that our results are as good as they are. So many times trip reports came back with disappointment as the main theme.

So why was this? There are many known factors—and probably as many unknown factors. Group members were away for considerable periods of time—but overall not much more than most years. Reports from Shetland, Arctic Norway and Portugal make interesting reads. Several of us, including yours truly, lacked a degree of enthusiasm and others for a variety of reasons were unavailable. The weather proved a decisive factor especially towards the end of the year with wind and rain negatively affecting catch rates significantly. Catch rates during thermal imaging sessions were much lower than previous years, but we have no real idea why because exactly the same kit and methods were used. Finally, there were quite clearly, fewer birds around. To illustrate this, in the overall totals table below, you will see that this year we ringed 572 Redwing compared to last year’s 1467!! If anything we put in more effort this year, but they just were not around. Pete put in exactly the same effort into catching Redwing at his Chillington garden site but ringed only174, compared to 775 last year. So Redwing alone account for another 1000 shortfall in the group overall total.

There were some positives though. A new site at Broom Hall farm, delivered 29 Goldcrests and 103 Redwings in just a few visits so we hope to build on this next year. Paul managed to ring 101 Meadow Pipits during a short passage period, and regular sessions for trainees at the feeding stations resulted in over a thousand birds at Brewood Park Farm over the year. Newly qualified ringer Roy has taken on Church Farm and regular sessions there are beginning to have a very positive effect; as are sessions at Kingswood Trust, which scored with the group’s only free flying Kestrel of the year. Kevin worked hard to generate 461 birds at Wolverhampton Racecourse, as well as manfully travelling to Patshull at ridiculously early times in the mornings to maintain a foothold at that site. Bird flu restrictions at the site should mean we generate more records in 2024. We have established a presence at Chasewater, especially regarding the Jack Snipe roost there; as well as recruiting ranger Heather as a trainee. Kevin and Gareth have produced their Shetland report later, but they manner in which they handled the appearance of a very rare White’s Thrush on their site has drawn plaudits from all quarters and further cemented our relationship with the Shetland Ringing Group. In similar vein, Liz represented our team superbly again with her performance in Norway; and the Portuguese Ringing Scheme continues to be grateful for our efforts to improve their knowledge of the Algarve as a migration stop over site.

In addition to new birds we have had some interesting recoveries and controls set out after the ringing totals table.

So, in conclusion, Pete and I would like to thank all our landowners for their access and support. Our families and friends who put up with the ridiculous time we devote to our hobby. And especially the members of the group who have worked hard all year-with great spirit-to ensure that Belvide Ringers remains a vibrant, forward looking group. In that context we are all looking forward to 2024, and I hope to be reporting more positively in next year’s annual report.

 

Blackbird	83
Blackcap	499
Blue Tit	789
Brambling	16
Bullfinch	9
Cetti's Warbler	19
Chaffinch	120
Chiffchaff	457
Coal Tit	56
Collared Dove	2
Common/Lesser Redpoll	3
Dunnock	135
Fieldfare	32
Garden Warbler	48
Goldcrest	125
Goldfinch	591
Grasshopper Warbler	1
Great Spotted Woodpecker	16
Great Tit	515
Green Woodpecker	1
Greenfinch	162
Grey Heron	11
Grey Partridge	4
Grey Wagtail	4
House Martin	16
House Sparrow	85
Jack Snipe	35
Jackdaw	1
Kestrel	1
Kingfisher	4
Lapwing	7
Lesser Redpoll	26
Lesser Whitethroat	11
Linnet	323
Long-tailed Tit	156
Magpie	2
Marsh Tit	1
Meadow Pipit	180
Nuthatch	18
Pied Flycatcher	41
Pied Wagtail (yarrellii)	11
Pied/White Wagtail	7
Redstart	3
Redwing	572
Reed Bunting	91
Reed Warbler	177
Robin	162
Sand Martin	50
Sedge Warbler	115
Siskin	620
Skylark	63
Song Thrush	39
Sparrowhawk	2
Starling	42
Stock Dove	7
Stonechat	4
Swallow	86
Tawny Owl	1
Tree Pipit	2
Treecreeper	12
Wheatear	5
Whitethroat	66
Willow Warbler	81
Woodcock	12
Woodpigeon	4
Wren	92
Yellowhammer	35

Total                                                              6,966

Jack pot!!

 As a group we are interested in many bird species, but regular readers will have gathered that there are some birds which, for various reasons, we are able to study more than others.

One such species is the intriguing Jack Snipe. A small ( hence 'Jack') wader, which doesn't breed in the UK, but which spends the winter months here having bred in northern Europe and Asia. I hope to be telling you more about our work over the coming months, but for now I would like to spend a little time showing you how we age this very poorly studied species.

We have ringed as many as and probably more Jacks than most ringers in the UK--but we are still learning--so these notes are not meant to be the absolute definitive answer--merely the stage at which we are now. 

But first, what does a jack Snipe look like? Here's one in the hand which shows the salient points.....

As you can see they are small waders, generally brown and cream on the upper parts, with a brown mottled breast and white underparts. But what really sets Jack Snipe apart from Common Snipe is the relatively short beak--about the same length as the head. In Common the beak is much longer than the head.

Ageing criteria

                 We think there are several things to look for--and all are not always present-- so we suggest a 'best guess' based on as many of these criteria that can be found.

The first, and probably most important is to look at the outer tail feathers.

This is the tail of a know age adult. The arrows show the quite large white patches on the outer web of the feathers, and the black arrow indicates a quite wide grey area to the tip.

Now have a look at a juvenile ( less than 1 year old) outer tail feathers...

The feathers are narrower and slightly more pointed--but crucially the red arrow shows a thin black line at the tip which is typical of a juvenile.

Now lets have a look at the head and back patterns.....

The bird on the right is an adult and you can see that the stripes are more golden than the buff stripes of the juvenile--and this is similar to the pattern seen on the back......

The top bird also has golden stripes on the back as opposed to the cream stripes on the lower juvenile.

We also think that leg colour is important--although we can't rule out that the chemical nature of the water and mud they paddle in may have a part to play.

The right hand bird had predominantly green legs ( often look a bit blue in photos)--whereas the left hand birds legs are pinkish. We believe that adult legs become gradually pink, and juveniles are green.

Several guides suggest the under tail coverts are useful but we have found them to be as confusing as they are illuminating.

Great effort team!

 There's only a month of 2023 left. It's been a difficult year on many levels, and the weather hasn't helped, so Pete and I were really chuffed this week to find that our group has managed to pass the 6000 new birds ringed for the year. This is way down on out recent pear totals--but it has been difficult so we are really pleased.

Emma, chipped in this week with a session at here Dudley Zoo site, and on Saturday Kevin managed to ring 12 Redwing......he's not done any sessions since then, but I fear they may have been his last Redwing of the year. This morning Pete, Roy and I were out trying for Redwing, and our combined total was.......ONE (!!!!).

Yesterday we ran a very successful demo again for the folks at Jubilee Wood reserve and managed a very welcome catch of, among other things, 28 Goldfinches and a male Blackcap!! These are great events which get the community involved, and bring the members of the group together for a very enjoyable morning.

Gareth has not had much chance to get out recently--but he's been planning for the future by putting up this Barn Owl nest box.....fingers crossed!

We're all on high alert for Waxwings as they filter south and west ( we hope). Gareth had an encouraging sight outside his house on Saturday, with this bird on the wires....

Not a brilliant pic but no question what it is. Again--fingers crossed for Gareth for more.....

We've been running regular sessions at a local education trust site for the last few years, and this morning we had a fairly modest catch--but it gave us a chance to provide some interesting pics--we hope!!??

It's encouraging to see a few more Greenfinches at feeding stations. This is a male as can be seen by the amount of yellow in the wing and tail ( see next pic)--and yellow on the belly. Ageing Greenfinch can be tricky and several features should be examined before making a decision.....

First the shape of the tail feathers...

You can see the wide yellow making it male--but the shape of each feather looks quite wide and rounded at the tip--which is an adult feature.... but is that a pointed feather near the centre? 

Now lets have a close look at the wing....the greater coverts (1) are grey and green ( adult) with no sign of brown feathers ( juvenile). However, the primary coverts (2) are pointed, and they do not have bright green outer webs, nor are their tips tipped in grey. Finally, the alula (3), is not clean yellow as it would be in an adult. So this is a juvenile bird which has moulted out some of its juvenile feathers--but there are sufficient juvenile feathers still present to give away its age.

Star bird of the day was undoubtedly this female Brambling....

Not as bright as a male--but knowing that this bird has definitely travelled here from northern Scandinavia at least is always fascinating. Two of the features of Brambling which can often be overlooked are shown in this next photo....

The bright lemon yellow where the wing meets the body is stunning--as are the dark blotched on the flanks--both shown well here.

This was a very early Brambling in our experience so we are hoping it means there are lots more about--lets hope!!

Church Farm coming to the fore

 Redwing numbers have remained low again this week, along with most other birds. Here are a couple of pictures from this morning which show how to age Redwings--and which are sometimes visible in the field.....

This bird has a white patch at the end of a tertial feather ( blue arrow) which is a juvenile feature. Often there are more feathers with these tips on. The shape of the tail feathers is also key as can be seen (just!!) in this awful picture!!

It is a rubbish picture but you can make out how each feather is pointed--making it juvenile--adult tail feathers are broad and round.

Aside from Redwings, team members have been pushing on with other species too, and we reached an important milestone today when we passed 6,000 birds ringed this year. This is quite a few less than recent years but it's been a difficult year with several obstacles getting in the way of us ringing as many birds as normal.

However, we continue to develop our relationships with our farm managers. I've posted several times about Tim at Brewood Park Farm, but we have also been working closely with Michael at Church Farm. Michael is working closely with Tim on developing a no till approach and his farm is becoming another rich source of birds. And just like Tim, he really appreciates the results we provide to him.

When conditions allow, we try to do a couple of ringing sessions at a feeding station a week, and a thermal imaging session once a week. This week saw us ring the first Woodcock of the season, as well as providing Michael with totals of the species we saw in his fields, and at the feeding station.

Being set in a small hamlet, and with what looks like a healthy population of House Sparrows--we are hoping to set up a project to study the movements of House Sparrows in the village. We are about to see how many of the village community want to take part in the project--which will involve us putting coloured plastic rings on the sparrows' legs in combinations which will make them individually identifiable without us needing to catch them. We are putting on a demonstration of bird ringing for the village on Saturday 2nd December where we will also be able to explain the project in a bit more detail----looking forward to it!!   More details about this as things develop.

Where are they??

 I'm referring again to Redwings. Team members have again been putting in the hours with little reward--most upsetting has been the lack of flocks flying about. Speaking with friends in Cumbria and the east midlands suggested that for some weird reason, there are lots of Redwing to the north of us but few here or to the south of us--not something that we have been aware of in the past.

However, Kevin seems to be bucking our overall trend and in the last two days he's ringed over 50 Redwing at his Racecourse site, which is within touching distance of Wolverhampton city centre!! At this morning's visit he also had a Blackcap. Well done Kev.

Speaking of Blackcap--we had an interesting report of one of our birds this week....

This is the computer generated report which we get for any ringed bird found again. If you look carefully you'll see that this Blackcap was ringed by us at Belvide, as a juvenile bird on 12th August this year. By now we would expect our Blackcaps to be at or well on their way to wintering sites in southern Europe or North Africa. For some strange reason this bird has flown almost due EAST, and as of 12th October it was caught by a ringer in Holland!! Maybe it's going to spend the winter in northern Europe--but to date most of the wintering birds have been from Eastern Europe---another conundrum for us!!

The season for spending evenings scouring farm fields with our thermal imagers for birds. We have had some success, the most significant being our first Woodcock of the season at Brewood Park Farm. They are wonderful birds...

It's unlikely that you would be able to see this next feature in the field, but one of the ageing criteria can be seen in this next picture. The feathers pointed at are the primary coverts. On all of these feathers of this bird there are small buff coloured tips. This makes this bird a juvenile--had the tips been white, it would have been an adult.

Just before I sat down to write this blog, group member Liz circulated a message from rare bird alert that a flock of 20 Waxwings had been seen at nearby Chasewater. We are now on alert with everything crossed that more will come our way; several of us have got our eyes on some small Rowan plantations because Waxwings love their berries...........

Struggling a bit!

 Normally by this time of year we are building up really big numbers of Redwings--as I have mentioned in previous years. But for some reason this year is different. Team members are putting in the hours, but there are fewer birds around-where we would be expecting to ring 50 or so per day, the numbers currently are nearer5-10 per day. We will have to wait for the annual BTO report on ringing to see if this is part of a national trend or something local.

One of the species which we are ringing good numbers of is Goldcrest. Many of these birds will be UK breeders--but our wintering population is bolstered by lots of migrants from Scandinavia--birds which would starve though lack of insects in the cold north. I though you might like to see an interesting sexual difference in plumage.....

Here is the top of the head of a bird caught this morning--showing why perhaps it's called a Goldcrest. All females have a head colour like this with a yellow stripe down the centre of the crown.

However, if the yellow feathers are parted and the crown then looks like this....

The golden orange feathers underneath show that this bird is in fact a male. When in the breeding season, male Goldcrests can part the crown feathers and erect the orange ones to display to the females--pretty cool....

We have also been hearing about an influx of Coal Tits from the continent also. This bird is a UK bred individual as can be seen by some of the buff tones on the flanks and on the back....

Continental birds are much greyer on the back. Also note the very marked white stripe on the back of the head which is typical of Coal Tit. The following picture shows how we age this species....

We need to look carefully at the greater covert feathers which are those above the coloured lines. You can see that the feathers above the red line are almost black in their centre--these are adult type feathers which have been moulted in over recent months. However, those above the yellow line have lighter centres--these are juvenile feathers showing that this is a bird hatched this year. Have a look on your  feeders--it's very difficult to see in the field especially as Coal Tits typically fly on and off the feeders very quickly--so good luck!!