Savvy Siskins and Sneaky Snipe

In an previous post I mentioned how Siskins had started visiting the feeders in my garden much earlier than usual this winter and that the first two seen in late November were already ringed. I speculated that both were likely to be returning birds rather than having been ringed elsewhere and I thought I would be able to confirm that by retrapping one or both of them within a relatively short space of time. I have caught 11 Siskins in the garden since then and over 100 Goldfinches but haven't caught either of those ringed Siskins, both of which were adult males, or any others that had been ringed prior to this winter, let alone ringed elsewhere. Now that I have ringed some Siskins this winter it isn't possible to say a bird could be a returnee by the mere presence of a ring as I was able to with those first two males.

It is fair to say that I am both surprised and disappointed that I haven't retrapped either of those ringed Siskins and that disappointment has been compounded by two I have photographed recently. I have got loads of photos of Siskins, some of which are really quite good, but that doesn't stop me from trying to take more, and I have done a bit of 'snapping' over the last week or so. When I review photographs I always look to see if I can read any rings, if present, and I managed to read part of the ring numbers of a couple of Siskins and, surprise surprise, they weren't birds I had ringed this winter. The first, a male photographed on 24th Jan, was wearing ring that started Z0..... which is the start of a sequence that I was using in the garden 2 to 3 years ago and certainly not this winter. The second was a female with a ring inscription that started with the letter S...... and another photo showed more of that ring number which pointed to it having been ringed in the garden last January.

Z0........ male Siskin

The other photos of this bird revealed more of the ring number which, by a process of elimination, is almost certainly a bird that was ringed as an adult female on 22/01/2017

I have no way of knowing how long they have been visiting the feeders but there is a chance the Z0....... ringed bird could have been one of those initial males. What I can say is that at least 3 Siskins, ringed prior to this winter, have visited the feeders and that all 3 have evaded recapture to date. Their ability to avoid being caught strengthens my view that they are all returning birds and that they are quite savvy when it comes to avoiding a mist-net in my garden because they have seen it all before. Net shyness, as it is sometimes referred to, is not unusual and is most common in resident birds or at times when a population becomes relatively static such as birds visiting feeders in winter and is something I try to minimise in various ways, so it is interesting that these Siskins appear to have remembered or perhaps I should say retained that level awareness despite being away from the garden for over 7 months. Obviously there is still a chance that these birds will end up being caught at some point later this winter but I wouldn't like to bet on it.

Regular readers of this blog may remember some photographs of Snipe roosting in a field of winter cereal that I posted on the blog last winter (link here). Snipe roosted in this field from November (when they were first found and up to 29 were counted) through to at least mid-January (when the crop started to grow and made the birds harder to see). I had never seen Snipe using an arable crop as a daytime roost site before and, knowing how traditional Snipe roosts usually are, I wondered if they would use the field again, especially if the type of crop changed. As things turned out the field was sown with rape in the autumn and I thought that change, and the fact that rape has a different structure, can get denser and a bit taller than autumn sown cereals during the winter, may put the birds off.

I didn't spot any birds using the field during November and the density of the crop meant any birds, if present, had a much better chance of remaining unseen, especially if they had chosen a different part of the field to roost in. It started to feel like I was looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack but I continued to scan the field from time to time. I probably could have got permission to do a walk through survey but it would have been very difficult to find a time when other people weren't around and I was concerned it may have drawn others to think it was OK to do the same, so I decided to stick with observations from the adjacent public footpaths to be on the safe side. Unfortunately there is trend for people in this area to think it is OK to walk around the headland of just about every field and even walk through crops with their dogs rather than sticking to the numerous public footpaths and public open spaces.

Anyway, I happened to be scanning the field about a week ago, on one of this year's rare sunny days, when I noticed a Snipe amongst the rape and it was in the same part of the field that the birds used last winter. Further observations revealed a few more and I eventually counted 10. A few days later I could see a similar number in the same area when a loud bang and some crashing from a building site about half a mile away caused a few more birds to pop their heads up and I ended up counting a minimum of 19. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me on either occasion but I have managed to get some images since.

The images above give you an idea of how difficult the are to see but it gets a bit easier once you get your eye in. I am sure they have been using the field all winter and that I have simply overlooked them until recently. If you think they were quite difficult but want a real challenge have a look at the series of images below. 

Spot the Snipe, not that you have any chance of finding it in this photo.

Try again in this zoomed and cropped image but I wouldn't waste too much time trying.

Same image again but even with a nice red arrow pointing it out you will probably struggle to see anything identifiable as a Snipe.

.....and here is a tighter crop of the same image and you can just see the distinctive crown stripes of a Snipe's head. Now that was a difficult one.

I certainly believe the use of this field by Snipe in successive winters qualifies it as a traditional roost site (and Snipe could have been using it prior to last winter) but it remains to be seen how long this particular winter roosting tradition can survive in the face of modern agricultural practices and crop rotations.

Bilinge 9th July 2017 - more Swallows

I had planned an early morning ringing session in the top willows but I just couldn't motivate myself when the alarm went off, despite the weather conditions being near perfect. I decided some extra sleep was the order of the day; a decision that was made much easier because I knew I had the option of going up in the evening instead. I suppose I could, and perhaps should, have done both but I will save that kind of effort for later in the season.

I went to site at 7pm and quickly set 2 nets in the willows. I could hear a few warblers calling in the bushes as I was setting up but one thing that was absent was any sizeable tit flocks, not that I am complaining, although I did hear some Long-tailed Tits in the distance later on. There were quite few Swallows hawking insects overhead so I was hopeful that some would come into roost again and thankfully they did.

Part of the Swallow catch. I don't know why this site usually gets an early Swallow roost but it does, although numbers and duration of occupancy of the roost have varied from year to year. However, its future may be limited by the growth of the trees as the birds seem to prefer to roost in willows that average about 1.5 to 2 metres tall and some are more than twice that height now.

Juvenile Swallow

Adult male Swallow showing a fine pair of tail streamers.

The total of 41 new birds and 1 retrap was a good result with the majority of the catch being made up of Swallows and warblers. The individual totals (retraps in brackets) were: Blue Tit 1; Willow Tit 1; Swallow 23; Chiffchaff 4; Willow Warbler 3 (1); Blackcap 5; Blackbird 1; Goldfinch 2, Reed Bunting 1.

Observations of note were a Noctule Bat, surprisingly the first I have seen over the site, and as I was leaving I could hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling from the territory in NE corner.

That's more like it.

Back to back sessions at Billinge yesterday evening and again this morning produced the goods with a combined total of 106 birds ringed and just 4 recaptures. Yesterday's session only started at 19:30 with 2 nets erected in the young willows that are colonising the higher part of the site. This area can be very productive in the evening, even with such a limited amount of netting, as it is a favoured feeding area for phylloscopus warblers, when they are about, and it usually holds an early Swallow roost.

Both Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs were around in reasonable numbers and 6 of each were ringed along with 4 Blackcaps, 5 Linnets and a Goldfinch. I didn't think any Swallows were going to come into roost as only a few were seen on the run up to sunset but then about 80 quickly gathered just after the sun had set and 45 were caught. Interestingly 10 were adults of which 8 were males, 1 was a female and one was left unsexed. One of the adult males was a retrap and had been ringed at the roost as a juvenile on 21st July 2014.

Swallows mainly use this site for roosting in July, when they are still breeding, and I suspect it develops as a nursery roost for juveniles reared at nearby farms and they are accompanied by the off duty adults. This may account for the relatively high proportion of adults and for the majority of those adults being males. This is only a pet theory but an early roost with a high proportion of adults has developed each summer since I started ringing at the site in 2014 and in that year the roost started at the end of June. Yesterday was the first time I have checked for the Swallow roost this summer so I don't know when the roost started this year.

This morning I set 3 nets in the north east part of the site and the catching was fairly steady from the off. Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps accounted for 34 of the 43 birds caught during the morning with the majority being juveniles. All the Willow Warblers were nearing the end of or had just completed their pj moult so could have included some birds that had dispersed or migrated from elsewhere rather than them all being locally bred. Once again there were very few tits around and there were certainly no signs of any tit flocks developing. Long-tailed Tits, in particular, were conspicuous by their absence with none seen or even heard during both ringing sessions.

Combined ringing totals (retraps in brackets) for 17th & 18th July were: Swallow 44 (1); Meadow Pipit (1); Goldcrest 1; Chiffchaff 20; Willow Warbler 15 (1); Blackcap 13 (1); Whitethroat 2; Blackbird 1; Blue Tit 2; Great Tit 1; Linnet 5; Goldfinch 1; Lesser Redpoll 1.

1CY Willow Warbler just finishing its post juvenile moult.

Adult female Blackcap

Adult Meadow Pipit looking strikingly brown and white in its worn plumage. It was a retrap and had been ringed last autumn, as a juvenile, when it would have looked very different.

This is what it would have looked like when ringed in autumn 2015.

Adult female Lesser Redpoll. Lesser Redpolls have bred at the site for the first time this year and this female had an active brood patch so is still breeding.

It also had a passenger in the form of a flat fly (hippoboscidae).  These parasites seem disproportionately large on small birds.

They don't look any better the closer you get. They sometimes leave their host when the bird is being handled and temporarily take up residence in your hair - just one of the many joys of ringing.

July ends in fine style.

I finished off the month the way I started it with an evening ringing session at Billinge. I set up the usual 2 nets in what were near perfect conditions - pleasantly warm, overcast and just a light breeze. The first check of the nets didn't produce a single bird and it soon became apparent that most of the warblers that were around previously had moved on and they hadn't been replaced by others moving in. There were a few warblers around but nothing like the numbers there had been. I wasn't sure if any Swallows would come in to roost either or if they had moved on too but I decided to stick it out anyway. I am certainly glad that I did as around 150 Swallow gathered along with a few House Martins and 35 of the former were caught.

Juvenile Swallow.
Swallows topped the ringing totals for the day and the month.

As I was extracting the last few Swallows a large bird hit the net just above my head and when I looked up a Tawny Owl was looking back at me. My reflexes kicked in and I quickly got hold of it and extracted it from the net before it had the chance to escape. Large birds can get out of small mesh nets quite easily so I was lucky that it went into the net so close to me. The evening ended with 50 new birds ringed and 5 retraps.

Juvenile Tawny Owl.

Juvenile Tawny Owl.
This is the first full grown Tawny Owl I have caught and ringed in a long time.

Ringing Totals for 31/07/14 with retraps in brackets.
Swallow 35
Linnet 7
Willow Warbler 4 (5)
Chiffchaff 1
Blackbird 1
Robin 1
Tawny Owl 1
Total 50 (5)

This July has been one of the best I have known and has a ringing total to match. I don't usually post monthly ringing totals but 826 birds ringed of 30 species is worth a mention. Top 5 in terms of number ringed were:
Swallow 426
Willow Warbler 93
Chiffchaff 54
Linnet 50
Goldfinch 46

The weather is forecast to be unsettled for the next few days so it could be early next week before I get August's ringing totals started.

House Martins no fluke

I went back to the Billinge site this evening with a view to catching some more Swallows at the roost and to see if any House Martins were roosting with them. While I was putting up the first net a juvenile Sedge Warbler appeared in the willows beside me. This was a first for the site, for me at least, and well away from the nearest breeding population so obviously a bird on passage. It made its way into the net soon after I had set up along with 5 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff , a Blackcap and 2 Goldfinches, not a bad start.

Juvenile Sedge Warbler 22/07/14

There were more Swallows around than last night with an esimated 400 present and there were at least 2 Sand Martins and 4 House Martins with them. The conditions were perfect and the first Swallows were caught well before the light started to fade. A Sand Martin was also caught along with 2 House Martins showing that the 2 caught last night was no fluke. The final tally of Swallows for the evening was 54 and brought the total ringed at the roost over the last few weeks to 386.

Juvenile House Martin 22/07/14

Juvenile Sand Martin 22/07/14

Juvenile Swallow 22/07/14

Ringing Totals for 22/07/14
Swallow 54
House Martin 2
Sand Martin 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 5
Chiffchaff 1
Goldfinch 2
Total 67

16th July 2014

I have been very busy in one way or another over the last week or so and haven't had the time to post on the blog before now. Today wasn't much different really, I was out this morning for a brief ringing session at the Billinge site before rain and domestic duties stopped play. I went back this evening to see if the Swallows were still roosting in the willows and only got back late as a result. This site is turning out to be really productive and the Swallow roost has been the most unexpected find so far. There were around 500 Swallows in the roost tonight and I caught and ringed 51 (all juveniles) which was a comfortable number to deal with. I have now ringed 196 Swallows and 1 Sand Martin since finding this roost on 25th June.

Juvenile Swallow

This juvenile is just starting to get a few darker red feathers on the throat.

Ringing Totals for 16/07/14
Swallow 51
Chiffchaff 7
Willow Warbler 6 (1)
Blackcap 4
Whitethroat 2
Linnet 1
Willow Tit 1
Total 72 (+1 retrap)

You have got to be in it to Linnet

A couple of evenings ago I decided to see if I could catch some Linnets at the site near Billinge. There are plenty of juvenile Linnets about now and I thought I may be catch a few and test out a new net ride at the same time. The net ride is in a dense patch of self-seeded willows and is fairly close to where there is a good breeding population of Linnets so I thought it was worth a try. I was working on the assumption that the juveniles from the early broods would be roosting in the area and could be attracted to a playback lure as they returned from feeding areas to roost.

While the conditions were good for ringing they were even better for flies and both me and the dog were soon being plagued by them. Most were what I would describe as housefly like sweat flies but while they distracted you in their hundreds the clegs and other biting insects quietly moved in for a blood meal, it was horrible. It was so bad I really wished I had one of those daft looking hats with the mesh that covers your head or a full beekeepers outfit for that matter. I hadn't brought any insect repellent with me either as every fly in the area quickly found out when they homed in on me and the dog.

I put the net up as quickly as the flies would allow and set a lure playing Linnet song. It wasn't long before I caught the first birds- a Linnet, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Reed Bunting; juvenile Chiifchaffs have a really curious nature and seem to be attracted to just about any playback lure as these 2 were. I then heard a Willow Tit call once from some scrub a little distance away so I put another lure out playing Willow Tit calls and within seconds another wandering juvenile Willow Tit was caught. Not a bad start despite all the flies.

Testing out the new net ride.

Juvenile Linnet

A few Swallows started feed above the willows which wasn't surprising given the number of flies so I decided to play a Swallow lure in addition to Linnet and it wasn't long before an adult Swallow found its way into the net. The number of Swallows increased until around 50 or 60 were present and it soon looked like they may actually settle down to roost in the willows. This was a bit of a surprise as I normally associate Swallow roosts with reed beds or fields of maize and much later in the summer and autumn. The Swallows did settle to roost in another patch of willows that were only 1 to 2 metres tall and I was even able to see some of the birds sat in the upper twigs, a most unexpected sight.

Ringing totals for Wednesday evening (25/06/14): Reed Bunting 1, Linnet 2, Willow Tit 1, Bullfinch 1, Chiffchaff 2, Willow Warbler 1, Swallow 4.

I went back again yesterday evening and tried a net in a different place for the Linnets and another for the Swallows but keeping well away from the bushes the Swallows roosted in the previous night. It was a bit breezier and the flies were much less of a problem plus I had come prepared with plenty of insect repellent. I think I had probably set up a little too late for the Linnets but I still caught 3 (2 juvs and an adult male). A similar number of Swallows gathered but this time 11 were caught because I had set a net in a more open area of willows.

Interestingly 4 of the 15 Swallows caught over the two evenings were adult males with the remainder being juveniles. I can only presume this is some form of nursery roost and the adult females are incubating eggs or brooding chicks from second nesting attempts in buildings on the surrounding farms. Obviously this is just speculation and perhaps some adults and the young from the early broods are simply preparing to migrate already?? Whatever the reason it is certainly the earliest summer Swallow roost I have ever seen by some margin and shows there is still so much we don't actually know about many of our common birds.

Juvenile Swallow. All the juveniles had prominent yellow gape flanges like this bird indicating they had fledged fairly recently.

Ringing totals for Thursday evening (26/06/14): Linnet 3, Goldfinch 2, Blackbird 1, Whitethroat 3, Swallow 11.

Although Linnets were the original target I am just as pleased to have found such an early Swallow roost along with the general mix of birds ringed over the two evenings. It is still very early in the season yet so I may catch more Linnets later in the summer and through into the autumn as the number of juveniles in the population increases. I will be back to find out and I may even invest in one of those sensible hats to get some chemical free protection from the flies.

And more Swallows

The Swallow roost at Scotman's Flash continues to be the focus of our attention. John G went yesterday evening and caught 56 Swallows and 3 Sand Martins. I couldn't go yesterday due to work commitments but managed to fit in a session this evening. The weather didn't look too promising at first and there was the odd spot of rain as I set up but smart phones, weather apps and rainfall radar make all the difference to the decision making process these days.

John had estimated around 450 birds in the roost last night but it was more like 1,500 birds tonight. The roost had attracted the attention of a male Sparrowhawk which made the birds reluctant to settle. The Sparrowhawk bounced out of the net on one occasion but didn't the second time. The final ringing total for this evening was Sparrowhawk 1, Reed Warbler 3, Sand Martin 1, Swallow 68 plus 2 controls (birds ringed elsewhere).

The forecast isn't too good for Thursday but Friday evening is looking promising.