Try googling Bird ringing as a tool for behavioural studies by STUART P. SHARP*

Pete Astles wrote:

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Don't wish for the thread to go off topic but why on earth does a bird need more than one ring?

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with color rings its to record them without catching them,i.e red and blue on one leg and 2 reds on the other identifies a particular bird,thats my issue ,should any bird have to carry many colored rings ,and expecially not a sedentary bird like a willow tit,which travels less than a few miles in its short lifetime.

Don't wish for the thread to go off topic but why on earth does a bird need more than one ring?

am/pm with Charlie Owen and Jon Tav
Very little of note apart fron a kingfisher,plenty bullfinches and 1000+ swift over the flash.

Also the dissapointing sight for me of one of the willow tits now looking quite defaced with its legs full of colored rings,and they were not tiny rings,almost the full length of one leg had red ring or rings on and possibly the other but not sure about that,Im sure it loves having those when its desparately most likely trying to find enuff food to keep its young going.
I still don't see how its humane to place plastic rings on a small birds legs.If it was done to a dog im sure the rspca would have something to say.My opinion only, as I have never liked to see rings on birds,I understand with migrants to a certain extent,but willow tits ,not for me .

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 17th of June 2012 05:14:28 PM

No sign of the Avocet by 3.30pm. Dipped again!!

Managed to get some nice Reed Warbler shots though as consolation.

Avocet still present on the spit at 1:20pm, viewable from Horrock's Hide.

Avocet on the spit this morning. Currently best viewed from Rammies by the canal.

Into thanks to Bill Harrison

2 Raven flew NW at 09:25 this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Had a quick 45 minutes in Horrocks hide this afternoon. Only birds of note were:

1 Redshank
1 Shelduck
2 Common Tern
Good numbers of Swifts around plus several House Martins.

Interestingly, there was a Red Kite posted on the noticeboard for yesterday with a note attached that photos were taken by Cliff. If it's the guy I'm thinking of then he's a flash regular.

11.00 - 11.30
only thing of note from Horrocks was 4 Dunlin-before i shot off to marshside

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 4th of June 2012 06:52:35 PM

Monday 4th June 8.30am

From Horrocks:
1 Common Tern at the end of the spit.
1 Ringed plover
I could only see 5 Dunlin, but they were right at the end of the spit and Canada geese and gulls were obscuring the view.
1 Grey Wagtail
Lots of the usuals around too.

Still 8 Dunlin present this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

AM/PM
Dunlin - 18 (still present 1500,never came nearer than half way up the spit in the 4 hours i was watching them)very flighty-but first double figure dunlin all year for me .
Ringed Plover-4 adult and 1 juv (first juv of year-seemed to be sticking with the dunlin ,so may have arrived with them)
Grey wagtail-3
swift-500+swallow - 1000+
House Martin -300+
Sand Martin- 200+
common tern-6
Redshank-2
oystercatcher-1
shelduck-1
good 4 hours all from Horrocks hide.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 3rd of June 2012 05:21:19 PM

18 Dunlin showing very well on the small pool directly in front of Horrocks Hide at 07:55 this morning. 14 dropped in to join 4 that were already present.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

am/pm
2 ringed plover
2 dunlin
4 common tern
plus the regulars

very pleasant early evening mooch-4.30-6.30 pm
plenty of what you would expect,and plenty of young birds about being fed including blackcap and reed warbler which is really early,and the biggest hatch of dragonflies for 10 years,with hundreds of broad bodied chasers about.
Dunlin-1
mute swan - 50 + none breeders on the main flash
pied wagtail- 3 pairs with young around the north bank



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 1st of June 2012 07:36:32 PM

This mornings sightings:

5 Ringed Plover
2 Dunlin
2 Redshank
4 Common Tern

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Early this morning:

2 Dunlin through south
2 Redshank
7 Ringed Plover

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Pete Astles wrote:

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Martyn Jones wrote:

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I think we all need to get over to Highfield Moss - Nick seems to be having a bumper year there!

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Its not just Highfield Moss, Winwick, Barrow Lane and Parkside are there as well and you can cover all three in 2 hours.

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Has any of you ever been to Highfield moss on a weekend sunny afternoon?This afternoon it was full groups of 16-20 year olds swimming in the only small pool left at the moss,with a cider bottle per person where they come from no one knows,so like me its better to turn back when you see this.
At least at penny there is very little as I have ever seen of this type of madness that seems to be very common in the sites around warrington,Houghton green pool had at least 40 of these cider drinker swimmers today,its hard to escape the madness sometimes
Give me penny anytime even without the birds :)

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 26th of May 2012 04:06:22 PM

Martyn Jones wrote:

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I think we all need to get over to Highfield Moss - Nick seems to be having a bumper year there!

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Its not just Highfield Moss, Winwick, Barrow Lane and Parkside are there as well and you can cover all three in 2 hours.

pm
Nothing of real note

I think we all need to get over to Highfield Moss - Nick seems to be having a bumper year there!

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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I'd gladly take either Semi-collared Flycatcher or Red-backed Shrike at the flash thanks, though the former would no doubt be the subject of a huge Internet identification 'debate' so perhaps I'll just take the shrike

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A collared dove would do at the moment never mind flycatcher.

I'd gladly take either Semi-collared Flycatcher or Red-backed Shrike at the flash thanks, though the former would no doubt be the subject of a huge Internet identification 'debate' so perhaps I'll just take the shrike

Iain Johnson wrote:

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Ian McKerchar wrote:

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So far this year there does appear to be a comparative nationwide dearth of migrants (by and large) though I could not comment on breeding birds.

Links . Sorry, I'm old fashioned I'm afraid and have gleaned much of that information from verbal discussions (phone or field) with other birders around the UK. Most recently a friend in Sussex commented only a couple of days ago of their similar situation.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 21st of May 2012 08:33:14 PM

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Iain Johnson Wrote

I can sympathise! All the semi collarded flycatchers and red backed shrikes have disappeared from the local park!

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I Don't think at penny anyones too bothered about seeing those 2 species as its a very unlikely scenario,just give us a few turnstone,dunlin,black tern,or even the odd whinchat,sedge warblers ,which are really thin on the ground at penny this year,
All the regular watchers at penny,know its been a very poor year ,and no one can tell me different,just check the posts on here compared to 3 years ago.And as far as I can tell theres not a wader of any type thats been successfull breeding up to now,and whats happened to the little grebes at penny,I have not seen one for over a month,and they used to breed in good numbers,But a Mink was seen at the front of Horrocks hide last week ,so thats not a supprise that any ground nesters are struggling,and mink will snatch grebes etc off the nest.
Anyway I will have a mooch again after work,and see if owts turned up.




-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 25th of May 2012 07:57:11 AM

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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So far this year there does appear to be a comparative nationwide dearth of migrants (by and large) though I could not comment on breeding birds.

Links . Sorry, I'm old fashioned I'm afraid and have gleaned much of that information from verbal discussions (phone or field) with other birders around the UK. Most recently a friend in Sussex commented only a couple of days ago of their similar situation.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 21st of May 2012 08:33:14 PM

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I can sympathise! All the semi collarded flycatchers and red backed shrikes have disappeared from the local park!

Ian, do you mean there are indications of a nationwide dearth of migrants (or breeding birds in general)?

Do you have any links to reports to this effect?

So far this year there does appear to be a comparative nationwide dearth of migrants (by and large) though I could not comment on breeding birds.

Links . Sorry, I'm old fashioned I'm afraid and have gleaned much of that information from verbal discussions (phone or field) with other birders around the UK. Most recently a friend in Sussex commented only a couple of days ago of their similar situation.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 21st of May 2012 08:33:14 PM

Don't blame Pennington John, it's pretty much the same nationally too

nothing of real note today apart from a possible Osprey flying North over rammies ruck very high at 1.30 ish.The place is unknervingly quiet for the time of year.

3 Ringed Plover and 1 Common Sandpiper this morning.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

1st summer mediterranean gull this afternoon

Around dinnertime today were:

a couple of willow tits,
several reed warblers,
a couple of sedge warblers,
lots of blackcaps,
a couple of chiffchaffs,
several whitethroats,
willow warblers,
a ringed plover,
a few common terns knocking about...and...
...a Mediterranean gull....in front of Horrocks Hide.

Christopher.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 19th of May 2012 07:26:13 PM

As John said - very quiet. Spent a bit of time there this evening and there was nothing at all of note. The only surprising thing was being turfed out of the hide at 8pm when I was expecting to get till at least 8.30 - 8.45. Apparently the opening hours have been cut back (a note is up in the centre) so the hides are now locked from 8pm. Worth bearing in mind if you're expecting to be able to stay till after sunset like you used to be.

(ok I admit to being a bit miffed after putting my cash in the car park machine less than 3/4hr before they shut the hide)

AM/PM
Quiet as I can ever remember it in May,at some points there was so little in song it seemed like November-Warblers are well down in Number.
Only real thing of Note was a almost winter plumage Knot that came in from the east landed on the spit for 10 seconds,then flew off high west.

Two Cuckoos today, male and female at the western end am.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison.

Adult Kittiwake at the top of the spit this morning.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

Just seen those Black-Tailed Godwits myself.

Not much else about this morning.

20 Black-tailed Godwits present in the spit at around 9:30 this morning.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

only real things of note this morning
common sandpiper-1
cuckoo- 1 male moving around the north bank
common tern-5

Pink-footed Goose present this morning - very approachable and not ringed.

Cuckoo, near canal , then flew towards Ramsdale hide, 9.45am.

Good one Martyn, I like it. Nice photos too.

Not to make too light of the sad situation of the Moorhen at Penny, but perhaps it should have taken a leaf out of this Coot's book.

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Saturday 12th of May 2012 10:37:48 PM

A sad story from this morning; despite the bird's best efforts, the Moorhen's nest
in front of the hide was eventually washed away by the rising water level after
last night's rain. Gory details here...http://youtu.be/__O0M69A6Ds ,the nest contained 4 eggs
Other sightings pretty much the same as Paul's apart from 1 extra Dunlin

This AM 2Dunlin and a Ringed Plover same as yesterday. A full tour counting warblers revealed; 14 Whitethroat, 20 Blackcap, 10 Willow Warbler, 9 Reed Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 11 Sedge Warbler and a Garden Warbler.

2 Dunlin, 7 Common Tern and singles of Ringed Plover and Redshank this morning

am/pm
ringed plover-5
common tern-4
dunlin-1
common sandpiper-2
reed warbler-6
whitethroat-5
sedge warbler-1
stacks of hurrundines
plus the usuals

Brief visit with my elderly mother (apologies if we held anyone up!).

At least 2 Arctic Tern and several Common, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Oystercatcher with 2 Whimbrel through.

A distant soaring raptor beyond the sailing club hinted at Osprey but was lost to view before I could confirm.

Special thanks to whoever spotted that I'd left my mobile in Horrocks Hide and took the trouble to come and tell me.

pm friday full tour with Charlie Owen
17 Arctic Terns
3 oystercatcher
5 Common Tern
2 redshank
1 kingfisher
3 sedge warbler
1 whitethroat
1 male sparrowhawk
6 linnet
500+ swift
500+ sand martin
200+ house martin
plus the usuals
warblers are well down on normal numbers at this time of the year,with only blackcap showing numbers around the norm.

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 5th of May 2012 07:38:37 AM