Well, I'm about half way through the breeding season and catching/ringing effort for the first year of my House Sparrow RAS (Retrapping Adults for Survival) here in Skeld, Shetland.
So far, 43 birds have been colour-ringed, and there are now lots of juveniles out and about here.
The advantages of colour-ringing are already becoming evident, with 47 resightings so far.
The other great news is that it are also very large numbers of unringed birds still here in Skeld. An hour watching the feeders in the garden may reveal say 10 colour-ringed birds, and at any one time another 20-30 unringed birds, so there could easily be 150+ more birds to catch/ring. And more and more juveniles are appearing every day, so it looks like a really healthy population!
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Publicity
It's great to get people involved in a project such as this, and thanks to the Shetland Times and BBC Radio Shetland local people are now showing an interest. I've been asked by the primary school in Skeld if I'll give a talk to their pupils as they want to have a go at resighting birds. All this is amazing news!
Today I opened the nets for a short period and in popped three more House Sparrows, two females and one male. Interestingly, both females have brood patches (as they should by now), so they are definitely nesting somewhere nearby.
Also, I'm getting more resightings of colour-ringed birds in my own garden now, which is promising, with the earliest ringed bird that's revisted (while I've been watching!) being AC. No sign yet of AA or AB!
Today I opened the nets for a short period and in popped three more House Sparrows, two females and one male. Interestingly, both females have brood patches (as they should by now), so they are definitely nesting somewhere nearby.
Also, I'm getting more resightings of colour-ringed birds in my own garden now, which is promising, with the earliest ringed bird that's revisted (while I've been watching!) being AC. No sign yet of AA or AB!
Saturday 13 April 2013
Norwegian Robin
Just about to close the nets down when a Robin popped in.
Now in Shetland Robins are fairly exciting at the best of times, but my heart started racing as I saw that this individual was already ringed - No, I haven't ringed any here in Skeld.
I extracted the bird then checked the ring - below the ring number was written 'Stavanger Mus. Norway'! A bit of hop across the North Sea then for this healthy bird.
Now in Shetland Robins are fairly exciting at the best of times, but my heart started racing as I saw that this individual was already ringed - No, I haven't ringed any here in Skeld.
I extracted the bird then checked the ring - below the ring number was written 'Stavanger Mus. Norway'! A bit of hop across the North Sea then for this healthy bird.
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| The Norwegian Robin in Shetland! |
1st colour-ringed birds of the project
Yes, the Shetland House Sparrow Project is officially up and running! Yesterday we opened the nets in Skeld for half an hour, and caught a female, closely followed by a male. These were ringed with a BTO metal ring on the right leg, and a colour-ring on the left. The female now wears a black ring with AA engraved in white, and the male sports black with AB!
A Starling was also caught and ringed.
Today, another short session at the net, and the 3rd spadger of the project was soon caught and ringed. Another male - he has become AC.
A Starling was also caught and ringed.
Today, another short session at the net, and the 3rd spadger of the project was soon caught and ringed. Another male - he has become AC.
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| AA - the 1st House Sparrow of the project |
Thursday 21 February 2013
A move to Skeld
Well, everything seems to have happened at once with this project. We now have the project registered with the BTO as both a Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS) project, and also as a colour-ring project, so we are almost ready to start.
I say almost, because I am now in the process of moving house to the nearby village of Skeld. There's a very healthy population of House Sparrows in Skeld too, so it makes sense to focus our ringing attentions there, rather than in Walls. Everyone concerned now knows that we have moved our research area to Skeld (see map to the left).
The BTO have asked that the colour-ring part of the project start with just two-digits for the code, rather than three. So initially the rings will be Black, with White engraving, using alpha-numeric code as two digits.
The other great news is that we now also have funding from the Shetland Wildlife Fund to pay for the colour rings!
So, the rings are ordered, and once they arrive from Poland we'll be ready to go.
I say almost, because I am now in the process of moving house to the nearby village of Skeld. There's a very healthy population of House Sparrows in Skeld too, so it makes sense to focus our ringing attentions there, rather than in Walls. Everyone concerned now knows that we have moved our research area to Skeld (see map to the left).
The BTO have asked that the colour-ring part of the project start with just two-digits for the code, rather than three. So initially the rings will be Black, with White engraving, using alpha-numeric code as two digits.
The other great news is that we now also have funding from the Shetland Wildlife Fund to pay for the colour rings!
So, the rings are ordered, and once they arrive from Poland we'll be ready to go.
Saturday 9 February 2013
Spuggie RAS
Yes, it's official. Thanks to Allison Kew at the BTO my House Sparrow RAS application has been passed, so once the colour-ring project has gone through the system we'll be up and running with this.
Watch this space!
Watch this space!
Saturday 2 February 2013
A Garden Surprise
Well, the wind eased today, despite the cold and snow-showery weather, so I took a gamble and put up a 12m net in the back garden here in Walls.
Not masses of birds around, but in just over an hour of ringing I managed to catch the following:
3 House Sparrows - all female, and all newly ringed today.
5 Starling - 4 of them newly ringed, the other a female first ringed here 100 days ago today.
3 Blackbirds - 2 males newly ringed today, the other a female first ringed on 15th January.
And a bit of a surprise, 1 male Chaffinch.
We don't see too many Chaffinches here in Shetland, although we did see a pair at Sandness just last Thursday, so it was great to get one in the net in our garden.
Other notable birds in Walls today:
1 Black Guillemot in full summer plumage (at the marina)
1 Little Grebe (at the marina)
1 Moorhen in the garden
2 Redwings in the garden
Not masses of birds around, but in just over an hour of ringing I managed to catch the following:
3 House Sparrows - all female, and all newly ringed today.
5 Starling - 4 of them newly ringed, the other a female first ringed here 100 days ago today.
3 Blackbirds - 2 males newly ringed today, the other a female first ringed on 15th January.
And a bit of a surprise, 1 male Chaffinch.
Other notable birds in Walls today:
1 Black Guillemot in full summer plumage (at the marina)
1 Little Grebe (at the marina)
1 Moorhen in the garden
2 Redwings in the garden
Wednesday 30 January 2013
When will the wind ease?
Very windy conditions here in Shetland over the last few days. 80mph last night - the roof blew off our chicken house!
So, as you can imagine, no House Sparrow ringing for a while. I'm awaiting a reply from the BTO about my application to run this project as a RAS (Retrapping Adults for Survival) and Colour-Ring project, so not ringing isn't too much of an issue at the moment. Ideally, I'd like to start colour-ringing as soon as I next start ringing, but can't do that without the approval of the BTO.
The good news is that I'm in discussions with the Shetland Amenity Trust about some possible funding for the project.
Anyway, for now it's just a case of feeding the birds (I'm now just ground feeding, as anything I put in the hanging feeders just blows away), and waiting for a combination of no wind and BTO approval.
So, as you can imagine, no House Sparrow ringing for a while. I'm awaiting a reply from the BTO about my application to run this project as a RAS (Retrapping Adults for Survival) and Colour-Ring project, so not ringing isn't too much of an issue at the moment. Ideally, I'd like to start colour-ringing as soon as I next start ringing, but can't do that without the approval of the BTO.
The good news is that I'm in discussions with the Shetland Amenity Trust about some possible funding for the project.
Anyway, for now it's just a case of feeding the birds (I'm now just ground feeding, as anything I put in the hanging feeders just blows away), and waiting for a combination of no wind and BTO approval.
Tuesday 15 January 2013
Wrong Species?
Well, a nice frosty morning here in Walls. I opened one net in the hope of making a proper start on the House Sparrow project.
There were about 40 spadgers in the garden, under the feeders, but somehow they all managed to completely avoid the net, resulting in a grand total of ZERO birds added to the project database.
7 Starlings did find the net however (perhaps this should have been the Shetland Starling Project?), as well as one female Blackbird (5F - 5 indicating it hatched last calendar year, F being female) so it was a worthwhile exercise regardless of the spadgers not playing.
Also of note in the garden:
1 Robin (a local rarity)
1 Moorhen (another local rarity)
16 Rock Doves (as common here as Woodpigeons are anywhere else)
There were about 40 spadgers in the garden, under the feeders, but somehow they all managed to completely avoid the net, resulting in a grand total of ZERO birds added to the project database.
7 Starlings did find the net however (perhaps this should have been the Shetland Starling Project?), as well as one female Blackbird (5F - 5 indicating it hatched last calendar year, F being female) so it was a worthwhile exercise regardless of the spadgers not playing.
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| Male Starling |
Also of note in the garden:
1 Robin (a local rarity)
1 Moorhen (another local rarity)
16 Rock Doves (as common here as Woodpigeons are anywhere else)
Monday 14 January 2013
Possible ringing tomorrow
Looks like tomorrow could be a goer for a ringing session.
The forecast is good, with calm conditions likely for Shetland, so I've checked the feeders are full at my main ringing site, and hopefully will get a couple of hours in at the nets in the morning.
If it goes to plan (you never know!) I'll post details here tomorrow.
The forecast is good, with calm conditions likely for Shetland, so I've checked the feeders are full at my main ringing site, and hopefully will get a couple of hours in at the nets in the morning.
If it goes to plan (you never know!) I'll post details here tomorrow.
Sunday 13 January 2013
Too windy for mist netting
Another windy day in Walls, Shetland.
30 - 40mph winds with occasional rain and hail showers means yet another day where mist netting for House Sparrows just can't happen.
I did a count in our back garden today though. Good numbers of Sparrows, Starling and Rock Dove making the most of all those full feeders:
Our garden birds today:
House Sparrows - 142
Starling - 95
Rock Dove - 15
Blackbird - 3
Moorhen - 1
So, not much variety there, but then you wouldn't expect there to be in Shetland at this time of year.
For now, I'll keep the feeders going at my ringing sites, ready for when the wind stops, or at least leasens a little.
Watch this space!
30 - 40mph winds with occasional rain and hail showers means yet another day where mist netting for House Sparrows just can't happen.
I did a count in our back garden today though. Good numbers of Sparrows, Starling and Rock Dove making the most of all those full feeders:
Our garden birds today:
House Sparrows - 142
Starling - 95
Rock Dove - 15
Blackbird - 3
Moorhen - 1
So, not much variety there, but then you wouldn't expect there to be in Shetland at this time of year.
For now, I'll keep the feeders going at my ringing sites, ready for when the wind stops, or at least leasens a little.
Watch this space!
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Full feeders
Had a short ringing session this morning at one of my sites in Walls.
There were about 60 House Sparrows feeding on the new feeders I got from Plantiecrub yesterday, along with 30-odd Starlings. Also on the same site 8 Rock Doves and a Moorhen pecked around for food.
Rain soon stopped play with the bird ringing, but not before I had 6 Starlings caught, weighed, measured, ringed and released. No House Sparrows though, which was a shame.
Later, I popped round to the other good ringing site in Walls to put up a couple of the feeders there. A pair of Great Tits and a load of Starling soon found the feeders, so hopefully when I return to have a go at ringing at the site, in better weather, the House Sparrows will be there too!
There were about 60 House Sparrows feeding on the new feeders I got from Plantiecrub yesterday, along with 30-odd Starlings. Also on the same site 8 Rock Doves and a Moorhen pecked around for food.
Rain soon stopped play with the bird ringing, but not before I had 6 Starlings caught, weighed, measured, ringed and released. No House Sparrows though, which was a shame.
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| Walls, and one of my ringing sites |
Later, I popped round to the other good ringing site in Walls to put up a couple of the feeders there. A pair of Great Tits and a load of Starling soon found the feeders, so hopefully when I return to have a go at ringing at the site, in better weather, the House Sparrows will be there too!
Saturday 5 January 2013
A look back at 2012
Before we get too carried away with this new project here on Shetland, I thought I'd have a quick look back at the my ringing achievements of 2012.
There was quite a broad spread of species last year, thanks to my starting the year off in Suffolk at Wyken Hall, then moving for the summer to the Isle of Canna in the Inner Hebrides, then making the final move up to Shetland in October.
The ringing totals below take all of this in to account. The only birds that are not part of these totals are the seabirds that I did with the Highland Ringing Group on their visits to Canna. These included Shag, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin. Kittiwake, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, and Storm Petrel.
Also not included are the Manx Shearwaters I ringed with Martin Carthy of Mallaig. Martin does a wonderful job rescuing storm-bound Manx Shearwaters that are blown inshore from the Small Isles when they fledge.
So all of the birds ringed below are those done on my own rings, from Suffolk, Canna, and Shetland (oh, and a few from Mull, and Herefordshire too!).
Here goes:
Numbers are for: Adult, Pulli, Retraps
Shag 0,0,1
Sparrowhawk 1,0,0
Oystercatcher 0,4,0
Great Skua 0,3,1
Common Gull 0,6,0
Herring Gull 2,3,4
Great Black-backed Gull 0,2,2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1,0,1
Swallow 2,15,2
Meadow Pipit 5,4,0
Rock Pipit 2,0,0
Pied Wagtail 3,0,0
Wren 18,0,6
Dunnock 24,0,18
Robin 27,5,10
Wheatear 15,5,1
Blackbird 26,8,12
Song Thrush 2,0,0
Sedge Warbler 10,0,3
Whitethroat 1,0,0
Blackcap 6,0,1
Chiffchaff 4,0,3
Willow Warbler 14,9,2
Goldcrest 5,0,0
Long-tailed Tit 8,0,17
March Tit 6,0,28
Coal Tit 17,0,12
Blue Tit 72,0,66
Great Tit 36,0,43
Nuthatch 0,0,1
Starling 14,0,0
House Sparrow 61,0,1
Chaffinch 43,0,7
Greenfinch 26,0,18
Goldfinch 9,0,1
Siskin 3,0,1
Linnet 26,0,1
Twite 1,0,0
Lesser Redpoll 3,0,0
Bullfinch 1,0,0
Yellowhammer 11,0,1
Reed Bunting 54,0,9
Totals 559,64,273,897
There was quite a broad spread of species last year, thanks to my starting the year off in Suffolk at Wyken Hall, then moving for the summer to the Isle of Canna in the Inner Hebrides, then making the final move up to Shetland in October.
The ringing totals below take all of this in to account. The only birds that are not part of these totals are the seabirds that I did with the Highland Ringing Group on their visits to Canna. These included Shag, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin. Kittiwake, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, and Storm Petrel.
Also not included are the Manx Shearwaters I ringed with Martin Carthy of Mallaig. Martin does a wonderful job rescuing storm-bound Manx Shearwaters that are blown inshore from the Small Isles when they fledge.
So all of the birds ringed below are those done on my own rings, from Suffolk, Canna, and Shetland (oh, and a few from Mull, and Herefordshire too!).
Here goes:
Numbers are for: Adult, Pulli, Retraps
Shag 0,0,1
Sparrowhawk 1,0,0
Oystercatcher 0,4,0
Great Skua 0,3,1
Common Gull 0,6,0
Herring Gull 2,3,4
Great Black-backed Gull 0,2,2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1,0,1
Swallow 2,15,2
Meadow Pipit 5,4,0
Rock Pipit 2,0,0
Pied Wagtail 3,0,0
Wren 18,0,6
Dunnock 24,0,18
Robin 27,5,10
Wheatear 15,5,1
Blackbird 26,8,12
Song Thrush 2,0,0
Sedge Warbler 10,0,3
Whitethroat 1,0,0
Blackcap 6,0,1
Chiffchaff 4,0,3
Willow Warbler 14,9,2
Goldcrest 5,0,0
Long-tailed Tit 8,0,17
March Tit 6,0,28
Coal Tit 17,0,12
Blue Tit 72,0,66
Great Tit 36,0,43
Nuthatch 0,0,1
Starling 14,0,0
House Sparrow 61,0,1
Chaffinch 43,0,7
Greenfinch 26,0,18
Goldfinch 9,0,1
Siskin 3,0,1
Linnet 26,0,1
Twite 1,0,0
Lesser Redpoll 3,0,0
Bullfinch 1,0,0
Yellowhammer 11,0,1
Reed Bunting 54,0,9
Totals 559,64,273,897
Wednesday 2 January 2013
Our survey area
Just a short note to let you all know that we've now settled on the area of Westside that we're focusing our efforts on for the initial stages of this project.
There's a map to the left of the page showing our survey area, but basically this is from the Bridge of Walls westwards to Mid Walls and south to the coast at Vaila Sound. All initial ringing of House Sparrows will be within this area, but once the summer arrives we may look at the rest of the peninsula northwards to the coast at Sandness, including the known populations as Dale of Walls, and Sandness itself. What would be really great would be to also include the islands of Vaila to the south, and Papa Stour to the north, but that would take a lot more time, not to mention a regular ferry to Papa, and our own boat to get to Vaila, so it's not likely to happen soon.
Another bit of good news is that the rings I currently hold have been transferred to the Shetland Ringing Group so that they can be used for this project. Thanks to Anne Trewhitt at the BTO for sorting this out as speedily as usual!
There's a map to the left of the page showing our survey area, but basically this is from the Bridge of Walls westwards to Mid Walls and south to the coast at Vaila Sound. All initial ringing of House Sparrows will be within this area, but once the summer arrives we may look at the rest of the peninsula northwards to the coast at Sandness, including the known populations as Dale of Walls, and Sandness itself. What would be really great would be to also include the islands of Vaila to the south, and Papa Stour to the north, but that would take a lot more time, not to mention a regular ferry to Papa, and our own boat to get to Vaila, so it's not likely to happen soon.
Another bit of good news is that the rings I currently hold have been transferred to the Shetland Ringing Group so that they can be used for this project. Thanks to Anne Trewhitt at the BTO for sorting this out as speedily as usual!
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