Cannon Netting Barnacle Geese

John and I set off at 5am in the morning to north Donegal at Trawbreaga Bay to join a large group of ringers and helpers in the hopes of catch some of the wintering Barnacle Geese. The aim was to colour ring a number of Barnacle Geese as part of a larger study of the Greenland breeding population. The species has also colonised southern Iceland and increasing in numbers. Thousands of Barnacle Geese winter in North-western and western Ireland including Sligo and in this area of Donegal. Exeter University lead on many of the studies of geese in the UK and Ireland and were on hand with others from all over Ireland including Kerry, Wexford and other spots. Kendrew of the RSPB NI will be handling and processing all subsequent resightings of the colour ringed birds.

Barnacle Goose

 

The site had been baited and watched for a week prior and up to 1200 Barnacle Geese have been visiting the fields and walking in and around the dummy nets. That morning we sat in wait as the Geese started arriving for a morning feed having roosted on one of the small offshore islands. They were appearing in groups of 5-50 before the main flock appeared with almost 500 birds taking us to 900+ in the field. We were restricted to 200 metal and colour rings and that was the rough aim with the large team of 27 people in place to deal with them. Around 200 birds had been captured by the net but a portion managed to slip out before the team arrived to extract the birds.

 

 Releasing the first processed birds

 

 

At the end of play, still in the morning, round 155 birds were processed with 5/6 birds having been caught previously. All birds were colour ringed with biometrics and feather samples taken. It was a great experience with much learned and we were very impressed by the efficient catch, process and release of such a number of large birds. 

Winter Scrub Ringing & Patch Birding

We have made two more visits to Castlerock Golf Club in the Bann Estuary since the last visit on the 7th of January. The Fieldfare numbers increased massively during the cold weather with 800+ birds there, joined by 150+ Redwing and a number of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes.

Redwing

The conditions were a little restrictive on the first visit and produced just six new birds and two retraps and no Fieldfare caught.
On the second visit the numbers had dropped significantly to perhaps 150 Fieldfares with the Sea Buckthorn berries having been depleted to only a few hundred from what were once millions.
Yet again the Fieldfares eluded us and we had to make do with 12 new birds including a Redwing and winter Blackcap.

Blackcap

 Castlerock Ringing Totals - 04/02 & 04/03/2018
         
                      New    Retrap

Blackbird               4              1

Blackcap               1

Bullfinch                2              1      

Dunnock                2
Goldcrest               1              2
Greenfinch             1           

Redwing                 1
Robin                      1

Song Thrush          5             1
Wren                      

Totals                    18            5      

 

 

 

 

 

On my last update about my Patch Birding in the Bann Estuary on the 11th of January I was sitting on 58 species for the year. As of this morning I have flipped that number and hit 85 before the arrival of the summer migrants.
I've added two new species to my full patch list with a nice drake Goosander and a few sightings of Glaucous Gull.

Goosdander

 



Glaucous Gull

Iceland Gulls have been regular with at least four different individuals including a nice 3rd winter/adult bird and two present on a number of visits. Other nice records locally have included Purple Sandpiper, a winter Blackcap and a pair of Shoveler  A Greenshank yesterday followed up with a Great Crested Grebe today and a Collared Dove which can be hard to get on the patch, took me to 7 ahead of this stage last year.


A bit of birding in the hills this afternoon produced my first Red Grouse of the year plus a pair of Hen Harrier which are always fantastic to see, taking my Northern Irish year total to 114 species (+ Barnacle Goose in the south).

 

Siskins and Garden Ringing

Ken has been back in action in the garden since mid-February, ably assisted by John and James. Over the handful of sessions over 200 birds have been processed with nice numbers of Siskins and a couple of winter Blackcaps - Goldfinches continue to be noticeable in their near absence.

Siskin 

Kens Garden - February/Early March
  

Blackbird               3             

Blackcap                1
Blue Tit                  40              
Chaffinch               6              
Coal Tit                  54              
Dunnock                2

Goldfinch               11                             
Great Tit                 15

Greenfinch              2              
Long-tailed Tit        4              
Robin                      15              
Siskin                     37                

Totals                     190                  

Those totals were topped up this morning with another 32 birds processed including another 6 Siskin and a Blackcap.
I opened a net in my new garden for the first time to catch some of the visiting Siskins and have added a further 9.

One of the Siskins caught by Ken last month was a control and it was rather nice recovery at that. The adult male bird was originally ringed at Cape Clear Bird Observatory on the 26th of October 2017 and trapped 117 days later. The distance is about as long as can get within Ireland at 454 km.

Representing Copeland Bird Observatory

I'm playing catch up as per usual so just some quick fire updates. There have been a couple more Copeland Bird Observatory winter training events at the usual spot. Numbers were pretty normal with the usual feeder species mix plus a bit of colour with some Bullfinches.

We were also present at a province wide nature day in Ballynure to help promote the Observatory. It was a great event with lots of people in attendance and hopefully what will turn out to be new visitors and supporters of the Observatory.