Summer and Winter Migrants

Sunday, October 9th 2016

It has been mentioned on the blog that we had had a recovery of one of the Mipits that we had ringed at the Crater.  Details of another one also arrived.  Jenny ringed a Mipit on the 26th September and 16 days later it had travelled 133km to Beeley Moor in Derbyshire where it was caught as a retrap.  The second one, ringed on the 18th September was retrapped 14 days later at Ryewater Nursery, Boys Hill in Dorset, which is 392km from the Crater!

Whilst these summer migrants are heading south so our winter migrants are already arriving, possibly helped by the north easterly and easterly air flow over the last few days.  Redwings have been recorded on the reserve and today the first one of the season was ringed.  They are feasting on the Rowan and Hawthorn berries.

A Brambling had been seen feeding in the back garden.  This could be the earliest record of Brambling on the reserve.  We were hopeful that we may catch one, but we did much better than that and caught three!  It is very difficult not to put words into its look, but I am sure he was saying 'Don't I look beautiful?'

The ringing room was busy from early morning until late afternoon. Many visitors were able to see the process of ringing and observe the birds closely.  Amongst the 240 birds processed were 52 new Chaffinches and 19 Goldfinches.  Birds that are returning to the reserve after breeding in the surrounding habitats include the Redpolls and Goldcrests.  There are still Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps on the reserve and they have some way to travel on their southerly migration.

The data in IPMR (the data handling programme for all bird data) can give us immediate feedback on when a bird was first ringed. A Chaffinch was recorded in June 2011 making it five years old, and a Great Tit was six year old, being ringed as a chick in a nest box in 2010.  Several of this year's Great Tits, ringed in the nest boxes, continue to visit the ringing room.

It was still and the lake reflected the trees and sky early this morning.

Overnight rain had left grasses with water droplets that looked like jewels that glistened in the sunshine.

Through the vegetation bright red leaves of Bramble could be seen, showing us that autumn is well on its way.

Thank you very much to all the bird ringing volunteers for their hard work, ringing, doing net rounds and tidying up at the end of the day.  Thanks also to Glennis for her timely arrival with sausage rolls.

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