Welcome to the LDV NNR ringing blog, this blog is designed to share the experiences, findings and tales from a group of dedicated ringers. We specialise in conservation orientated research projects, largely focusing on wildfowl, waders, owls and birds of conservation concern, in and around the Vale of York NNR's.

NB - Whilst the purpose of this blog was initially designed to cover our nationally important wildfowl ringing activities, it now also features wildlife and work posts, explaining how we manage the NNR for both wildlife and people.

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Wednesday 19 September 2018

12/09/18 - Wader ringing

With the dry conditions and dwindling water levels around the reserve over the last month, the ringing team have been able to take advantage of the conditions and the opportunity to catch and ring some passage waders. With little inland wader ringing taking place across the country some of the results from the valley add significant numbers to the national totals and data set. Using wader nets set during the hours of darkness, the team have managed to catch 26 Common Snipe, 17 Green Sandpiper, a single Wood Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover, as well as 7 Teal and 2 Mallards over the last month. 

The sandpiper totals are particularly noteworthy – 17 Green Sandpipers represents about 25-35% of the annual UK ringing totals, whilst only around 4 or 5 Wood Sandpipers are ringed in the UK each year. Likewise, the annual ringing totals for snipe average around 400, so another 26 from the valley will hopefully add further to our knowledge of these birds and how they use the valley throughout the year. It’s likely that will be it now for wader ringing this year, as the last remaining pools look set to dry up any day now, which will see ‘our’ sandpipers head further south, into Europe and Northern Africa for the winter.

Wood Sandpiper

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