29/02/12 - A ringing success!

February 2012 can only be described as a record breaker, a total of 407 new wildfowl being the highest monthly total ever achieved, and beating the previous best February (2005, when 174 waterfowl were ringed) by an impressive 233!

Wildfowl totals for the month/year are as follows:

                                    January        February         Total
 

Little Grebe		1		0		1
Brent Goose		0		1		1
Shelduck		4		54		58
Wigeon		42		65		107
Teal		88		166		253
Mallard		19		111		130
Pintail		0		5		5
Moorhen		1		3		4
Coot		1		3		4
Total		156		408		563

Whilst it’s obviously pleasing to have had a successful month with large numbers of ducks ringed (which will hopefully lead to some useful data coming back over the next decade or so), the totals here are of national significance. Looking back over the national totals for the last published years (2008-2010) it shows that 57 Shelduck represent c20-30% of the annual UK totals, with figures of 30-70% for Wigeon, c20% for Teal and 2-24% for Pintail. Nice that the LDV NNR and the team are really adding to the national dataset as well as providing some useful local data.  

The Shelduck numbers have increased since our last post, with 58 new birds now ringed, a further 14 re-traps from previous years (8 from 2011, 2 from 2010, 2006 and 2005) and the control from Martin Mere WWT. That’s 73 individuals out of the 100+ present in the valley recorded with rings on this year - many with black darvics too. Interestingly more of the recent ‘new’ birds have been females supporting the theory that they arrive back in the valley later than the males - so maybe more to come yet.

The weights and wing lengths of many ducks but especially Teal have been interesting (as posted previously) during the cold weather. Although 110,000 Teal have been ringed in the UK over the last 100 years, the Ringing and Migration Atlas suggest Teal show ‘a remarkable capacity to respond to local conditions, either moving almost continually, to a cessation of movement, all carried out on a continental scale. The fluidity that this implies has considerable conservation implications. It goes on to say ‘continued ringing....particularly of birds using the UK during the winter, is important if the use of cold weather refuges is to be monitored successfully’.  

We are aware that the blog has become somewhat ‘waterfowl dominated’ this year. Obviously that’s one of our priorities given the interest of the NNR/SPA/Ramsar designations and the blog is intended to be a reflection of what we get up to and there are plenty of other blogs about passerine ringing out there, but don’t worry - we have other things planned too....watch this space!

Finally, a few sightings whilst we’ve been out and about and other records from the reserve - a Short-Eared Owl and several Barn Owls are still showing well at North Duffield Carrs in recent days, whilst there has been a sudden big arrival of Curlew (c200) and Oystercatcher (20) back into the valley during the last week, along with the first five Black-tailed Godwits. The Wheldrake Gull roost has also been providing interest with up to 5 different Iceland Gulls (part of the nationwide influx) and 2 Glaucous Gulls present. A wintering Chiffchaff is still present in the Wheldrake car park but it won’t be long now until the first migrants return!

27/02/12 - 2011 final totals

After putting together all the data from the various ringers and places within the Lower Derwent Valley we now have the final totals for 2011, shown below along with the totals from 1989. 2011 finished with 6810 birds ringed and new additions to the species list were Hobby, Common Gull and Crossbill, making that 148 different bird species ringed in the Lower Derwent Valley. This year, we've already added another new species to the list - the Brent Goose that appeared in the catching area of the whoosh net at North Duffield last week! Which special bird is going to be number 150 we wonder....!

			1989-2010		2011		1989-2011
1		Little Grebe	35		3		38
2		Great Crested Grebe	1		0		1
3		Black-necked Grebe	13		0		13
4		Manx Shearwater	1		0		1
5		Cormorant	272		6		278
6		Grey Heron	95		0		95
7		Mute Swan	466		14		480
8		Bewick's Swan	1		0		1
9		Whooper Swan	40		5		45
10		Pink-footed Goose	3		0		3
11		Greylag Goose	515		80		595
12		Canada Goose	146		16		162
13		Barnacle Goose	1		0		1
14		Egyptian Goose	1		0		1
15		Shelduck	286		59		345
16		Mandarin	1		0		1
17		Wigeon	1618		282		1900
18		Gadwall	208		7		215
19		Teal	1373		217		1590
20		Mallard	2698		373		3071
21		Pintail	16		7		23
22		Garganey	15		0		15
23		Shoveler	116		9		125
24		Pochard	5		0		5
25		Scaup	1		0		1
26		Tufted Duck	133		1		134
27		Ring-necked Duck	1		0		1
28		Goldeneye	4		0		4
29		Ruddy Duck	13		0		13
30		Marsh Harrier	1		0		1
31		Sparrowhawk	19		8		27
32		Buzzard	6		0		6
33		Hobby	0		2		2
34		Kestrel	96		22		118
35		Grey Partridge	11		0		11
36		Quail	17		0		17
37		Spotted Crake	3		0		3
38		Water Rail	47		0		47
39		Moorhen	1358		33		1391
40		Coot	497		6		503
41		Oystercatcher	18		0		18
42		Little Ringed Plover	14		0		14
43		Golden Plover	1		0		1
44		Ringed Plover	1		0		1
45		Lapwing	686		27		713
46		Little Stint	2		0		2
47		Buff-breasted Sandpiper	1		0		1
48		Dunlin	21		0		21
49		Ruff	20		0		20
50		Black-tailed Godwit	2		0		2
51		Jack Snipe	85		0		85
52		Snipe	275		8		283
53		Woodcock	1		0		1
54		Whimbrel	97		0		97
55		Curlew	90		6		96
56		Redshank	307		17		324
57		Greenshank	2		0		2
58		Green Sandpiper	16		4		20
59		Wood Sandpiper	1		0		1
60		Common Sandpiper	4		0		4
61		Black-headed Gull	508		0		508
62		Common Gull	0		1		1
63		Herring Gull	2		0		2
64		Great Black-backed Gull	2		0		2
65		Collared Dove	2		0		2
66		Turtle Dove	1		0		1
67		Stock Dove	165		10		175
68		Wood Pigeon	42		7		49
69		Barn Owl	772		38		810
70		Little Owl	52		1		53
71		Tawny Owl	77		12		89
72		Long-eared Owl	7		1		8
73		Cuckoo	1		1		2
74		Nightjar	1		0		1
75		Swift	124		47		171
76		Kingfisher	74		13		87
77		Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	1		0		1
78		Great Spotted Woodpecker	31		27		58
79		Green Woodpecker	2		0		2
80		Skylark	42		6		48
81		Woodlark	5		4		9
82		Sand Martin	924		168		1092
83		Swallow	1992		193		2185
84		House Martin	31		0		31
85		Tree Pipit	3		3		6
86		Meadow Pipit	197		66		263
87		Yellow Wagtail	2		2		4
88		Grey Wagtail	4		0		4
89		Pied Wagtail	39		1		40
90		Waxwing	11		0		11
91		Wren	330		82		412
92		Dunnock	454		109		563
93		Robin	375		86		461
94		Nightingale	1		0		1
95		Redstart	3		0		3
96		Whinchat	5		2		7
97		Stonechat	3		0		3
98		Wheatear	3		2		5
99		Blackbird	571		86		657
100		Fieldfare	57		5		62
101		Song Thrush	126		28		154
102		Redwing	52		8		60
103		Mistle Thrush	1		0		1
104		Cetti's Warbler	3		0		3
105		Grasshopper Warbler	5		15		20
106		Sedge Warbler	341		376		717
107		Reed Warbler	596		243		839
108		Lesser Whitethroat	59		10		69
109		Whitethroat	118		110		228
110		Garden Warbler	115		42		157
111		Blackcap	306		193		499
112		Chiffchaff	377		359		736
113		Willow Warbler	547		450		997
114		Goldcrest	63		29		92
115		Firecrest	1		0		1
116		Bearded Reedling	1		0		1
117		Spotted Flycatcher	25		0		25
118		Long Tailed Tit	375		169		544
119		Marsh Tit	56		15		71
120		Willow Tit	114		14		128
121		Coal Tit	142		95		237
122		Blue Tit	1837		386		2223
123		Great Tit	1500		518		2018
124		Treecreeper	82		47		129
125		Nuthatch	3		8		11
126		Great Grey Shrike	1		1		2
127		Red-backed Shrike	1		0		1
128		Jay	10		1		11
129		Magpie	11		2		13
130		Jackdaw	103		10		113
131		Rook	9		0		9
132		Carrion Crow	21		0		21
133		Starling	92		5		97
134		House Sparrow	215		7		222
135		Tree Sparrow	1123		190		1313
136		Chaffinch	900		240		1140
137		Brambling	108		2		110
138		Greenfinch	1096		108		1204
139		Goldfinch	390		110		500
140		Siskin	46		3		49
141		Linnet	182		44		226
142		Crossbill	0		1		1
143		Lesser Redpoll	23		69		92
144		Common Redpoll	2		8		10
145		Bullfinch	283		151		434
146		Yellowhammer	87		19		106
147		Reed Bunting	1346		511		1857
148		Corn Bunting	199		28		227
		Total	31786		6810		38596