10/03/12 - Shoveler(ly) good!

Today we received another two recoveries from the WWT, a female Wigeon to Russia (our 24^th) but more significantly, a Shoveler duckling from 2009 to France (our 3^rd). Details below:

- Shoveler (FH10859) ringed as a 1 (duckling) on 12/06/09 at Wheldrake Ings, recovered on 30/12/11 in France (shot dead).

- Wigeon (FP68603) ringed as a 3F on 10/11/07 at North Duffield Carrs, recovered on 27/09/11 in Russia (shot dead).

2009 was a bumper year for us in terms of ringing Shoveler ducklings, with 21 ringed, clearly worth all the effort! & for those of us who’ve experienced it we know what an effort it can be pushing the corale in the height of summer!

The Lower Derwent Valley NNR in some years is the most important breeding site in the country for Shoveler (per RBBP reports) and is probably the most important site in the country in terms of catching and ringing Shoveler, especially ducklings. So this is particularly good data out of the 125 ringed, and out of interest below we’ve posted the other pulli Shoveler recoveries from the LDV: 

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

J12112, ringed as a 1 on 12.06.65 in Lake Engure, Latvia, recovered on 08.01.66 in the LDV NNR, Melbourne (shot dead). Distance - 1551 Km

FA87928, ringed as a 1 on 01.07.98 in the LDV NNR, recovered on 07.08.98 in Pas-de Calais, France (shot dead). Distance - 438 Km. 

FP20521, ringed as a 1 on 30.06.99 in the LDV NNR, recovered on 14.12.02 in Brucourt, Calvados, France (shot dead). Distance - 519 Km. 

FP78818, ringed as a 1 on 26.06.04 in the LDV NNR, Wheldrake Ings, recovered on 15. 05.05 in Pinezhskiy, Arkhangelsk, U.S.S.R (shot dead). Distance - 2764 Km.

FP78819, ringed as a 1 on 26.06.04 in the LDV NNR, Wheldrake Ings, recovered on 21.08.05 in Krasinskoe, Privolzhskiy, Ivanovo, U.S.S.R (shot dead). Distance - 2678 Km.

Note the first bird (J12112) it's the only record we have of a control to the valley, the bird was ringed as a duckling during the summer of ’65, it was then shot dead during the winter of ’66 in Melbourne, York. Also, note the last two birds (FP78818) & (FP78819), they are from the same brood and both shot in the U.S.S.R during the breeding season.

Thanks to Kane Brides for passing on the recent recovery and to the WWT for supporting the waterfowl ringing within the Lower Derwent Valley NNR. 

Recent ringing....

Today saw another 8 Mallard caught in the traps and a couple of hours ringing at the base today and yesterday resulted in 22 new birds. That’s a good little sample of 47 birds for the week before we finish netting at the feeding station as the breeding season is soon upon us.

Blackbird 2

Blue Tit 3

Bullfinch 1

Chaffinch 2

Great Tit 1

Greenfinch 11 (noticeable influx)

Reed Bunting 1

Yellowhammer 1 

Sightings.....

A colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit was reported at Wheldrake Ings today, we believe it will have four colour rings but on this occasion only two could be seen, a single yellow on each leg. So keep your eyes peeled for this individual & let us know if you spot it and if you're able to see all the colours which will allow us to find out where and when it was ringed.

Highlights from North Duffield today: 2 Short-eared Owls and a Barn Owl (late pm), and down the road at Wheldrake: a Peregrine was out hunting, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming, plus 31 Dunlin & 12 Redshank feeding in the water infront of Cheesecake Hide. Late pm two adult Iceland Gulls and two adult Glaucous Gulls went over Bank Island on their way to the Wheldrake Ings roost.