A very interesting month. The catch was down on August 2022 by just under 300 birds, but last year’s August was exceptional for us. This August is our second best. We did process 44 species against 40 last year, even if one of those additional species was a Red Kite from the RSPCA Oak & Furrows project that I am currently working on.
The highlight has to be that Jonny ringed the first Mute Swan at any of our sites for over a decade: his one was caught and ringed at Langford Lakes. Interestingly, the first that we have a record for in the online database (DemOn) was also at Langford Lakes: on the 25th August 1990, almost exactly 33 years ago!
This year we had Marsh Tit, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Tawny Owl and Tree Sparrow, as well as the Red Kite, that were not caught in 2022. Missing from last year were Linnet, Nightjar, Reed Bunting, Stone-curlew and Whinchat. The Kestrel and Peregrine processed in August last year were birds being rehabilitated at the Mere Falconry Centre, so if we only count wild court birds that is 43 species in 2023 to 38 in 2022.
The key declines in numbers were in some of our summer visiting warblers: Blackcap down from 195 to 131; Reed Warbler down from 100 to 35; Sedge Warbler from 89 to 28 and Willow Warbler 107 to 65. Chiffchaff were 176 down from 193 but that was a decline in the number retrapped: the number ringed was 169 in both years. Garden Warbler numbers were stable at 13 and 14 respectively. Swallow numbers were boosted by my team carrying out a number of nest visits and ringing nestlings. Tree Sparrows by Jonny’s taking over a number of Tree Sparrow nest boxes this summer.
There were conflicting results amongst some of our resident species. Blue Tit numbers were up to 144 from 84 and Long-tailed Tit 57 vs 18. Whilst Great Tit numbers look reasonably similar, we ringed 78 vs 34 last year but only retrapped 16 vs 47. Blackbird (13 vs 27); Dunnock (31 vs 59); House Sparrow (19 vs 35) showed significant decreases in numbers caught and ringed.
Next month should be a bit of a similar challenge: with 1,400 or so caught last year.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 