I was joined for the morning by David, Laura, Adam, Mark and the second of my new recruits, Emma. We met at 7:00 but, I have warned them, we will have to be starting at 6:00 very soon, as we were out setting up in full daylight.
Back when I started my personal ringing in Ravensroost, in August 2102, I would catch 700 to 900 birds a year. Between 2017 and 2020 inclusive, it fell to 500 to 600 per annum. Since then it has fallen to between 200 and 300. We have had some very disappointing sessions there since 2020, with the exception of a near solo session in October 2022. This winter we have had four full visits prior to today and, despite the feeding station being in place, have averaged only 28 birds per session: 20 ringed and eight retrapped.
In an effort to improve the catch, on Tuesday of this week I moved the feeding station from Ravens Retreat into the wood proper, to set up the following net rides:
With two teams net setting, we had the nets open by 8:00 and started catching immediately. As expected, the catch was dominated by Blue and Great Tits. However, it was a much more interesting catch than that would imply.
In the blog on the Red Lodge session for the 27th February I was commenting on how we had a good start to the year with ringing Marsh Tits. Today it got better: we ringed two more and processed two additional retraps. When I look at the Q1 statistics for our catches in each year so far, we have already exceeded the best total ringed in the Braydon Forest in Q1 for any year, we are only four retraps away from matching the best total of recaptured birds in that period and we have already exceeded the biggest total of ringed and retrapped Marsh Tits for Q1, with another 23 days, probably four woodland sessions, to go!
It has also turned out to be a pretty decent Q1 for Nuthatch:
Our best Q1 total since 2020, although we have to catch and ring another three to match the best Q1 for ringing, in 2023. Who knows? At Webb’s Wood next Wednesday and the Firs the following Saturday, could enable us to match or pass that total ringed.
The catch today was: Great Spotted Woodpecker 1; Nuthatch 2(2); Blue Tit 14(7); Great Tit 9(12); Coal Tit (3); Marsh Tit 2(2); Dunnock (2); Robin 1(1); Chiffchaff 1; Goldcrest 1; Chaffinch 1. Totals: 32 birds ringed from 9 species and 29 birds retrapped from 7 species, making 61 birds processed from 11 species.
There should have been 33 birds ringed from 10 species, 62 birds processed from 12 species, but one of the team, who will remain anonymous to spare their blushes, but who daren’t take their top off until the scars from the flogging have healed, managed to let the only Redpoll we have caught this year go, without ringing or processing it. The last catch was five at Somerford Common back on the 14th December. I start every session since then with “hopefully we will catch some Siskin and Redpoll” and finish disappointed!
The most surprising thing was the Great Spotted Woodpecker. Every ringer knows that they scream the place down, as if they are being murdered, when you try to extract them, ring them and measure them. This bird, a female, did not make a peep at any stage. She was feisty enough, pecked Adam continually whilst he was measuring her, and flew off strongly on release. I have never come across such a quiet Great Spotted Woodpecker. Can one get mute birds (don’t, just don’t)?
Emma started her ringing career this session and, impressively, was spot on with measuring the wing-lengths of the Nuthatch, Great and Blue Tits that she processed. Not that easy when a Blue Tit is biting your fingers at every opportunity. It usually takes people a few sessions to get that accurate, but I checked each bird and didn’t have to change a single measurement record.
The catch dropped off at 10:30, with just a couple of birds for the next few rounds so, at 11:15, we started closing the nets, leaving the feeding station nets until the end, and processed a couple more birds, so finally got everything packed away and ready to leave by 12:15.
We did have one interesting interlude, which I missed: a female dog walker shouted at Laura, Mark and Adam, something like: “I see the bird catchers are here again, I hope you are happy!”. Apparently, from her tone, they didn’t think she really meant it! If she’s reading this: yes, we were!
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 