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moorhen and coot (1 Viewer)

marky boy

Well-known member
Hi
any fellow ringers out there who have had much success with trapping moorhen and coot?. . .If so what methods and bait did you use?
I have tried potter traps for moorhen but have not had any luck,can anyone offer any advice or information from birds they have ringed themselves?
 
mark ferris said:
Hi
any fellow ringers out there who have had much success with trapping moorhen and coot?. . .If so what methods and bait did you use?
I have tried potter traps for moorhen but have not had any luck,can anyone offer any advice or information from birds they have ringed themselves?
Hello Mark,
I'm not sure if trapping methods should be discussed on a public forum, but that's for others to decide. I'm never sure if any unscrupulous people might misuse information on here for illegal ends. I suppose it could be me being paranoid, but you never know. What do other birders/ringers think?
BTW, I'll PM you with the methods my father used to use. ;)
 
Grousemore said:
Why would anyone want to trap moorhen or coot? If there is a valid reason,I'd be interested to know.
For ringing studies.

e.g. in many areas of Britain, Coot numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 10-20 years, and ringing them to discover details such as changes in longevity, breeding success, etc, etc, is the only way to find out the causes and then (one hopes) remedy the situation

Michael
 
Grousemore said:
Why would anyone want to trap moorhen or coot? If there is a valid reason,I'd be interested to know.
I have read reports in National newspapers recently that asylum seeker types from parts of europe/asia are going out to their local parks and killing just about anything with a view to eating it. Swans, Geese, Ducks, you name it, so it wouldn't be unfeasable to be concerned for Coot and Moorhen.
I don't want to start a political debate here, just saying what I'd read.
 
rogerk said:
I have read reports in National newspapers recently that asylum seeker types from parts of europe/asia are going out to their local parks and killing just about anything with a view to eating it. Swans, Geese, Ducks, you name it, so it wouldn't be unfeasable to be concerned for Coot and Moorhen.
I don't want to start a political debate here, just saying what I'd read.
Hi Roger,

That story is a lie invented by said newspapers to stir up anti-immigration hatred and sell more newspapers. It has no truth in reality, just like their false claim that every plane to Britain from eastern Europe is booked up for months ahead - totally untrue.

Michael
 
In answer to the original question I never made any particular effort to catch either species and Coot is a three star rarity on my patch. I did accidentally mist net Moorhens on quite a lot of occasions....especially in spring they would get frisky and fly up and down the reedbed where I was trapping Reed and Sedge Wablers. They tend not to stick but I imagine that if you were to use wader nets they might just.
 
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Michael Frankis said:
Hi Roger,

That story is a lie invented by said newspapers to stir up anti-immigration hatred and sell more newspapers. It has no truth in reality, just like their false claim that every plane to Britain from eastern Europe is booked up for months ahead - totally untrue.

Michael


Agreed Michael.. you don't often hear that the UK is about 14th on the list of preffered asylum locations in Europe.. 13 countries are a "softer touch" than the UK but that's not likely to sell reactionary rags :)
 
Jane Turner said:
Agreed Michael.. you don't often hear that the UK is about 14th on the list of preffered asylum locations in Europe.. 13 countries are a "softer touch" than the UK but that's not likely to sell reactionary rags :)
Ok, point taken, but I still think that discussing any trapping methods on a public forum is questionable. There are those people, (unless this is also media propaganda), which choose to trap songbirds for cage and export. This may not be the case for wildfowl, but I still believe that we do not know who we can trust. There is also the amateur bird enthusiast who decides to try and catch them for a better look (usually children) and often do more harm than good. I've experienced this myself with local kids catching ducks in the park.
 
Jane Turner said:
Agreed Michael.. you don't often hear that the UK is about 14th on the list of preffered asylum locations in Europe.. 13 countries are a "softer touch" than the UK but that's not likely to sell reactionary rags :)

13 other preferred choices?....

Go on Jane....name them!! ;)

Raggy Dave.
 
I don't know from my own experience whether killing of public park wildfowl by incomers exists or not, but I don't think it was entirely invented by national newspapers, because I have heard a swan sanctuary worker talk about it - some time ago so I'm a bit hazy on the details. The story was that the perpetrators were observed holding an improptu barbecue and that despite the abundant evidence the police didn't want to know, saying that it was part of their culture. A local newspaper record, at http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/5603545, suggests that police are not turning a blind eye, though.

I am prepared to believe that this is rare - indeed the fact that park ducks and swans can still be fed by hand demonstrates this - and no doubt less of a threat to swans than e.g. lead poisoning or entirely home-grown vandalism.
 
marky boy said:
Hi
any fellow ringers out there who have had much success with trapping moorhen and coot?. . .If so what methods and bait did you use?
I have tried potter traps for moorhen but have not had any luck,can anyone offer any advice or information from birds they have ringed themselves?
Hi Mark,

I have had success with Moohan and Coot in Potter Traps. Various techniques and methods can be used by Ringers. Check out www.wheatear.biz where advice and usefull contact can be made.

Steve
 
crested coots

I came across two pairs of crested coots in Almeria. Wide white numbered band around there necks. I presume they had been introduced
 
Michael Frankis said:
Coot numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 10-20 years
Not in our area. A few years ago I was seeing one or two coots on the local pond, now as soon as you arrive you see at least ten. Plus I've been out to Regent's Park today and was feeding the tufted ducks and around fifty coots were attracted to the area where I was throwing bread. I think coot numbers are growing (in London, anyway). Moorhens, I seem to notice, seem pretty stable to me. Every time I go to a pond I see one. This has been the case, it seems to me, for quite a while. I'm probably wrong, though.

P.S. Trip to Regent's Park pretty successful in the way of birds anyhow, 2 Garden Warblers and plenty of Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats away from the main paths. Arrived there at half past 8 before the big rush and saw fifteen herons on the boating lake. Well worth getting up at 6:50 for. :t:
 
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