Hi fellow Ringers
Well,the weather forecast for next 7-10 days is very mixed so Tuesday 13th.was the last sure fire good ringing day so popped up to the Rio Guadiaro/Rio Genal site ,not nearly as early as I would normally liked.
It was a clear warm calm morning when I set out but as soon as I got to the site the wind got up,sods law,and was soon fresh from the East (Levanter).
Fortunately,although a couple of my best net rides were unuseable,I had enough sheltered areas to get up 5 nets to make the session worthwhile.
Managed to ring from 11.00 hrs.till 16.00 hrs with a 1 hr.lunch break.,most of the nets being in the shade for most of the time.
NEW BIRDS RETRAPS
HOUSE SPARROW 12 1
COMMON REDSTART 1 0
WRYNECK 1 0
BLACKCAP 1 0
SERIN 6 0
GREENFINCH 2 1
GOLDFINCH 1 0
NIGHTINGALE 0 2
SARDINIAN WARBLER 0 1
BLACKBIRD 0 2
BEE-EATER 1 0
TOTAL 25 7
So as you can see.,not big in numbers but an interesting species mix.
The retrapped Nightingales were old birds ringed at this site last year ,males ,which will obviously be here for the breeding season.
The Common Redstart was a cracking 2nd.year male which had not moulted much at all,8 old greater coverts,old TTS.,Carpal Covert,Tail and alula Tract.
Even the inside of the upper mandible was still very pale yellow.
I heard a Wryneck calling as I put the nets up so it was no surprise to find 1 in the nets,a second year bird also,with 7 old unmoulted outer primaries,showing much abrasion at the tips,and a juvenile type iris with still a grey outer rim.
The Blackcap was a late migrant female with a wing of 75mm.
The 2 female Serins that I trapped had well developed brood patches and low and behold the last bird I took out of the nets when I was taking them down was my first juvenile Serin of the Spring,in fact it had not been too long out of the nest as the 2 outer primaries were still in sheath.
The single goldfinch was a second year female,using Svenssons' criteria it fitted the characteristics of a female,with brown fringed lesser coverts,and red above and below the eye only reaching the mid point of the eye.
Interestingly,the other characters that I am looking at also fitted the "Bill"!!!
Bill to skull measurement fitted a female in length,significantly shorter than a male and the bib was also smaller and more square shaped compared with a large rounded bib for a male.,extra criteria worth looking at esp.outside the breeding when some characters may overlap and the birds have neither a C.P. or B.P.to help with sexing.
Last but not least ,of course ,was the cracking second year female Bee-Eater,the first that I have ringed at this site,although last year some had the cheek to perch on my mist net poles!!!!!!!
Anyway,had to score sooner or later here with this species,not only because there are so many in this vivinity at this time of year,but I am sited not too far away from a huge stack of Bee-Hives.
This place is an Apiarists' nightmare!!!!!!!!! I have to watch my step too,as I had my first ever bee sting here last year when a couple flew into my hair and 1 decided to stick to my finger!! I now where a hat on site.
Also pays to watch out for the bee keeper as the residents tend to get a bit tetchy when he comes to town!!!!
Happy Days!!!!!!!!
Your Spanish Correspondent
Tchagra
Well,the weather forecast for next 7-10 days is very mixed so Tuesday 13th.was the last sure fire good ringing day so popped up to the Rio Guadiaro/Rio Genal site ,not nearly as early as I would normally liked.
It was a clear warm calm morning when I set out but as soon as I got to the site the wind got up,sods law,and was soon fresh from the East (Levanter).
Fortunately,although a couple of my best net rides were unuseable,I had enough sheltered areas to get up 5 nets to make the session worthwhile.
Managed to ring from 11.00 hrs.till 16.00 hrs with a 1 hr.lunch break.,most of the nets being in the shade for most of the time.
NEW BIRDS RETRAPS
HOUSE SPARROW 12 1
COMMON REDSTART 1 0
WRYNECK 1 0
BLACKCAP 1 0
SERIN 6 0
GREENFINCH 2 1
GOLDFINCH 1 0
NIGHTINGALE 0 2
SARDINIAN WARBLER 0 1
BLACKBIRD 0 2
BEE-EATER 1 0
TOTAL 25 7
So as you can see.,not big in numbers but an interesting species mix.
The retrapped Nightingales were old birds ringed at this site last year ,males ,which will obviously be here for the breeding season.
The Common Redstart was a cracking 2nd.year male which had not moulted much at all,8 old greater coverts,old TTS.,Carpal Covert,Tail and alula Tract.
Even the inside of the upper mandible was still very pale yellow.
I heard a Wryneck calling as I put the nets up so it was no surprise to find 1 in the nets,a second year bird also,with 7 old unmoulted outer primaries,showing much abrasion at the tips,and a juvenile type iris with still a grey outer rim.
The Blackcap was a late migrant female with a wing of 75mm.
The 2 female Serins that I trapped had well developed brood patches and low and behold the last bird I took out of the nets when I was taking them down was my first juvenile Serin of the Spring,in fact it had not been too long out of the nest as the 2 outer primaries were still in sheath.
The single goldfinch was a second year female,using Svenssons' criteria it fitted the characteristics of a female,with brown fringed lesser coverts,and red above and below the eye only reaching the mid point of the eye.
Interestingly,the other characters that I am looking at also fitted the "Bill"!!!
Bill to skull measurement fitted a female in length,significantly shorter than a male and the bib was also smaller and more square shaped compared with a large rounded bib for a male.,extra criteria worth looking at esp.outside the breeding when some characters may overlap and the birds have neither a C.P. or B.P.to help with sexing.
Last but not least ,of course ,was the cracking second year female Bee-Eater,the first that I have ringed at this site,although last year some had the cheek to perch on my mist net poles!!!!!!!
Anyway,had to score sooner or later here with this species,not only because there are so many in this vivinity at this time of year,but I am sited not too far away from a huge stack of Bee-Hives.
This place is an Apiarists' nightmare!!!!!!!!! I have to watch my step too,as I had my first ever bee sting here last year when a couple flew into my hair and 1 decided to stick to my finger!! I now where a hat on site.
Also pays to watch out for the bee keeper as the residents tend to get a bit tetchy when he comes to town!!!!
Happy Days!!!!!!!!
Your Spanish Correspondent
Tchagra
