Ringer in training (?!) (1 Viewer)

[Jos Stratford]

Where have you been anyway? Not see you pop up on the forum for bit.

Was back to Africa for a month, Uganda - will post up pictures at some stage on my thread, but got many to wade through first. Automatic feeders here in Lithuania all lasted the month, back to the ringing soon. It appears one of my Blue Tits has shifted from from of my feeding stations to another - it wouldn't surprise me if it was between the two that are close together (about 1 km apart) but it is between two feeders that are about 80 km apart!

 

[KnockerNorton]

Ah, you say that but we later found out that this one was seen traversing the top shelf the week prior. Must have good balance and the net must have been VERY tight!

That's interesting. I've seen a stoat rob a nest 10m high - they can climb as well as any squirrel! I suppose the thing to remember about mustelids is that when they make a kill they'll keep coming back til everything's gone. So if there's a stoat/weasel at the net, it's prob time to close it as it wont go away.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Was back to Africa for a month, Uganda - will post up pictures at some stage on my thread, but got many to wade through first. Automatic feeders here in Lithuania all lasted the month, back to the ringing soon. It appears one of my Blue Tits has shifted from from of my feeding stations to another - it wouldn't surprise me if it was between the two that are close together (about 1 km apart) but it is between two feeders that are about 80 km apart!

How do you have auto feeders for a month?! Well-trained martens to fill them up?!

 

[Conorbirda2]

Anyway, How's Hotspur getting on?

had any days like this! (ended up with 4mm of ice on the net)

I cant quite believe that you blart on about the supervision of nets then show this photo?! I personally would not have opened up in those conditions, the net looks like its been left for a while? and it's as slack as a bag of Knacks. I used to operate on a huge private ringing site with 15 - 20 nets open in a range of habitats. What is your definition of Supervision? I thought 'the manual' says nets sould be checked within 40 minutes (?)of each net round (i cant be bothered to go upstairs to check the manual) The witch on the horse had a pair of Scissors to cut the birds out (all small stuff, tits etc and probably only 8-10 birds, 20 was an exhageration!). We did a net round (5 nets up in a strip of mixed woodland THAT WAS PRIVATE) that took about ten minutes, then two took the birds back to the ringing hut and the other two went back to the first net, where the girl had cut out the birds. Thats plenty of time to cut birds out. You could extract 8-10 birds in 10 minutes, never mind cut them out!
Bird Obs (take Spurn point for instance) have nets spread over wide areas. I wouldnt say they were 'supervised at all times'. They are checked on a regular basis, as are mine, but are not supervised at all times?
Anyway, like you say, i dont want to get into a slagging match. Ive bin ringing for 18 years and dont need you to tell me when its time to check the nets, but thanks for your input.

 

[Hotspur]

I cant quite believe that you blart on about the supervision of nets then show this photo?! I personally would not have opened up in those conditions, the net looks like its been left for a while? and it's as slack as a bag of Knacks. I used to operate on a huge private ringing site with 15 - 20 nets open in a range of habitats. What is your definition of Supervision? I thought 'the manual' says nets sould be checked within 40 minutes (?)of each net round (i cant be bothered to go upstairs to check the manual) The witch on the horse had a pair of Scissors to cut the birds out (all small stuff, tits etc and probably only 8-10 birds, 20 was an exhageration!). We did a net round (5 nets up in a strip of mixed woodland THAT WAS PRIVATE) that took about ten minutes, then two took the birds back to the ringing hut and the other two went back to the first net, where the girl had cut out the birds. Thats plenty of time to cut birds out. You could extract 8-10 birds in 10 minutes, never mind cut them out!
Bird Obs (take Spurn point for instance) have nets spread over wide areas. I wouldnt say they were 'supervised at all times'. They are checked on a regular basis, as are mine, but are not supervised at all times?
Anyway, like you say, i dont want to get into a slagging match. Ive bin ringing for 18 years and dont need you to tell me when its time to check the nets, but thanks for your input.

Paul, all due respect and that but this WAS supposed to be my diary thread (albeit with slow input) on my ringing training. A continual slanging match isnt appreciated and whilst the arguement raised interesting issues i feel that the aside has been ended. ATB James

 

[Conorbirda2]

Paul, all due respect and that but this WAS supposed to be my diary thread (albeit with slow input) on my ringing training. A continual slanging match isnt appreciated and whilst the arguement raised interesting issues i feel that the aside has been ended. ATB James

No problem James, although this post should have been addressed to Poecile aswell then i feel.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Freezing fog can roll in unexpectedly at any time, and coat nets with ice in a very short time (minutes), which then weighs the nets down and makes them highly visible. The only thing to do is take them down.

 

[vermivoracelata]

Freezing fog can roll in unexpectedly at any time, and coat nets with ice in a very short time (minutes), which then weighs the nets down and makes them highly visible. The only thing to do is take them down.

In that case, all mistnetters must now only erect one net per ringing session!

You're having a giraffe aren't you?

Peter

 

[KnockerNorton]

In that case, all mistnetters must now only erect one net per ringing session!

You're having a giraffe aren't you?

Peter

err, I don't follow. You can 10 nets up if you want, or 20 or 30, as long as you enough hands on deck. And if they're covered in ice then they certainly aren't catching!

 

[John Morgan]

err, I don't follow. You can 10 nets up if you want, or 20 or 30, as long as you enough hands on deck.

I'm inclined to agree with you. I've used 5 or 6 nets on my own with rain threatening but otherwise mild weather, continually making the rounds, having a hut or car on site to keep birds and equipment dry if the worst comes, and knowing how to disable a net by rolling it in less than a minute. The secret is to leave little chance of birds accumulating in a net, but to have a contingency if that happens - cloth, or better towelling, pieces to put over individual birds while other nets are disabled, a means of drying any wet birds and prioritising small stuff like Wren and crests.

Plan for the worst possible case and it will never happen. Don't plan, and you're asking for trouble.

 

[Black Wheatear]

Plan for the worst possible case and it will never happen. Don't plan, and you're asking for trouble.

Very sound advice John for any ringing session weather threatening or not! Still waiting for your model to demonstrate the next stage in the storing / unstoring of mist nets.

:t:

 

[John Morgan]

Very sound advice John for any ringing session weather threatening or not! Still waiting for your model to demonstrate the next stage in the storing / unstoring of mist nets.

I promise to get a round tuit

 

[Hotspur]

Back up and running, we have just started ringing at a new site in the Filey area. Mainly working out where the rides should be and doing some nettle flattening but the 3 nets we put up caught a couple of Dunnocks, a scruffy Robin and a very yellow for an adult Willow Warbler. More frustrating was a female Redstart sat on the inside of the post on the loops of the net! The area is a copse on a farm growing from a small quarry. A pool and a nice variety of woods look good for thrushes, chats, warblers and flycatchers with the sea (filey brigg) being about a mile away. Might even get something exciting. Plan is to go again next week and get 5 nets running.

 

[Howard King]

i had 2 birds cut out of my nets...but the perpertrator was non-human and mostly mustelid.

Wild Cats, Indian Mongoose and Shrikes have all had the odd bird from our nets here - and this is despite close supervision. Any cat once identified as the killer is remove permanently from our site - If the culprit is Mongoose then the net has to be moved and not returned to that location for at least a week - clever little buggers they are -In the areas were the Mongoose hunt however we do normally keep our nets very high with about a meter clearance from the ground. We miss a few birds but we like the mongoose. For Shrikes we wait them out and place a spring trap near or next to their perch - often they sit right next to the net or on the poles. Nine times out of ten we get to ring them as well. Once ringed they then avoid that net - they seldom leave the site however just relocate with in it.

As to weather - Ice Rain or freezing cold whats that - come visit us Give August a miss as that would kill most of you - 46c plus humidity close to 100% apparent temps of 54c common - but you do get used to it otherwise for the rest off the year - its nice and warm. No problem with cold fingers just salty sweat running into you eyes.

 

[John Morgan]

Wild Cats, Indian Mongoose and Shrikes have all had the odd bird from our nets here - and this is despite close supervision. Any cat once identified as the killer is remove permanently from our site

I hope you meant feral cat and not Wild Cat :t: (which species if any on Bahrain?)

I suspected there might be predator trouble on an Israeli kibbutz ringing site I was running, and purchased a very realistic looking viperine, plastic snake, thinking it was likely Marsh Cat were there. Next day the snake had vanished and I cursed the black-hearted thief who had walked off with it.

About a week later I found a few shredded bits of the plastic from the snake in some undergrowth and realised that the fake was so good I had suckered the local Mongoose into believing it real :eek!:

A very good remedy against a predator that hunts by scent is supposed to be curry powder or chili. Does anybody have any ideas about this?

 

[Howard King]

I hope you meant feral cat and not Wild Cat :t: (which species if any on Bahrain?)

Yes Feral cats - but try and catch one and would agree with the tag wild

 

[John Morgan]

Yes Feral cats - but try and catch one and would agree with the tag wild

This webpage has a picture of a commercial trap + good advice on trap use.

http://www.trap-man.com/cat-trap.htm

You will need to transport them at least 30 km to avoid them returning. I release what I catch at a supermarket delivery point, where bins overflowing with waste food makes it alley cat heaven. Or you may prefer to send them to the "real" cat heaven

 

[Kelvin Jones]

What happened to Hotspurs Trainning Diary?

Kelvin

 

[Hotspur]

Summer holiday back to it next week

 

[Howard King]

This webpage has a picture of a commercial trap + good advice on trap use.

http://www.trap-man.com/cat-trap.htm

You will need to transport them at least 30 km to avoid them returning. I release what I catch at a supermarket delivery point, where bins overflowing with waste food makes it alley cat heaven. Or you may prefer to send them to the "real" cat heaven

If we drive 30kms in Bahrain in any direction you fall of the Island - second option has been considered but the local animal home does just as well

PS Hotspur enjoy the rest of your Holiday